The Art of Media Coverage

A look at what it takes to get coverage from the relevancy of the story you’re sharing to the role that your relationships with reporters plays into it.

Q. Who gets coverage? Is it about the product/service or the relationships you have?

I'll give it to you straight. Both matter and matter greatly.

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The product you're hoping to get coverage on or service you're telling a story about needs to fall into one of the below buckets. Otherwise, why would someone be interested in it?

A story should be: Relevant and/or Newsworthy and/or Make an Impact.

Now, what does a relationship afford you? It opens the door for you. That door can be to provide you feedback, it can be of interest in your story, it can even be a polite decline so you're not left wondering whether someone looked at your story.

This is helpful, right? But how do you even get to this point? Here's a simple plan to follow:

1. Identify the reporter or reporters you think would be interested in the stories you have to share.
2. Reach out to said reporters, introduce yourself and ask what they focus on/how you can be a resource.
3. Identify what within the stories you have to tell connect with what they've shared.
4. Develop a pitch around the story you want to tell. Ensure there's a hook that's timely and of interest.
5. Reach out referencing why the reporter should 'care'.

Last...keep at it. Getting coverage can be hard. There's definitely news saturation so don't be discouraged if it takes time to develop these relationships and opportunities. Plus, this is what experts are for. To really nit-pick at a story, how it's being told and to leverage the relationships they do have + craft new ones that suit client needs.

Need help? Let's connect...my inbox is always open! We'll troubleshoot your process and get you on the right path.

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Until next time, cheers to being on pointe!