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As a business owner, you already know how important publicity is to your success.
But the truth is, many entrepreneurs, executives, small business owners and even marketing and public relations managers make crucial mistakes when dealing with the media. Reporters, editors and producers are deluged with requests from hopeful people seeking media coverage, and their days are spent meeting short deadlines while doing copious amounts of work with dwindling staffs. Here are some tips so the media don't end up screening your calls or deleting your emails.
1) When calling a reporter or editor, don't just forge ahead with whatever is on your mind. Instead, ask if the reporter or editor is on deadline. A journalist's time is as important as yours, and their deadline pressures are horrendous. If they're on deadline, ask for a good time to call back.
2) Don't be self-promotional. They don't need to hear about how great your company or product is—they need to be shown its value and importance through concrete information such as value-added tips, detailed technical information, advice or details that will help improve people's lives or businesses, industry insights, or even relevant entertaining anecdotes.
3) Don't be vague or evasive during interviews. Answering questions with, "The answer can be found in our detailed product manual," or "You can find the answer to those questions on our Web site," isn't helpful.
4) Don't ask a reporter or editor to send you his or her article or product piece so you can review it. Alternatively, provide follow-up contact information, and offer to be available to clarify any confusing points or answer additional questions.
5) Don't fail to familiarize yourself with the audience. Make sure your subject matter appeals to the media's target audience. If you are calling an editor at Better Homes & Gardens magazine, pitch an article or product that fits with the homey, consumer-oriented material the magazine specializes in. If you are calling a trade publication, gear your pitch toward where you'd like to see it in the magazine, and be aware of the magazine's guidelines for that section. If you're talking about an amazing project you did, be sure you have high-quality photos, preferably shot by a professional photographer.
6) Don't nag the reporter or editor. To avoid becoming a pest, space out your calls. Better yet, use e-mail.
7) Don't assume reporters or editors remember you. They deal with multiple sources and many different subject matters. Immediately identify yourself by name or by topic before launching into the purpose of your call.
8) Don't expect the media to cover your topic when another story is dominating the news. Be aware of what is happening in the news and tie your topic into those stories whenever possible.
9) Don't delay when returning calls from reporters, editors or fact-checkers. Journalists are on deadline and need to speak with you right away. If you snooze, you may lose the chance for an interview.
10) Don't call right before a big event or holiday with a related product, story or idea. Magazines plan for issues at least four or five months in advance, and newspapers plan ahead several weeks.
11) Don't forget to add your contact information to your press releases or e-mails. It's better to err on the side of giving too much information.
12) Don't just talk about what's important to you during an interview. Be responsive to the questions asked by the interviewer, or the interviewer will be frustrated and not want to work with you again. Also, be certain you're providing accurate information.
13) Don't demand that an article or other piece mention your company, products or Web site. It's even worse if you try to put conditions on the interview, like insisting you are the first person quoted in a story or that you're the only expert mentioned.
14) Don't complain if a reporter gets the slightest thing wrong in the story; and don't ask for a correction unless it's absolutely necessary. Be pleased if the reporter includes you, even if he or she left out a point or quoted someone else more than you. A mistake that seems big to you may be small in perspective.
15) Don't contact the journalist's boss if you're unhappy with the way a story turned out. You can let an interviewer or reporter know if you're unhappy, but do it respectfully. Always try to work out the difficulty directly with the journalist.
Work these practices into your behavior when dealing with the news media and you'll soon have the media relationships you'd hoped for. Reporters, editors and producers will seek you out time after time.