Publicity: Step-by-Step

Last month, I gave you a brief introduction to publicity. Some of you may have even done your homework by looking beneath the covers of your company to find story ideas that you think could make news. Maybe you even started tracking which media and reporters follow your industry. Good work.

So, now what?

Keep it up. And when you’re ready to engage the media on your behalf, follow these very basic steps:

Define measureable objectives for wanting publicity (e.g., gain awareness, build goodwill among donors, generate 10 new qualified leads) and how you’ll gauge progress toward those objectives following a story. Some measurement may require pre- and post-surveys of members of your target audience. Sometimes generating additional website traffic or requests for information is enough to know you’ve been successful.
Determine who you want to reach as specifically as possible (e.g., parents of teens in a concentrated area, CFOs or controllers of mid-sized companies).
Identify the media those people consume (e.g., television news, local Patch.com site, Minnesota Business magazine, etc.).
Develop your key messages – the three or four most important, yet concise, points to convey through the media.
Write and send a convincing, brief, non-commercial e-mail with your story idea, explaining why it will interest the outlet’s audience. What will they learn? What trend is highlighted? Include your key messages. Suggest possible interviews and visuals.
In a few days, call with additional information that may make the story more intriguing. Schedule an interview.
In the interview, succinctly answer the interviewer’s questions while incorporating your key messages frequently. And please, do not ask to review the story before it’s public.
After the story airs or runs, consider if your key messages were included and what you might do differently next time. Measure your results against your objectives.
And finally, stay in touch with the person who covered your company. Be a resource when he/she needs one. Build a relationship. That will make it much easier to suggest a story in the future.

In the end, I think you’ll find that publicity brings heightened visibility without the costs of advertising. In today’s economy, you can’t beat its return.