You might think that media expertise is only reserved for seasoned PR experts and the communication masters of this world. Nothing could be further from the truth. You too can become a media expert. Because that media expert is already inside you, you just have to bring it out. How? By learning a number of skills, further developing some qualities and applying them with a touch of flair... starting with:
The basics
Yet people sometimes forget. Number one before you start working with the media is to immerse yourself in your target group. Who are they? What are their problems? What solutions do you offer for them and in the context of free publicity... what are they reading, listening and watching? Because if you know this, you can determine exactly what message you can use to reach your target audience through which medium.
Find the news value in your company
What you also want to tackle is knowing what your newsworthiness is. Because if you want to grab and hold the journalist's attention, you have to have something to say. Something original. What makes your story stand out? What makes it newsworthy? Newsworthiness is about offering information, a story that interests a large group of people. Something unique, original, relevant or contrasting, i.e. stimulating.
Ask yourself some questions, for instance:
- Is my company the first to do, create or introduce something?
- Does my story influence a large audience or a specific sector?
- Does my service or product trigger big changes?
Can you confidently say 'Yes' to these questions? Then you have just found the media expert in yourself.
Media expert = Language wizard
Recognising news in your company is a good start to getting into the news with ease. But to become a true media expert, you also need to know how to tell your story in the right way. You need to get your story's message across clearly, engagingly, persuasively and consistently. And that requires more than just correct Dutch, it requires a bit of magic.
Three writing tips from one media expert for another
- Choose: Choose one topic and one angle at a time.
- Keep it short: keep your sentences short. Long sentences and paragraphs are harder to understand. This will prevent your readers' attention from flying right out the door. #whoosh
- Keep it simple: do not use unnecessarily difficult words or jargon. Keep it understandable, write (almost) as you would speak.
Put yourself...
... in the journalist. You don't need hokuspokus for that, but you do need the ABRA-CABABA I talk about in my webinars and with which you activate the journalist's brain. A media expert understands that journalists are looking for stories that captivate their audience. To capture and hold a journalist's attention, you need to understand what interests them and how they approach their work. Your story must have the right ingredients if your magic potion 😉 is to have the desired effect on the journalist.
The ingredients you need are
- A Hooks: your story should have something new or an original or contrasting angle, in line with current events.
- Facts and figures: journalists are looking for reliable and credible news. Support your story with figures and statistics to create trust and give body to your story.
- Convenience: editors are under great time pressure, make sure your story is easy to follow up or publish. Share contact information, quotes and additional sources they can use without much hassle.
Act like Cupid
Not every story is suitable for every medium. A media expert knows that every medium has its own format, style and audience. So, for maximum impact, you want to offer your news in a targeted and selective way to media that suit your message. If you want to do it really well, you not only look at the medium as a whole, but also study which journalist writes about which subject. You then basically do what Google does with its personal ads... but in an ethical way 😀
But successfully approaching the press goes beyond mailing the right person. Because good press relations are worth their weight in gold. When you think of journalists, don't think of unapproachable entities in an ivory tower, but see them as ordinary people who also sometimes accidentally drop their phones in the toilet. Be friendly and build a real rapport. You can just approach them. Especially if you pay a compliment or show genuine interest in the person and his/her work.
A media expert does not sit back
Waiting for the press to come to you is like waiting for Easter and Whitsun to fall on the same day. If you want things to happen, you’ll need to take the initiative. As a media expert, you’re responsible for your own success and you need to take the reins yourself. Would you like to know how to go about it and receive step-by-step guidance? Then get in touch.
Linda Graanoogst
PR expert, Media Trainer and founder of Blooming publicity
