52 Fridays – #29 Finding The Right Media Outlets For Your Story

52 Fridays is a year-long series for equestrian professionals and equine business owners and managers, with marketing and public relations information, ideas, tips, & resources shared here each Friday. New EMAIL blog subscribers receive a ’52 Fridays’ PDF when they sign up; existing subscribers and new RSS FEED & WORDPRESS subscribers can send a request for their own PDF here.

OK, you’ve gotten your press release written. Now what do you do with it?

The whole point of a press release, also referred to as a news release, is to get media mentions. Editorial coverage adds credibility to your business, more so than paid ads which are, after all, paid for. But if a horsebiz is written up in a newspaper, featured in a magazine, interviewed on TV or radio – not only does it get your equestrian business in front of potential customers, it adds that invaluable third-party credibility, which says that your horsebiz was worthy of attention. And not attention you purchased.

Don’t get me wrong, advertising has its place in a well-rounded marketing strategy. But today we’re talking about getting media coverage. So how do you go about getting that media attention? It’s ironic that this is today’s topic, because a few hours ago I was contacted by an about-to-launch new business, that had hired a writer to write up a news release for them, but then they didn’t have a clue what to do with it or how to send it out. If you find yourself in that situation, there are a few ways to go:

• If you decide to do it yourself (DIY), there are plenty of ‘how to get publicity’ books you can browse through in the library or your local bookstore for ideas and help; you can also read my May 2011 case study about the Horse World Gives Back PR campaign for some tips you can put into practice. If you don’t have experience contacting editors or producers, you might want to read this post about working with editors to get some tips.

• If you decide to hire a pro, you can go with a press release distribution service (there are a variety of them now online), or hire a publicist who’s knowledgeable about your industry or market niche; a good publicist that understands your business and marketing objectives can help you target your press release and distribution strategy for the best chance of media mention success.

As for what are the ‘right’ media outlets, well, that depends.

Think about who you want to reach, and what type of story you want to tell them. Do you want potential riding students to know you’ve just been voted as ‘instructor of the year?’ Or maybe your news is about a horse/rider team that your company’s just decided to sponsor…the point here is to think over what your story angle is, and to reach out to the media source(s) that are most likely to be interested. And don’t be afraid to start small and work your way up, since many media outlets monitor the competition (including local outlets) to see what they’re reporting on.

There’s both science, and art, in a good public relations campaign. When content, timing, and the right avenue align, it’s that ‘sweet spot’ that results in great media coverage for your horsebiz.

We’re now into the second half of the 52 Fridays series – do you have a success story or marketing tactic inspired by the series you’d like to share? Post your thoughts via the Leave a Comment link below. See you here next Friday for 52 Fridays #30!

Read other posts by clicking on the Sort Posts By Topic dropdown menu to the right and selecting a category, or you can select 52 Fridays to read posts #1 through #28.

52 Fridays – #27 Editors Aren’t Ogres, But Are You Still Afraid Of Them?

52 Fridays is a year-long series for equestrian professionals and equine business owners and managers, with marketing and public relations information, ideas, tips, & resources shared here each Friday. New EMAIL blog subscribers receive a ’52 Fridays’ PDF when they sign up; existing subscribers and new RSS FEED & WORDPRESS subscribers can send a request for their own PDF here.

Getting media coverage on your equestrian cause, business, or event can seem like a daunting task, but if you follow a few ‘editor etiquette’ rules and do some homework first, you can improve your chances of getting a magazine, newspaper, or online story to be proud of. And, one that can help you get in front of new audiences.

The most important thing to remember is that while YOUR story is the most important thing to YOU, an editor has other important considerations, such as what their readers are interested in, what stories will sell advertising space, and what fits with their editorial calendar or policy. You can increase your chances of getting ‘into print’ by doing the following:

• Get to know the publication or website and what they’re looking for: Research things thoroughly before you think about reaching out to an editor. Does the publication or site prefer how-to articles, news articles, personal profiles, or product reviews? In the ‘From the Editor’ section, what does the editor tend to write about? What’s important to him/her? Only when you understand what the publication or site is looking for can you position your article pitch (also referred to as a ‘query’) to hit the target.

• Keep your query brief, well-written, and to-the-point: Editors are busy people, like most of us trying to do more with less and constantly facing deadlines. When you’re ready to send a query, check to see if there are guidelines about how to submit one, and if yes, follow them to the letter. If not, email is generally a good first approach, but keep things brief, clear, and concise. Think of it as an ‘appetizer letter’ – you want to intrigue the editor and stimulate their appetite for your story, not give them indigestion from too much information.

• Be polite, friendly, and helpful – consider how YOU can make the EDITOR’S job easier: If you can help editors bring high-quality content to their readers and make their lives generally easier, you’re likely to get calls again and again. However, if you’re more of a demanding diva, good luck on getting the media exposure you want!

• Make sure your article is well-written, within the specified word count, and typo-free: Not everyone is a good writer. If you’re in doubt about your capabilities, hire a professional, whether a freelance editor to work with you on an article you’ve written, or a writer to collaborate with you or ghostwrite for you. And please, if an editor assigns you a word count, do take it seriously! A few hundred words over is generally OK, but not an extra thousand words.

• Have high-resolution images to go along with your story: Images on the web can be low-resolution, but print magazines need to have 300 dpi images or else they turn out fuzzy. Always have images taken in the highest quality setting, and let the editor know when you can provide illustrative images to accompany an article.

• If you’ve been asked to be an interview resource, be responsive and available: If you’re working with a writer that’s been assigned by the publication or website, the ‘be polite, friendly, and helpful’ reminder applies here, too. Be as accessible as you can, be willing to review a draft, and return phone calls and emails promptly.

For even more insights on how to approach magazine editors, here’s a great article from the folks at The Entreprenette Gazette.

Editors get approached all the time by people, and businesses, wanting free publicity. You can stand out from the crowd, and get better results, by first showing editors what you can do for them.

We’re now into the second half of the 52 Fridays series – do you have a success story or marketing tactic inspired by the series you’d like to share? Post your thoughts via the Leave a Comment link below. See you here next Friday for 52 Fridays #28!

Read other posts by clicking on the Sort Posts By Topic dropdown menu to the right and selecting a category, or you can select 52 Fridays to read posts #1 through #26.