Free publicity may be your best advertisement

They say there’s no such thing as a free lunch. But it is possible to get publicity for your business that doesn’t cost you anything but time. Getting your business mentioned in a newspaper or magazine article – or a television or radio story – often can draw customer interest more effectively than ads that can cost several hundreds or thousands of dollars.

You have to do your homework before you can get your business mentioned by the media. Unlike traditional advertising, which requires you to think like your customers, getting free publicity requires you to think like a news reporter or editor.

Figure out what’s “newsworthy”

Newspaper and magazines publish information for their readers’ benefit, and television and radio stations run stories for their viewers’ benefit. It’s not enough to simply call the local media and ask them to cover your business. Small business owners must look beyond the day-to-day operations of the business and find things truly newsworthy to the media outlet’s audience.

To get an idea about what would be considered newsworthy, read, watch or listen to the news media outlets that interest you. Spend time examining the stories they cover to understand how yours could fit in to the mix. Look at what kinds of stories run in each section of the local newspaper, what kinds of stories are run at the end of local television newscasts, or what topics are common in your favorite trade magazine. If you take a step outside the day-to-day operations of your business, you can find a number of things within your company that interest others.

Ask yourself:

• Are we offering a new product or service?
• Is our company doing something unique or beneficial that others should know about?
• Has a member of our staff done something important, unique, or noteworthy?
• Is there an interesting photo opportunity? Pictures are the driving force for television stories, and strong images boost your chance of getting print coverage as well.

The newsworthy item may not always be the most obvious one. Think not like a business owner, but like a reader or viewer – what kinds of stories do you like best?

Navigating the newsroom

Just as you would thoroughly research any prospective clients before calling on them, you also should take time to understand what types of stories media outlets run. Study the publication or broadcaster to see what types of stories they run so you can target the person in charge of the section or segment. For example, if your newspaper’s weekly food section features local restaurants each week, direct your query about your restaurant directly to the reporter or editor in charge of that feature.

Writing news releases

A news release (also known as a “press release”) is a short document that quickly outlines the story you want the media outlet to cover. Reporters and editors often keep a file of releases that are newsworthy, well written and timely. Not every release topic makes it into the publication or broadcast – in fact, most don’t – but you can increase your chances of getting covered by following some basic rules:

• Include all the critical information. Make sure your release covers the “who, what, where, when” of the event or issue you want covered.
• Provide a good contact person. Make sure the person you choose is easily accessible, articulate, and comfortable talking to reporters. This is particularly important for television or radio interviews. Make sure the contact number and e-mail are current and correct.
• Make it timely. If you have a big event coming up, make sure you emphasize that and send the release to editors a week ahead.
• Proofread, proofread, proofread! Unless the topic is absolutely compelling, press releases filled with spelling and grammatical errors are more likely to end up in the trashcan than the publication or broadcast. Have someone else read over your release just to make sure.

Have an angle

Remember, news organizations receive hundreds of phone calls and news releases every day. To get their attention, it helps to have an interesting angle or “hook” to sell your story idea.

From a news perspective, timing is important. Tie your story to what’s happening in the community or the world at large right now. Reporters are always looking for real people to put a face on larger issues or trends. Is your business being affected by the city’s major construction project? How was your business affected directly by the new state or federal law?

A good test for a story idea is to ask yourself, “Who would care about this?” or even better, “Would I find this story interesting if it was about my competitor?” News editors want to know if their readers, listeners or viewers would benefit from the information or be moved by it in some way.

Timing and follow up

The news media have dozens of people contacting them every day with story ideas. Follow up on e-mails, faxes or news releases with a phone call.

Note that deadlines hit news outlets at different times, and it’s best to avoid trying to contact reporters or editors during their “crunch times.” For example, a weekly newspaper that publishes on Wednesdays will be very busy on Mondays and Tuesdays. Television newsrooms, on the other hand, are always busiest an hour and a half before each broadcast. Earlier in the day is usually best if you want to reach someone who will be receptive to your pitch.

Sometimes getting covered boils down to luck. News changes constantly, and you could get a totally different response because of the day, time, person answering the phone and what the story schedule looks like for the next few days. 

Be realistic

If a media outlet does cover your story, don’t expect the focus to be on your product or service. While this happens in some cases, it usually makes the story sound too much like an ad. Also keep in mind the reporter’s job is to cover news and events, not to promote your business. While they have credibility because of their impartiality, that also means they may not cover your business the way you had in mind, and newsroom policies rarely allow you see the story before it is published.
 
Finally, talk to reporters and editors just like you would your clients and customers. By keeping their requirements in mind, you can help them do their jobs better while you gain free publicity for your business.