Be available, respect deadlines and follow instructions
By Ginny Grimsley
Reporters love sources who understand their needs. Getting a call from a reporter who wants to quote you as an expert for a story, cover a charity event or invite you to write an exclusive article for a publication is a major coup. It means that your marketing efforts are paying off. Who would blow such an opportunity?
Unfortunately, a lot of people. Manufacturers who don’t understand journalists’ deadlines and needs are liable to be quickly passed over in favor of sources who do. That lack of knowledge also can mean a lot of wasted time and money for companies that take a shotgun approach to blasting their message to any and all journalists. If you don’t consider their individual needs, you’re likely making a futile effort.
After a decade of working with journalists, arranging for interviews with sources and placing exclusive articles in media by the experts my public relations firm represents, I’ve learned what works—and what doesn’t—for them.
Here are a few of my tips for becoming a favorite news source:
■ Honor deadlines. Remember that many journalists—perhaps most journalists—are working on tight deadlines. They need to find someone immediately—meaning right now. People who aren’t used to working on daily deadlines tend to think of “immediately” as “within 24 hours” or even “sometime this week.” That won’t do for a reporter who has to report, write and file a story today. She quickly will move on to another source if she has to wait for you.
■ Make an effort. If a writer or editor wants to speak with you—whether that’s today or next Tuesday—make yourself available. I’ve had clients tell me a particular day or time isn’t good because they’ve got a dentist appointment or a trip to the library scheduled.
If The New York Times wants to interview you, reschedule the teeth cleaning or renew those overdue books another time.
■ Keep a good headshot on hand. Journalists often want an image to go with their stories. That’s great for you—more exposure. So be prepared. Print journalists need high-resolution images, usually 300 dpi. Instructing them to download a headshot from your website requires them to take an extra step and the image likely won’t meet their needs. Most images on websites have a very low resolution (about 72 dpi), which looks fine on a computer monitor or smartphone, but doesn’t reproduce well on paper. Keep an updated professional-quality headshot of yourself—as well as nice images of the interior and exterior of your store—at the ready to email a writer or editor.
■ Hone your pitch. To avoid wasting time and money when pitching your event or expertise to the media, learn which publications, reporters and editors might have an interest in your message. For mattress companies, your best bets likely are going to be business writers who are interested in subjects like business success stories, shifts in shopping behaviors and new product trends and health writers who cover sleep and related issues. You should be able to find out which journalists cover what beats by visiting a publication’s website. If that fails, pick up the phone and call.
■ Follow directions. If an editor invites you to write an article or blog post, pay attention to the specific assignment and deadline. If you’re asked for 450 words, don’t send an 800-word piece. The publication may request that you focus on a specific topic or write using a particular format, such as first person or a tips list. Follow instructions. Proofread the finished article carefully and send it in on time. Early is better.
Being prompt, accommodating and reliable for one article may have long-reaching benefits: You could become the source the journalist saves in his contacts and you might hear from him again. Or, you may get a call from one of his colleagues; staffers often share good sources.
Whether the medium is a newspaper, magazine or blog, the journalist’s work can result in far-reaching exposure. Articles can be disseminated all over the Internet—one story could be seen by 100,000 or even 1 million readers. How’s that for a return on your investment?
How to get your story out
It would be nice if you could just go about your business of selling mattresses, and journalists would routinely call up to get your take on the local retail climate or the latest mattress technologies. Unfortunately, it doesn’t quite work like that.
To become a go-to media source, you’ll probably have to do a little work. You already know the importance of sending out news releases when you introduce a new collection or host a fundraiser, but you also can reach out to journalists to position yourself as an expert and resource on a variety of subjects.
Start with a topic that might be of interest to people outside the mattress industry and then craft a simple email to the journalist briefly outlining the story idea and how you can serve as a resource. The key is to not be self-serving: A reporter isn’t going to do a story to publicize your newest mattress line. For that, you need to buy advertising. Don’t forget to include your contact information. If you haven’t heard back, follow up with another email seven to 10 days later. If the journalist still isn’t interested, you can pitch the idea to someone else or try another idea in six months or so.
Here are a few ideas you could use as a starting place:
■ Beds go high-tech: Most reporters don’t buy mattresses any more frequently than the average consumer, which means they aren’t aware of many of the cool features found in today’s mattresses and bases. Show a technology journalist all the advancements that are improving people’s sleep.
■ Pillow talk: How to determine when it’s time to replace pillows and how to choose the right one. Pitch to local and regional home magazines or mom bloggers.
■ Family history: If you’re running a family business that is operating under the third or fourth generation, you’ve got a story to tell. Newspapers and TV stations like to highlight local success stories.
