“A journalist's job is to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.” --H.L. Mencken

SECURING MEDIA COVERAGE – PART I
Assembling Your PR Toolkit

No one ever said it’s easy to secure media coverage for your business, but it doesn’t have to be impossible. If your goal is to secure consistent positive attention in local media to support your overall marketing plan, it requires both a plan and consistent effort to make it happen.

Start With a Plan
The first step is to prepare a roadmap to direct your efforts – a PR plan. The plan should identify objectives, target “stakeholders” (audiences), and the media outlets most likely to reach them. It should also contain a positioning statement that defines your unique position in the marketplace and three to five key messages that will reinforce the positioning statement for your stakeholders. You are then ready to prepare a calendar of activities to regularly communicate with your stakeholders.

The plan is an essential first step – without it you risk exercises in frustration and the likelihood that your PR activities won’t achieve your organization’s marketing goals.

Develop a Media Contact List
As part of your PR plan, you should have defined the media outlets most likely to reach your target stakeholders. You should become familiar with these outlets – regularly read the print publications and listen or watch broadcast programs. Determine which reporters are covering issues in your industry. What types of topics do they like to report on? What stories about your organization might they be interested?

Keep an updated list of these reporters – their contact information, including phone, fax, email and mailing information as well as their primary areas of interest – and keep them informed as appropriate news arises with your organization. Making pertinent, individual approaches to appropriate editors and reporters will greatly enhance both your credibility and your chance of success.

Create a Media Kit
If your organization is new, or has not been proactive about media coverage in the past, it can be helpful to prepare a Media Kit. Prepared either electronically or in hard copy, this information serves as a one-stop-shop for reporters who are interested in learning more about your organization. Among the elements to consider:

• One-to-two page fact sheet providing essential information about your organization:

  - mission
  - key activities
  - product/services
  - background
  - facility locations
  - differentiating characteristics

• Brief bios and photos of principal members of your organization and their areas of expertise
• Recent newsletters
• Backgrounder on related industry issues
• Recent news releases
• Contact information for media inquiries

If you have a website, post recent news releases, key background materials and contact information in a “news” or “media information” section on your site.

Once completed mail (or email) the media kit with a brief cover letter to reporters that cover your industry (those reporters that are in your media list). You should follow-up by phone to determine their interest and schedule a time to meet and provide more information about your organization and/or industry.

Draft Your News Release
When you have concrete and noteworthy news about your organization that you wish to share, it’s time to draft a news release. Examples of reasons to send out releases includes: new hires, product/service announcements, corporate organization changes, awards received, major sales, etc. In addition to sharing important developments, news releases are an important opportunity for you to promote the desired image of your organization – making it essential that you both draft and distribute it effectively.

While you want to be thorough, you also need to be succinct – reporters and editors may receive hundreds of releases each day. You need to make sure yours is read. The first paragraph should include the "five W's" -- who, what, where, when, and why and the most significant point you want to make.

Releases often contain a quote from the spokesperson for your organization. Again, try to keep the comment to a minimum while recognizing that this quote may well be used in the media. Make it stand out.

Finally, include a brief description of your organization. This is particularly important if you are a new organization, a re-formed organization, or as yet unknown to the media.

The form of the news release can vary. There are, however, a few elements common to all. Always begin with the date the information can be released. Somewhere at the top of the page the release should include the text “NEWS RELEASE.” It is critical that you include contact names and phone numbers for your organization (it is best to have two names) so that reporters can follow up. News releases should always be printed on your letterhead or include the organization’s logo.

The job is not finished when the news release is mailed, faxed or e-mailed. News releases should be followed with a phone call to the primary media list. Respect reporters’ time (and their deadlines) when calling. Professional, yet persistent calls will likely yield results over time.

> Defining and Leveraging Your Story – Part II

Contact James Madlom at 414.364.6103 more information on how to establish a public relations plan for your organization.