Boardroom in the News
June 14, 2010
Julie Talenfeld
Boardroom Communications
A Fort Lauderdale plastic surgeon is featured in Glamour magazine. A South Florida trial lawyer’s case is profiled on CNN, Good Morning America and Prime Time live. A Boca Raton retailer is feature in a story read by thousands of area residents – and on NBC-6’s Today in South Florida and WSVN’s Deco Drive.
How did each of these people become high-profile experts in their respective fields? How did they get in the news?
It’s called public relations, and it’s a critical component of any marketing campaign. Most practitioners believe the value of the perceived objectivity of being quoted or profiled in a news article can be worth more than three times the cost of a similarly sized paid advertisement.
But while good PR can work wonders for a business’s bottom line, it requires strategic planning, hard work and time-tested principles . . .
- Consume media. Whether it’s a local paper or television station, an industry or professional trade journal, or a specialized consumer publication, Website or blog – read the outlets your target audience is reading. Get to know what the media are covering – trends, news, products, etc. Look for the “beat” writers who cover your niche.
- Contact the journalist. Email or call the beat journalist or blogger to introduce yourself. Keep this contact brief, maybe including a short bio of yourself and your business, and a quick news tip as the “purpose” of your outreach. But remember to begin every call with this sentence, “Are you on deadline. . .?” Journalists appreciate this awareness, and will know you’re not a novice.
- Think local. Media – especially local outlets – create local angles to national news or trend stories. How does an emerging national story (on vehicle recalls, a spreading flu, or the latest toy craze) impact the South Florida market? Since you’ve been reading the media and following the trends, you should know what hasn’t been covered. Relay this to your journalist contacts.
- Be a partner. Being PR-savvy isn’t about always getting your name in print. It’s about being eyes and ears on the street for the journalist. If you spot an emerging trend, send the journalist an email tip. Even if you aren’t a candidate for coverage, they’ll appreciate the lead – especially if you have a relevant business, client or other example they can use for their story.
- Write a blog. Sometimes, journalists for outlets you’ve never heard of or considered for coverage come seeking comments. Create a Website, write a blog, or submit columns to print or online media to raise you search results – and the likelihood you’ll be found online.
Effective and consistent public relations isn’t an overnight success story. Great PR firms and corporate communications executives spend entire careers building media relationships and honing their craft. Whether you do it yourself, or hire an experienced firm, becoming a PR success story could make the good news be yours!
Julie Talenfeld is the President of Boardroom Communications, a South Florida public relations agency focusing on media relations, social media, online marketing, branding, public affairs and crisis communications.
