For companies that do not have a steady
pipeline of news-worthy announcements, keeping their editorial score up can be
a challenge. A well-run media program, however, does not rely on news alone. It
consistently fires on all cylinders, ensuring a steady cadence of proactive
pitches, reactive commentary on industry issues and trends, and contributed
content.
This does not change the fact that securing media hits is challenging and securing proactive media hits, even more so. Here are three tips for getting more media hits.
Have a point-of-view on the industry at-large
Too often, companies – B2B companies in particular – are only willing to have conversations with reporters that have a direct tie to their value proposition, but outside of product reviews editors and reporters, media are rarely interested in having conversations focused solely on your sales pitch. Media are especially interested in having high-level industry conversations with experts who can shed light on industry challenges, how to solve them and what types of companies will emerge as the leaders and why. They are also drawn to contrary and unique perspectives. As PR professionals we help our clients develop narratives that are both of interest to media and tie back to our clients’ messaging and role within their respective industries.
Understand and appreciate the importance of trade publications
It happens all the time. You sit with a newly acquired client for your first planning meeting and start by outlining priorities. Most of the time someone will chime in and say they want coverage in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal or TechCrunch. That is great, and we want those stories too, but it’s rarely a straight shot to top tier media coverage. In addition to the need to understand what is top of mind for those reporters on any given day (and how you fit in), important business press stories often start as a debate among the trade outlets. Take the ongoing open-source licensing debate happening among the developer community as an example. This conversation started among technology trades and influencers, but it was not long before it caught the attention of Rosalie Chan at Business Insider and seemingly influenced a story from Jordan Novet at CNBC on Amazon’s cloud business.
Evaluate what reporters want and formulate pitches according to those insights
The most effective pitches – the ones that result in briefings and coverage – are reverse engineered based on reporters’ recent work. Look at their articles and identify what went into developing those stories. Are there recurring themes? Do they like customer examples? Are they getting into the weeds about how technology works or are they focused on how emerging technology is impacting consumer lifestyles? From these insights, you can develop tailored pitches that get to the heart of what your top media targets want to see. Beyond the obvious tactical elements of distributing news announcements, placing thought leadership content and proactive pitching around industry trends, it is crucial to understand how conversations become meaningful to your target reporters. Learn more about how to develop a media strategy, and you can contact 10Fold for more.
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