By Gloria Hildebrandt

From my years of experience as a journalist and assistant producer for a radio program, I’ve learned about media coverage.

The most important element in getting your news releases “picked up” or used for publication and broadcast, is in the word “news.” Companies, organizations and individuals get favourable publicity when they have interesting news to share. New products, services, locations, mergers and hirings are obvious news items, and big success stories are exciting to promote, but these don’t usually happen every month. The secret to getting frequent coverage is expanding your concept of news.

Even slight improvements or changes to your products, services and procedures can be newsworthy, if you explain why they were made. Key personnel can give their comments and opinions on current events or industry developments in your area. They can share particular expertise (also known as giving it away) in the form of how-to articles, top 10 lists, and summaries of best practices. Your business challenges and difficulties can be even more interesting than your successes, if you discuss your efforts to overcome the problems. Realize and be open to the fact that the media might want to include you in a feature that looks at several companies, and not yours alone. Flexibility and being accommodating will endear you to the media and might get you put on their “favourites” list of people to call again for future stories. Even in business features, the media love truth and revelations and heart and effort.

Realize also that the media needs and welcomes your news and story ideas. Keep feeding them material, because sooner or later they’re likely to take you up on your suggestions. Just make sure you try to think like a journalist or editor before you choose a subject. Is it truly of interest to others, or is it empty self promotion? Is it something you would want to find out about your competitors? If it has the chance of being boring, did deeper to discover meaningful ideas.

Finally, if you’re successful at attracting media attention, respond in prompt, thorough, helpful ways. Make sure everyone in your company responds positively to media calls. If they’re met with suspicion, stalling or resistance, they’ll move on to more welcoming people. Don’t sabotage your hard work in media relations by failing to respond to opportunities.

Gloria Hildebrandt is a writer, researcher, editor and communications consultant. Contact her to discuss your publicity goals.