howisthebiz.com 27 August 2008 Articles > Working with the Press & Media 208 views No Comment Print This Post  Email This Post

If one looks at the press page over at Los Pollitos, one finds a whole lot of articles in impressive publications. Given the portfolio, I get e-mails, and some calls, from other small business owners who want press and are trying to figure out how to get it.

How have we gotten so much press? Well, a lot of trees were killed sending out releases and the bigger reason: I am a media whore.

I called everyone I have ever known in the business and I also asked media friends to call their friends and so, voila.

In this last year, I have found new respect for people who do public relations. It is not easy and mi gente in newsrooms are not always the friendliest to deal with – that’s if they even pick up their phones. Plah on voicemail.

But, you don’t need to know a reporter personally to get a newspaper or magazine to write about you. I can’t tell you how many great stories I landed when I was a daily newspaper reporter just because somebody picked up the phone and, in 25 words or less, said: “Hey, let me tell you about this so-and-so”.

So given the questions – and the requests for help writing press releases — I figured I would share a few tips and tricks.

These are nothing that will win me a position as a media and public relations expert but what the hey, they’re free:

• Press releases are important, but not totally necessary. A simple telephone call, or a quick e-mail, with some basic information might be all you need to hook a reporter.
• If you do write a release, keep it short. Try no more than a page to a page-and-a-half. Keep it simple: Who, What, When, Where, Why.
  
• Don’t call at 10 a.m. and don’t call at 4 p.m. Reporters haven’t had enough coffee at 10 and they’re cranky and on deadline by 4, or they’re headed for Happy Hour.
• If you call, ask if “now is a good time.’’ Muy importante.
• If you e-mail, try “suggested story idea’’ in the subject line. (“I think you are the best writer ever!’’ can work well too.)
• Don’t tell anyone you are “the first,” “the best,” “the only.” Reporters will hang up on you or make paper airplanes out of your release.
• Did you see an article about a product or service similar to yours? Check out the byline. Call or write that person and tell them about fabulous you.
• Read the publication you are pitching. Tell the person you are talking to that you saw the article about blah-blah that he or she wrote. Google the writer, know what kinds of stories she writes. Don’t pitch lawn ornament trends to the guy who writes about hot tech.
  
• Are you shy? Can’t sell yourself? Have your boldest and most direct and polite friend call for you.
• Want to hire a public relations firm? Budget $1,500 to $5,000 and more a month. (Cost of doing it yourself: Minor anxiety).
  
• Does your product have a seasonal angle? For example, the Pollitos are a big hit in the Spring, the whole chick/Easter link. Media looks for timeliness. Be warned: Fewer and fewer papers care about the “National Whatever Month’’ angle.
• Called or wrote and heard nada back? Try again in a week or two. A simple “just checking in’’ will work. It could be your information got swallowed by the gigantic pile of caca on a desk, or got a Starbucks latte spilled on it. (Check out my trashed out, dusty desk, above, on my last day of work. Note free donut.)
• Checked in and still nothing? Maybe it’s time to move on, or you could be labeled an annoying media whore. (Who, me?)
• Doesn’t work too well to call The Editor or section editor directly. Those poor people are busy, busy. Best to contact them via a packet or e-mail that can be passed on to the right reporter or assistant editor.
• “Three is a trend’’ – common thinking in newsrooms. Do you know of other people doing the same thing, or close to the same thing as you? Tell the reporter what you know. Don’t be greedy and you’ll have a better chance of getting a hit.
• Don’t disregard the small weekly community paper. Press is press.
• Save your money and don’t send samples of your product unless you’re asked and most papers won’t ask unless they’re actually doing a story. Magazines are a different story and most large magazines will send your product back. (I personally don’t send samples to shopping blogs, but that’s just me. Your choice there.)
• If you’ve written and called and not heard back, but you still really believe the local paper is missing out on you, then send food. Reporters love free food. (See donut above). It could be month-old wheat wafers, but by gosh, it’s still free and free food is the way into many a scribe’s notebook. That, and a free round at Happy Hour.

Article written by Carrie/Bilingual in the Boonies/Los Pollitos Dicen