So What?
All businesses want favorable attention in the media. All businesses want to share their good news with the public at large in order to position themselves in a positive light. To do this, companies often send out a news release to announce their good news. But all too often, they wonder why their good news wasn’t printed. Doesn’t everyone want to know that your company only had two employee sick days used last year, or that one of your employees just got back from a canoe trip in Canada? Uhh, well, ….(yawn)…no.
It’s not easy to identify the news angle in your company information, but with a little practice and guidance, anyone can do it. The first thing to do is make a list of what you believe is new and interesting in your company. Perhaps have a few staff members contribute to this brainstorm of interesting happenings. Then walk away from it. Take a day or two before you return to the list. When you examine it again, look at it with new eyes – those of someone who reads or watches the media outlet you’re targeting – and ask yourself “So what?” What on this list would be interesting to newspaper readers? What on this list would appeal to readers of my trade magazine? Does your neighbor care that your company has a new office assistant? The news paper’s business editor won’t either. Always step outside of your position in the company and view what you are doing through the eyes of the people who will learn about it in the media. And if you have the resources to take the time, do a little research and find out what your target media is doing. Check out the editorial calendar of your target trade magazine on their website and see if your company’s event or happening coincides with future article features. Take a reporter out to lunch and ask him/her what they look for in a good story. The time will be well spent and you will find that your good news gets out there.
In the meantime, here’s a list of some newsworthy nuggets to avoid the “So what?” response:
New product or service
Grand opening
Special event
New personnel in leadership positions
Large charitable donation
Contest or survey results
Entry by Angelina Salazar
← Sound, Simplicity and the Selling Message Considering overhauling your web presence? →