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Publicity
Electricity: Can you plug your business into the media?
by
Todd F. Brabender
of Spread
The News PR, Inc.
We
all know what an electricity generator is and does…but when it
comes to getting media exposure for your business, how good is
your “publicity generator?” If you think about it, there are
a lot of similarities between the two. Whether it’s your
business’ electricity generator or its publicity generator
that fails …either way you will be left in the dark. The key
to “seeing the light” is knowing how to generate your own
“publicity electricity” and plugging yourself into multiple
outlets – media outlets that is.
Whether
it’s trade magazines, newspapers, TV, radio or the
increasingly popular online news outlets, media sources all over
the nation are constantly in search of stories from small and
large businesses. EVERY business in the world has at least some
element of it that is newsworthy. It just requires you to fire
up that publicity generator and shine some light on it for the
media to see.
Where
Does "Publicity Electricity" Come From?
There are a number of PR angles, but the most well received
publicity campaigns I have ever managed involved
“problem/solution” businesses or products. Media outlets,
especially trade specific ones, will often profile businesses or
products that are uniquely solving a problem in a respective
industry. It helps to present the editor with the problem, then
provide some brief research or statistics – not sales or ad
text, just facts – and show how your business/product can help
solve the problem. Case studies work great. Show an editor or
reporter how your business positively affected one of your
clients and how it can provide similar benefits to others. This
may also help get some free publicity for your client as well.
Other great
“newspegs” are novelty or human-interest elements. If your
business has a product or service that is truly unique,
unprecedented or cutting-edge, that lends itself very strongly
to an effective publicity campaign. A “newspeg” gives the
editor/reporter/producer the reason to run your story as opposed
to the hundreds, if not thousands of other story ideas that
he/she sees each week. To say that you have a new “paper
clip” is not enough. What is different about this paper clip?
What implications does the business/product have and how would
it affect the industry or consumer market? And finally, and most
times overlooked, is there an intriguing human-interest story
involved? Where did the idea come from? Did anything interesting
happen during the business/product development stage? Or do the
people “behind the scenes” of the business have interesting
story to tell? All of these newspegs are potential publicity
generators for you and your business.
Plugging
It In
Now that you have your viable publicity generating prongs, how
do you find the media outlets in which to plug them? Conduct
meticulous media market research to find those outlets
applicable to your campaign. In my extensive research for my
clients, I find media outlets whose editorial profiles match the
client’s business/product profile and pitch accordingly. You
or your staff can do the media research at a local library or
you can find a PR specialist or agency that can help you.
Another great way is to use editorial calendars of media outlets
and plug yourself into those opportunities. If you find that a
magazine or newspaper is planning an upcoming feature on
Innovative New Office Products, prepare your media kit for your
“new paper clip” and pitch the appropriate editor.
One
bit of advice -- “don’t expect exclusive and extensive.”
Very few businesses or products (with the exception of publicly
traded ones) get multi-page stories written exclusively about
them. Although that can certainly happen, most mentions are
smaller and in the context of a themed story or article, but can
generate very strong responses.
I’m
sure you’ll find that once you generate your best “publicity
electricity” -- you will be “shocked” at the interest you
generate.
Todd
F. Brabender
Spread The News Public Relations, Inc.
Generating publicity & media exposure for innovative
products/businesses/websites.
(785) 842-8909
todd@spreadthenewspr.com
http://www.spreadthenewspr.com
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