Journalists
are busy people.
In this day and age tight deadlines, limited
resources and colossal workloads make their load a heavy one.
It’s not always good for the general
well-being and much of the business community find journalists quite
unapproachable.
They need assistance and the ability to help a reporter out, genuinely, can be one that can carry someone a long way.
The stereotype of the miserable, rude journalist, held by many is a lazy generalization.
Often journalists are very approachable and
friendly. There are just a few things you
need to know, so don’t let nerves put you off in your quest to be-friend
journalists working in your business sector. After all, a good article placing
you as an expert in your field will do more for your reputation than any amount
of advertising.
Remember, the journalist giving you a platform is a third party recommendation saying that you’re an expert at what
you do. How much better is that than a paid-for advertisement with you banging
on about how great you are – it lacks a little bit of credibility don’t you
think?
Be useful to them and see yourself as being
part of a tool of journalistic sources is a good way to position yourself
mentally.
After all, people buy newspapers, magazines and
subscribe to news sites for the news, not the adverts, read about the stuff that
they take note of! We bet you can reel
of lots of news stories you’ve seen today, but how many adverts can you
remember? Not many, we’d guess.
So, how do you learn how to help a reporter out and get great PR for your business?
Well, let us just say, we speak from
experience as most of us were once journalists who went on to work in PR, so we
know what we’re talking about! Of cheap
marketing ideas, this is one worth paying attention to.
Firstly, really take the time to understand
what journalists want and be sure you have a story.
Also, a note about angles! Saying you’re the best dentist in Cardiff is
not a story. It’s an advert. However, saying how too many primary school
children are having tooth extractions and the government needs to take action
to tackle the sugar epidemic might be of interest.
Have your credentials ready in the form of a
biography, a high-resolution picture, and tell the journalist you are happy to
help whenever they have a dentist's story. You might find you will go into that
journalist’s contact book and end up being the ‘go-to’ dentist for their
stories.
Also, email, tweet, or even pick up the phone
if you have a contact number. They’ll soon let you how they like to be
contacted. Don’t be afraid though, if the journalist seems a bit grouchy it’s
probably not you, it’s more likely deadlines and possibly that you’ve just
caught them at the wrong time.
Always remember this – journalists need your help
and are constantly on the lookout for news. If you can give them a rich source
of good copy, as it’s known in the industry, you not only learn how to help a reporter out, but you also help yourself out with potentially
bucket loads of publicity for your business.
So don’t delay. Work on journalists today. It may be the best cheap marketing ideas you’ve ever tried. And, if you’re still not sure, and need a hand, check out PressPlugs media opportunities and take the hard work out of it!
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