GlobalBX

Ah. the story idea, the lifeblood of PR companies. But as PR professionals we are paid (in part) to dig deep for those ideas that the media will find interesting and newsworthy.

What do small businesses do to find those ideas? Here are a few things you can do to find the story idea that is “fit to print”.

Firstly, remember that timing is everything in this game so scan the newspapers every morning to look for ideas that might work for you.

When you find a story of interest, make a note of the writer of the story as well as their contact information. Add this to your database along with a few points about the story.

Scan the papers with a few things in mind and try to come with something we call “a story angle”.

Look for a story angle that might be applicable to the Industry you are in, or a regulatory angle, political, cultural etc :

A potential story line for an on-line back up service might be a regulatory angle – since there are requirements for certain types of businesses to maintain records for a certain period of time. If information is lost then you run up against these regulatory issues.

Use that information to write a letter to the editor or craft a media release or conduct a media pitch.

As you are building these ideas (and it is an ongoing process) think about your target audience. If you are scanning one of the major dailies – you may take that idea and pitch the local paper as it may be challenging for a small business to get the attention of the major newspapers.