After watching a great video by BNET blogger and Flying Solo director Robert Gerrish interviewing entrepreneur Valerie Khoo, I thought I might share her tips on how to get the media interested in your news.
1. When contacting the media you need a targeted approach so it is cost- and time-effective. Find your target market and read, listen and watch what they do. This means buying the newspapers and magazines, reading the blogs and watching the TV shows they do. You can see what kind of topics those media outlets are interested in and tailor your message accordingly.
2. Go beyond what is on your website and in your brochure. Make sure your message is newsworthy to the audience you are targeting.
3. Have a publicity tool to make the story credible and hook the journalist with something tangible, such as winning a small business award, statistics, financial figures, growth of business or turnover etc.
4. Make sure you are timely and responsive when dealing with the media, otherwise you may miss their deadline and your great publicity opportunity.