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Do you often watch your favorite news program and think, “I have a great idea for a news story – but I have no idea how to reach the media or get it covered in the news?” Have you tried to send email or telephone pitches and media releases, but think they might be ignoring you? Don’t get discouraged! Keep trying – and think about some of the tips we’ve listed below. Television coverage might be a bit more challenging to achieve – but when you do, it pays off 100 fold! As a matter of fact, one of our PR Mentor clients saw an increase of 500% of visitor traffic after her appearance on TV!

Having been on both sides of the camera, the one true thing that applies no matter who you are or what your company sells – the media needs good stories. Most stories are pitched poorly, they aren’t visual enough for the person reading it to see why it should be on TV – and, because they don’t grab the reader’s attention – are often lost in the blizzard of faxes and emails that bombard newsrooms everyday.

So, here are five steps to increase your chances of getting covered that even some public relations professionals don’t know.

1. Be visual. Reporters tell stories with pictures. Television reports are ALL about pictures. If there are no pictures – there is no story.

Even the most non-visual story can be made visual if you’re creative. What about a real estate agent promoting their services and expertise about the booming real estate market – boring right? An “imagine yourself hosting in this home” party in a beautiful house for sale by the agent – with caterers and a four piece band – with interested potential buyers roaming around the house, getting a feel for what it would be like to live there. Now that’s creative – and visual. (A great marketing tool as well!)

That’s what Judy Nayduk of Remax did to not only boost her profile but to sell the house! She also invited media to the party – and they’ve been coming to her for quotes and stories on a frequent basis ever since.

Again, she took a relatively common activity and created a visual story that the media found interesting enough to cover.

2. Think of the unusual. The saying “man bites dog” still holds true for television media. The news doesn’t cover what is expected – and normal. After all – that doesn’t make interesting news. The more unusual or creative, the more chance you’ll have at generating interest. Think outside the box-remember that the media are in competition for stories that woo viewers and advertisers. Here is an interesting perspective to consider: You are actually helping them – not the other way around. The challenge of course is cutting through the clutter so you can be heard.

While doing PR for one of the leading wireless telecom companies a number of years ago, raising money for charities was really starting to ramp up on the corporate radar. Everyone was doing some sort of event to raise money – gala dinners, golf tournaments – fun ways to get a corporate donation. Unfortunately, none of this was newsworthy. However, with media in mind, we decided to make ours a celebrity fashion show and gala – with athletes (Professional and Olympic,local news celebrities (built in coverage there) and entertainment celebrities. I sent out a media release in advance listing the celebrities as well as some of the unusual events that would also be happening, along with donated items for the silent auction – and presto – media frenzy.

On a smaller scale, if you are an auto repair shop – instead of pitching what good maintenance checks people should have before their driving vacations, talk about what happens when people DON”T pay attention to their vehicles. Give examples of vacations gone wrong with improper car maintenance – talk about scenarios.

3. Choose your Reporters wisely. Perhaps the most common mistake even some PR pros make is trying to sell a good story to the wrong person. Most reporters have a specialty, like “technology” or “business”. So, seek out the reporter who will have the most to benefit from your story. As we talk about in the PR Mentor tool kit, it’s so important to research your target media before you send your pitch, media release or story idea. Start studying the news programs and check out their websites. Before you call a TV station, become familiar with a reporter’s work. Don’t try and sell a technology story to a reporter who covers entertainment.

4. Think like a Reporter – Write like a reporter. If I were going to send a media release to a reporter, I’d write the kind of headline that a newspaper would run. And I’d make the rest of the release so easy and conversational in style that a TV anchor could read it right on the air.

Why would you try to do this? A major market newsroom gets hundreds (even thousands) of media releases every day. Often the decision on whether to cover your story is made in a matter of seconds. It is important to catch their attention and keep them reading!

5. Wait for a slow news day. If you have timely news happening, then you will obviously have to release it on a specific day. But if you have a story idea that is not time sensitive, a Sunday or a holiday are usually slowest “news times” of the year. On holidays and Sundays a lot of businesses, banks and government offices are closed – which means those sources aren’t accessible.

There you have it – you’re armed with knowledge that even some public relations professionals don’t practice. If your idea is unique, visual and pitched to the right person your chances of success go way up! Pitch it on a slow news day or a holiday – or tie it in with a trend – and you’ll be guaranteed a hit!