The quickest way to get publicity in the media for your business is to tie it into something that’s already in the news.
However, you must take immediate action otherwise another expert will be interviewed.
For example, if there’s a political leadership spill and you’re a performance coach who focuses on leadership, this gives you a great opportunity to put out a media release on the topic of leadership. You could compare leadership styles of the contenders in the leadership fight or even write an opinion piece about what makes a great leader.
It is also important to think ahead about what might be coming up in the news, such as the Melbourne Cup. It happens every year and is always very popular in the media. Every year we see stories relating to the horses themselves but also the racing industry, the social impact of betting/gambling, the economic cost to business when everyone takes the day off work, fashion, shoes, hairstyles and many more.
There are so many seasonal events (think Australia Day, End of Financial Year, Father’s Day etc) which you can plan for every year, keeping in mind that journalists are always on the lookout for quirky, offbeat or different stories that haven’t been ‘done to death’ previously.
Another trick is to ring the newsroom at a radio station (after emailing your media release or story pitch) in the early evening, offering to give news grabs for the following morning. It’s no secret breakfast radio news is light on for audio in the early morning bulletins which is why newsrooms will welcome your call the night before, if they are interested in your story.
Still on radio, and if you know a certain topic is going to dominate discussion on the airwaves you can always ring in as a talkback caller offering your opinion as an expert on the subject and backing it up by saying you run a business in a particular industry. With any luck the host will allow you to plug your business on the air and the producer may take down your details for next time the topic is discussed.
Start looking at the news from the perspective of where you could tie yourself in and you’ll see opportunities everywhere.