Five Moments to Get in the News

Timing is key.

Appearing in a local newspaper, business magazine or industry publication can attract the interest of potential clients, lapsed clients, referral sources and other contacts.

A mention in the news underscores your authority as a provider of services and a keen observer of the scene. You describe your solutions for the perennial problems that an individual, a business owner or a corporate executive may encounter.

Take note of these five moments, whether you create them yourself or you capitalize on an external event.

From easiest to secure to more difficult, you can score a media mention:

• Announcement
• Media Profile
• Pitch an issue and breaking news
• Pitch an essay
• Profile

Announcement

You have a new:

• Executive hire
• Office
• Product or service
• Report

Draft a press release, keeping in mind the value that this new development brings to the target audience. (sample here) Then, distribute the announcement to media outlets of greatest interest to those in the industry or locale.

For example, an executive hired by a global bank had a non-compete agreement with his former employer. A two-sentence paragraph in the Executive Changes column of The Wall Street Journal stated that he had joined the new company. His former clients, who read the newspaper, soon were calling him and spreading the work among their colleagues about his new position in asset management. Within days, his portfolio received more than $350 million in assets from the clients who followed him to the bank, all without him violating the terms of his non-compete agreement.

You only get one chance to make a first impression with a new development like an executive hire, office, report, service or product; prepare to capture the spotlight.

Media Profile

Introduce yourself to reporters as a source for comment on industry trends and hot topics that are not being widely discussed. Follow these steps to draft the profile. Focus on the key questions: Why YOU and Why NOW. Identify the publications and reporters. Gather their email addresses, as described here.

Trends do not change very often, making a media profile viable for three or four months; a press release announcement has a shelf life of one day.

Pitch an Issue and Breaking News

Focus on a single issue that is timely or jump on a hot news story. At the end of the calendar year, reporters seek forecasts of what lies ahead. I suggested a source on the outlook for biotech companies and the IPO markets; a reporter from The Wall Street Journal was thrilled to get the pitch and spoke to the executive that same day.

Separately, the Boston Marathon Bombing trial generated extensive media coverage, with observations from local attorneys and law professors. Surprisingly, an attorney from Miami was quoted in a story when the verdict was announced. How did he get in the news? He likely contacted reporters covering the trial and indicated he was available for comment. He answered the questions of Why YOU, he was a former prosecutor who had tried terrorism cases, and Why NOW, the verdict was imminent.

Keep an eye on the calendar and watch the news for breaking stories that may offer your next opportunity to opine as an authoritative source.

Pitch an essay

Write an opinion essay on a hot topic. Call attention to some aspect of a prominent issue that is not being discussed. Alternatively, offer a supporting or contrarian viewpoint. Devlin Horton, a personal injury attorney, observed that a proposed initiative by the state Department of Transportation would only partly address the issue of pedestrian safety. His opinion essay was published in the daily local newspaper of the town where his client was injured in an accident and pedestrian safety was at issue.

Identify a subject aligned with your business and raise the flag as an advocate.

Profile

It’s the dream of every executive and company to be featured in an extensive profile in a key publication. Having a unique angle may help you stand out from the crowd. Wendy Samuelson, a matrimonial attorney, was profiled in a local lifestyle magazine about her law practice, as well as the fact that she and her husband vacation on tandem bicycle trips.

Cite what truly differentiates your business or background to capture a reporter’s eye and ear.

This Month's Tip

Reporters need story ideas and publications need opinion essays. Journalists won’t call you looking for a topic or an interview if they don’t know who you are and why anyone else should care about your insight. Find a subject that individuals, corporate executives or business owners need to better understand and put your name and idea under a reporter’s nose.

Contact

It’s time you stepped forward and told the industry or the community what’s important. Contact me at [email protected], book an appointment here or call me at 212.677.5770. Together, we’ll explore which of these five scenarios is most appropriate for you and when it should be executed.

See also: When Should You Issue a Press Release?

Note: I placed or wrote the articles referenced, except the Samuelson profile.