My mantra in business is, “Everyone has a story to tell.” Seems like a simple premise in theory: any business, organization, group, etc., wants to share their news with as many people as possible. Their goal is raising enough awareness to encourage people to respond. Actions often range from supporting local causes to visiting local establishments. Numerous media outlets may be contacted to help turn an idea into something for mass consumption.
The practice, however, is often vastly different from theory. Many businesses fail miserably in this aspect—marketing themselves—that can cause real damage to a brand. It’s one thing in telling people you have an idea; it’s completely different explaining to them WHY they should listen and react accordingly.
With so many possibilities, how could anyone stand apart from their competitors? Storytelling is one such answer. If it was so easy, then everyone would be doing it, and those in Communications, Marketing, and Public Relations would be looking elsewhere for work. Many business owners either lack the time and/or patience to do this—a primary reason why they hire someone to help shape and share the message.
When speaking with business networking groups, I break down the three biggest reasons why many in their situation contact me:
- People have no idea what to write about. When I meet with potential clients, the first question that gets asked is what should they be Owners are so deep into their company that they do not know what could be considered “newsworthy.” Perhaps the client may have just opened, celebrated a milestone, hired a new CEO, is hosting an event, or something else. It is possible their company has never been interviewed for a story. There could be so much to tell that they don’t know where to start.
This is where I can help pare down the message and create something “newsworthy.”
- Where do I send the information? The story is done and now you need to submit it to the local media. That can be daunting because the media has expanded from traditional outlets (radio, television, newspapers) into blogs, podcasts, news websites, and more. Finding the proper outlet or outlets can be time consuming and with no guarantee of generating results.
Then, where and how does the story get submitted? Some editors and reporters only accept submissions by email. Others request information be sent by snail mail. Because there is turnover within the media, it can also be difficult finding the right person to send the article.
- They stop at reason #2. The story has been written and sent to several local or regional media outlets. Wonderful! They just figure the outlets will just drop everything and print or air their news for all to see and hear…
…except that is not the case.
Most pitches never see the light of day. To combat this, I use a little-known but a highly-successful superpower:
I call it “The Power of F.U.” (Following Up).
Editors and reporters receive hundreds, if not thousands, of pitches every single week. Many pitches receive a few seconds to catch someone’s attention. If they don’t, then it often gets tossed. Connecting with them could make the difference between getting published and getting pushed aside.
Does “The Power of F.U.” always work? It doesn’t for several reasons: timing, the story itself, deadlines, and disinterest, among others. However, it does work more often than one might think. There was one story I pushed years ago for a client. I followed up with the editor of this particular publication nine times before being told by the editor to call their cell phone. I did…three more times! It worked out because the client wound up on the front page of a daily newspaper.
Not many people are going to follow up that many times. They might try either once or twice before giving up if they do not receive feedback. Most companies do not possess either the time or resources to spend that much time to get a story across. Because I have the time, it provides clients with an extra incentive to get themselves noticed.
What does it take for a story to gain traction? It depends on the subject matter, current events, and other factors. There is no magic formula of ensuring media coverage because frankly, there are no promises. Timing meets preparation is the best advice I can provide to anyone looking for some in this area.
If you fall into any or all of these categories, then it makes sense to meet with someone (like myself) who happens to be well versed in this field to learn what can be done to get your story out there.
Mark Berger is the Principal of Berg’s Eye Communications on Cumberland. He works with clients on getting the word out regarding who they are and what they do. Contact him at 401-365-2202 or markb@bergseyeprri.com for more details.
