Public Relations Primer, Part I: Packaging Your Story for the Media

Imagine you're in the breakfast cereal business. You make the best corn flakes. So do you just back a truck-load of them up to every supermarket, then wait for the customers to buy?

Of course not. Because you understand that packaging smartly ? the right size boxes, the right look ? is integral to selling your product. It's the same with the key technique to publicity success we've been discussing in this column: marketing your knowledge and expertise to the news media for free exposure.

Your knowledge and expertise are just like those corn flakes. Your "box"-what you sell to the media-is your story. Learn how to package, present and deliver your story and you'll become a publicity success. This month and next, we'll lay out the ten basic steps to turning your knowledge and expertise into stories that the media can use-giving you free publicity in the bargain.

Remember, everything you know about your profession is what's going to make the media give you free publicity. If you're a financial planner, you know how to plan for retirement. You know how to fund a college education?.how to buy a house. You know about starting a business. These are things the media, and their audiences, want to know! You just have to slice, dice, and package all this knowledge into boxes of the right size and look, and the media will buy. Here's how we start:

1) Dissect your knowledge (your corn flakes) into many different stories (your boxes). You figure out how it helps single moms, young couples, retired veterans, the recently laid-off-and you develop a different "box" for each one and sell them to the media separately. In this case, less is more-you maximize your visibility by selling a smaller box to more reporters, more often.

2) Connect the world-and the media's-to your story. The media-and the reading public-love trends. If you can fit an otherwise dull story into a hot trend-you've manufactured publicity gold. That's why Wheaties puts those flash-in-the-pan Olympic medalists on their cereal boxes-it's been the same darn Wheaties for 80 years, but they keep it seeming new by making the face on the front of the box the Olympian that everyone's talking about. Think about how the everyday things you are doing for clients fit into the great story of the day. As I write, the big trend is the sinking stock market. Anything you do that you can conceivably package as story and slap "sinking stock market" on the front is something the media will be interested in.

3) Establish the trend. You don't have to go along with the media trends-every once in a while, you'll spot a trend of your own. If you see or hear something you never have before-say, paid leave for people with sick pets-investigate it. Find out what companies are doing it, who's advocating it, what professional association has accepted it. Find some people who are taking off work to care for Fido. You are like a secret agent for reporters-who are too wrapped up in their next deadline to discover things like this.

4) Assemble the pieces. Bring it all to the reporter-the less work she has to do, the more likely it is that she will use your story. Here's what you need:

You-your basic bio and your credentials

Your story

The trend, whether new or old, that the story illuminates Another expert (academic, not a competitor, obviously) or a study

A real life example

Human beings-they will be the conduit for telling the story

5) Reach the media. This is really two steps. First: What publications do you want to be in? A better question is, what audience do you want to be in front of? Would you rather be telling your story to the readers of the local business publication or to the readers of Highlights For Children? The local business publication, of course, and whatever else your potential customers read. Once you target a few publications, read them religiously. Pay special attention to the "bylines"-the names of the reporters writing each story. Soon you will have an idea of what reporter writes about what industry or sector. And when you are ready with your story, you will know who to go to. You'll be working with a small number of reporters, so you'll be able to form relationships. And if you prove yourself as a great interview and resource, that reporter will use you as a source her whole career.

Ned Steele works with people in professional services who want to build their practice and accelerate their growth. The president of Ned Steele's MediaImpact, he is the author of 102 Publicity Tips To Grow a Business or Practice. To learn more visit http://www.MediaImpact.biz or call 212-243-8383.

---

Media Relations: How We Landed on the Wall Street Journals Front Page

Media relations is a great profession.On good days, I earn... Read More

Marketing-Minded Financial Planners: Put Extra Content in an E-Zine

As you start getting more media-savvy, you'll find yourself coming... Read More

Andrew Bogut - His Big Media Blunder And What You Can Learn From It

Andrew Bogut, the Australian basketballer is now officially in the... Read More

The Medias Muscle: Make it Work for You

The least expensive, most effective way for you to promote... Read More

PR and the Small Matter of Results

As a business, non-profit and association manager, how satisfied are... Read More

Financial Planners Publicity and Marketing - Live By The Calendar

The media live by the calendar. Your story pitch might... Read More

6 Steps to Using Trade Magazines To Reach Customers

When developing a publicity campaign for their business many owners... Read More

Media Relations: Minority Media Matters

Your boss just stopped by your office. He tells you... Read More

5 Critical Tests Every Press Release Must Pass

You've heard "them" say it, haven't you?By "them" I mean... Read More

Write Press Releases That Dazzle

When a reporter is wowed, intrigued, surprised or captivated by... Read More

There Is No Such Thing as Competition

A wise friend of mine has often said, "There is... Read More

Right PR Empowers a Manager

Business, non-profit and association managers are in a stronger position... Read More

Publicity - What to Say to a Reporter

You can have dozens of marvelous ideas to get free... Read More

Financial Planners, Want Free Marketing and Publicity? The Key is Understanding the Media

The media need you. Need the information and expertise you... Read More

So Whats Wrong With Strategic?

Some folks see the word "strategic" as a needlessly tiresome... Read More

Do I Really Need a Publicist?

Are you hesitating about hiring a publicist or, if you... Read More

Media Training 101: When 60 Minutes Knocks On Your Door

You never know when 60 Minutes will knock on your... Read More

Lets Blow The Lid Off Public Relations

And show it for what it is - a humdinger... Read More

How To Write More Powerfully For PR, Offline And Online

Years ago when my Dad owned a group of local... Read More

Make Front Page News By NOT Inviting The Media

Not a single reporter showed up at our news event.... Read More

Smashing the Myth of the Press Release

A musician spends years honing his craft. He writes world-class... Read More

Auto Detailing Public Relations; United Way Withholding

As a mobile detailing company it is important to have... Read More

Boost Your Business by Partnering with a Non Profit Organization

Is your business looking for new and creative ways to... Read More

Hispanic Media Training: How It Can Benefit You

How can media training help you create a successful Hispanic... Read More

Its CNN! They Want To Talk To You!

Being invited to appear on radio and television used to... Read More

Knowing the Community

You are in business for yourself, but how well do... Read More

Free Radio Publicity for Marketing-Minded Financial Planners

Radio is a powerful publicity tool. Most stations offer news... Read More

Publicity Wont Thrive on Press Releases Alone

Press releases are a useful tool for announcing news and... Read More

Want to Light a Fire Under Your PR?

Yes? Then do something positive about the behaviors of those... Read More

Writing a Press Release: How to Write Quotes

Ideally, you will have two types of quotes in your... Read More

So, How Do I Answer That?

How you answer questions depends on many factors. Example what... Read More

Online Business Press Release Writing Tips And Ideas

Press releases are one of the most cost-effective ways to... Read More

Pressure From the Top?

Yes, and that pressure often comes from a CEO who... Read More