How to Work with the Media
Friday, January 16th, 2009 6:01 pm
Business owners need the media
Business owners play many roles. Running the business and making day-to-day transactions and decisions are only part of the process. The owner of a business is also the company’s spokesperson, the face and voice of the business. While you may provide phenomenal goods and services to your customers, the media can be a powerful ally in getting your message out to a larger audience than you and your employees could personally reach.
The media can serve as a powerful communication vehicle for your business, but as you may have noticed by reading the paper yourself, not all news is good news. In order to be sure you and your business are painted in the best light possible, it is important to understand more about how the media work, and how best to work with them.
Many people get their information from the media. Media comes in all forms - newspapers, magazines, television programs, radio shows, etc. The web has also ushered in other forms of media - online articles, blogs, podcasts, etc.
Familiarization with how to work with the media will increase an owner’s credibility and acclaim amongst the public and potentially gain them more exposure.
Why be extra nice to the media?
Ideally, we want the media to come to us, but unless we are a big company or make an impact putting us in a position to select whom we speak with, we are going to seek them out. Thus, we need them more than they need us. Most members of the media are hounded constantly by small businesses that want to be covered by them.
It is not so easy to create a media stir. Media representatives are very selective and are always pressed for time. If asked to put off on a story to a later date - they would probably just drop the story altogether. And they will not take kindly to people who are too busy for them. The media can help business owners by giving them much-needed spotlight or they can harm them by portraying a business in a poor light or by ignoring them altogether (this can and does happen).
When in touch with the media…
All of your motions towards media representatives should cater to them. When your public relations contact puts you in touch with a member of the media, be sure to be polite, be prompt and work with their schedule. It is not wise to form contact with a member of the media before the time is right. For instance, if you receive an email from your PR contact, that includes correspondence from someone in the media, do not contact the media member without first consulting your PR contact - it is their job to liaise with the media. If your PR contact asks that you contact the media at an appointed time, be punctual and be prepared to speak on the topic at hand.
Common mistakes to avoid:
- Blowing off the media
- Waiting to return a phone call
- Not working with the media’s tight schedule
- Communicating poorly or vaguely about an appointment or meeting - they are most likely on a deadline!
- Tell them to call you “whenever” unless you are prepared to answer whenever
Things to keep in mind:
- Be prompt
- Be extra polite - they can bring clients to your door!
- They are real people, and will form positive and negative judgments the same way we all do, only faster and with heightened critical thinking skills
- They are trained to be skeptical
During an interview:
- Give the facts
- Don’t ask what they think of your answers to their questions
- If you don’t know, you don’t know. It’s ok to say ‘I don’t know’
- Don’t wing it - know what you’re going to say when you talk to the media
- Use your company’s name (they might quote you and that sounds better than ‘we’ or ‘us’)
- Never say ‘No comment’ - that just tells them that there’s more there that you’re not saying
After the interview:
- Reiterate your expertise
- Offer yourself as an available expert for future pieces
- Send a thank you note
- Buy the paper, watch or listen to the interview
- Make a copy of a print piece for your records even if your PR contact is doing the same - you never know when you might need this or want to refer to it
Other ideas for leveraging the exposure after it happens:
- Tell everyone you talk to
- Post clip or recording on your website or blog
- Send clip to client or potential clients with a marketing letter
- Frame article and hang in customer waiting area of your place of business
- Start a scrapbook of clippings and ask that your PR contact do the same if they are not already
In conclusion
You work hard at what you do. You’ve invested a lot in your efforts to get media exposure and you deserve it. Working with the media is the last step in securing the spotlight for yourself and your business. Getting a nibble of interest is a big win, and we want to help you maximize the benefits you receive.
If you have any questions about any of the guidelines provided herein, your Flourishing Business Advisor would be happy to answer them and to strategize with you about maximizing the impact of your media coverage.
