Writing for the Media

A well developed media relations program offers you an excellent tool to share information with customers regarding the products and services you offer as well as communicate your business objectives. The media can also help key stakeholders recognize and celebrate your achievements and contributions.

Think like an editor. Read the publications to which you are submitting your press releases, media kits, etc. Give an editor what he or she wants in the way he or she wants it and you will significantly increase your chances of getting covered.

Write like a reporter. A major market newsroom gets hundreds or even thousands of news releases every single day. Often the decision whether to use your story is made in a matter of seconds. Write the kind of headline that a reporter would use in his or her own work. Often times that well-written sentence in the third paragraph that delivers the most important news angle isn’t even read.

Be unusual. The news doesn’t necessarily cover what’s normal. Unique or unusual events or angles are much more likely to receive coverage.

Be relevant. Tie your story in with a news event or holiday. Make yourself part of a larger trend or provide additional information on a competitor’s story. Make your story part of a picture that’s much larger than just your product or company. Remember, people do not buy products and services – they buy solutions to their problems. As the old saying goes...you don't buy a drill because you want a drill -- you buy a drill because you want a hole.