The fusionSpan Blog

Three Tips to Getting the Media Attention You Want

By Alexi Turbow |November 11, 2013
EventsMarketing

Trying to get the attention of the media can seem like a daunting task, especially when you have minimal to no staff dedicated to this. But even with limited funds or staffing, it is still possible to get the media attention that you crave. Below are three ways to get started:

Hosting or attending an event

While the prospect of hosting an event might sound overwhelming, it doesn’t have to be. You certainly need to dedicate time to ensure it is an event that people want to attend, but it does not need to be big or fancy. Perhaps you host a small cocktail hour at the office or a working luncheon.  This gives you the opportunity to invite and engage media and other organizations you might want to work with. This also provides a great opportunity to control your messaging.

On the flip side of this is attending events. Research what types of conferences or events are occurring in your area so you do not need to travel. This will help keep costs down, especially since conferences can be pricey to attend. Additionally, this provides another opportunity to encounter people you might want to partner with and engage media.

Work on building relationships

Relationships are important in both your personal and professional life. And while creating and maintaining relationships might seem like an obvious thing to do, it still amazes me how many people do not do this. I’m not saying you need to be best friends with everyone and call them on the phone every day, or even every week. But as long as you are making the effort to keep in touch and not only reach out when you need something, your connections will be more open to helping you.

Have a good story

As stated above, relationships are critical to getting the type of coverage you want, but even if your best friend is the managing editor of The New York Times that does not mean your story will run. If your story is not interesting or newsworthy to the general public, who your best friend is won’t matter.

I work with many different types of organizations and they all think their story is the next greatest thing. Maybe that’s true, but most of the time it’s not. Managing expectations is important, as well as using common sense.  Think about the trade outlets and journals your organization already works with or subscribes to. Those will be a good starting point for trying to get your story out there, and specifically to the people who will be most interested. After that, work on developing a good local angle and start reaching out to your hometown media.

All of these steps are interconnected and vital to getting the type of media coverage you want. And while none of this will happen over night, you can start taking steps now so that when you have a story you want to share, you will have the relationships and basic tools in place.

Send Alexi comments or questions on how to engage the media at .

Alexi Turbow

Alexi Turbow is an account executive at one of the world's largest public relations firms. She currently works in health PR where she manages accounts ranging from health technology to big pharma. Previously she worked at U.S. News & World Report as the communications relations coordinator and formerly worked at the United States Tennis Association. Alexi has a Bachelors of Arts from the Indiana University School of Journalism. She enjoys travel, baking and cheering on the Hoosiers in basketball. Disclaimer: Alexi works at Edelman. The thoughts and opinions expressed here are her own.

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