Greg Simpson, founder of Press for Attention PR, helps you get the media to fall in love with you.
Roses are red,
Violets are blue
The media craves experts
Might the next one be you?
Because here is the truth
When it comes to the press
It’s not about budgets
That’s not how you impress
Imagine a journalist,
Locked in their tower
As the deadline ticks down
Slowly, hour by hour
And yet they still lack
That nugget, that quote
To enliven their copy
On that, they will dote
Because too many times
When they open a pitch
It’s a glorified advert
I’m sorry to bitch
But it’s true, coz I’ve been there
I’ve seen it and done it
Folk send in their “stories”
There’s no way they will run it
Yet there’s always that hope
That in amongst all the waste
Is a beautiful gem
They can copy and paste
Full of insight, and wisdom
Knowledge and skill
The work of a lifetime
Broken down and distilled
To a couple of sentences
Sometimes much more
That sheds light on a topic
Like never before
For that they will thank you
Be you butcher or baker
Dentist or broker
Or candlestick maker
For you are the expert
That means you have the clout
To transform your marketing
Of that there’s no doubt
The challenge for you
On this Valentine’s Day
Is to drop them a line
When the chance comes your way
So, apart from poems of questionable quality, how do you make the media fall in love with you?
There’s no need for incantations and you will be pleased to see that neither eye of newt nor toe of frog are on your shopping list.
However, we are going to weave something of a spell here as we aim to at least get you a date with your target media.
By the end of it, you might even be holding hands. OOOOOOhhhhhh.
All too often when people chat to me at events, they seem keen to find ‘sneaky ways’ to get the press to cover them.
Almost like they are trying to get away with being covered by them before they are rumbled!
A bit like online dating but using a VERY old photo or perhaps exaggerating some of your ‘achievements’ in the hope that they will pique interest.
The problem is, this strategy will only work in the short-term before you are rumbled, if indeed it works at all.
Are we in a relationship?
I want you to be more mature about what you want from each other in any potential media relationship.
I want you to think about what you BOTH bring to the party. It shouldn’t just be about you getting media coverage, it should be about them getting a great story so they can sell more copies or clicks.
It is a win/win for both of you.
I want you to start looking for a relationship where you are perfect for one another.
The problem is, although it is perfectly possible to DIY when it comes to PR, too many people are focused on What’s In It For Me?
To be really good at the PR game, you need to think about What’s In It For Us?
You need to find the right media partner, the perfect fit for your business, not your ego.
You need to find common ground where you and the journalist are greater than the sum of your parts. You need to add some Valentine’s Value.
If you work with this approach, you will soon start to find that you are doing less of the chasing and the media suitors are actually flocking to you for a date.
Valentine’s Day was originally a celebration of the coming of spring. If you start to work with my approach you will soon find your PR and marketing campaign is blooming marvellous.
Or you could just send them flowers, it’s a start.
A former business journalist, Greg Simpson is the author of The Small Business Guide to PR and has been recognised as one of the UK’s top 5 PR consultants, having set up Press for Attention PR in 2008.
He has worked for FTSE 100 firms, charities and start-ups and conducted press conferences with Sir Richard Branson and James Caan. His background ensures a deep understanding of every facet of a successful PR campaign – from a journalist’s, client’s, and consultant’s perspective.
See this article in the February issue of East Midlands Business Link Magazine here.
