Font Resize
Drew Gerber, a University of Utah graduate and founder of www.PitchRate.com, says business owners can maximize their economic recovery through public relations.
How can a business connect with the media for free?
With the advent of the Internet, it has never been easier to find free query services, which are used by journalists to locate experts and sources. There are also free media lists, such as www.usnpl.com, and other media contact information you can find just by doing Google searches.
Explain a media wish list and how to prepare one.
It's a list of media that reaches your target audience -- the people most likely to purchase your products, services and books -- or support your cause. These are the media venues that will undoubtedly impact your bottom line. Remember to include your top business trade magazines, as well as the big broadcast venues you want to attract, like "Oprah" and "Good Morning America." Research journalists and their work, and then prepare a list of e-mails and contact information. The most important thing we tell our clients in preparing for an interview is to focus on what journalists want.
Reporters are incredibly busy. The more you can do to make their job easier, the more successful you will be in getting media coverage.
Explain the term "research what resonates."
We tell our clients to watch, listen to and read their favorite media sources to find out what's in the news and what conversations dominate the media. Then, ask yourself, "What unique perspective can I add to the story?" And, prepare a pitch. Researching what resonates is also about making a personal connection with people and providing valuable information. Find out [journalists'] preferences and interact with them like you would any treasured business contact. You wouldn't waste your client's time; treat the media with the same respect.
How can a business prepare key messages?
One way to hone in on what makes you, your product, service or expertise unique is to condense the idea into a few sentences. Pretend you're on the elevator with Oprah and have just a few floors to tell her why you should be on her show. Write up a sample question-and-answer of what you would want to be asked in an interview. A great way to test your key messages is to try them out on a fifth grader or teen. If they understand what you're trying to say, then you know you have a key message that will clearly reach people. And, K.I.S.S. (Keep It Short and Simple) applies here.
Dawn House
