How to get the media to give you mileage
This is the biggest bargain in advertising. If a full-page ad in a magazine is priced in the high five figures, landing a page or two in the editorial sections costs nothing. For a small business, sometimes all you need to do to get media exposure is to ask. Nicely.
We’ve said it time and again: Word-of-mouth is a powerful thing. It even works with Entrepreneur Philippines. We’ve had a photographer introduce us to an enterprising young lady, Ingrid Mediarito, who operates several businesses (Ingrid’s Sweet Haven & Patisserie, Buffalo Swing, Brickhouse Integrated Preschool). Her story became the bedrock of an article on how to manage multiple businesses. She, in turn, told us about her brother Renz Mediarito, part owner of Moonshine Bar, another business that we ended up featuring later on.
Some entrepreneurs have taken an even more direct approach. “I run a very unique business…our story may be of interest to other readers,” JP Tuason of Tuason Racing School wrote to us early this year. Three months later, we told his story in “The Passion Project,” alongside other entrepreneurs who’ve pursued their passion against all odds.
Another plus: Journalists, once they get wind of a good story, love to share. Not long after our December-January cover story featuring Tony Meloto came out, a writer from another magazine dropped by to ask Entrepreneur Philippines for his contact details. Getting repeated media coverage means your story is relevant, but the momentum can only carry you as far as you are approachable.
So how do you initiate contact? We’ve asked a few of our media friends for tips on how to reach out to them effectively and ethically. You don’t even have to have a hefty marketing budget to hire someone to take care of the contacts for you—what would it cost you to send an email, make a phone call, take time for a bit of conversation over coffee? Whether your story gets picked up or not really depends on how you tell it, and whom you tell it to, and whether that person experienced your service or product in a way that is favorable to you.
>APPROACH WITH CAUTION
Letters to the editor are the norm, and phone numbers are provided in directories on official websites. You may also hire a public relations expert who has the connections and experience—but do vet whether that person is fit to represent you.
Barring a personal referral, the simplest introduction could be via a press release or kit explaining who you are and what you do. Provide your contact details and state that you’re available to chat at the convenience of the journalist. (And when they do call, don’t let the opportunity pass—respond quickly.) Emailing first is best. “It’s not as intrusive as a phone call that, in accordance with Murphy’s Law, inevitably comes through just as we’re approaching deadlines,” says a magazine editor, who asked for anonymity. “Editors are always stressed out, so not having to feign politeness over the phone is a boon.” Similarly, ambushing them at work could also backfire on you.
Formal invitations through official channels are also much better received than contacting the media person via their personal social media account. “Several editors and writers from print publications complain about being approached via social media,” warns Nana Nadal, owner of nananadal Public Relations & Events Management.
Don’t be pushy. “Give them a few days to check their email or open the package. Then call. So that when you introduce yourself, they’re not entirely clueless about the business you represent and what you’re after,” says Nadal. “Plus you don’t have to take too much of their time explaining yourself.”
“Be aware of the needs of a particular medium and what ‘sells’ for them."
>MATCH THE MEDIUM
“Shotgun” press releases are ineffectual. It’s better to have a working knowledge of your target publication to design a suitable pitch. “The direct approach works very well—in fact, I appreciate it. But please: Have a story or concept to tell us about. Something new, unique, interesting,” says Troy Barrios, managing editor of FOOD Magazine. “Tailor your pitch to the publication. FOOD, for example, will be interested in kitchen gadgets, cooking techniques, and recipes, but others might not be.”
Luxury lifestyle publications will not be featuring mass-market products, whereas specialty publications targeted to a specific demographic means you have to be gender-specific and age-appropriate. “I don’t want to live in a world where I have to reconcile convenience store makeup with luxury magazines, or plastic surgery centers with teen titles,” says another editor, who also asked not to be named.
“Be aware of the needs of a particular medium and what ‘sells’ for them. And to ensure that a pitch would sell, the one who does the pitch should be able to tell why their event or pitch is newsworthy or why it matters,” says Gerard dela Peña, TV5 reporter and co-host of radio program Oplan Asenso on Radyo Singko DWFM 92.3.
“Try to give each publication a different story; they would appreciate working on a fresh angle, something that won’t come out in all the other publications,” advises Nadal.
Varying your pitches increases your chances of being featured. “Get rid of the one-size-fits-all approach. A writer worth his salt will always look for something unique. We don’t want to share story ideas and angles, so help us,” Barrios agrees.
Journalists look for stories to tell and not for products to sell.
>PUSH AN ANGLE—GENTLY
Dela Peña says most journalists understand that a PR manager’s job is to put their client’s best foot forward, in the same way that it is the journalist’s job to pick or determine an angle that is suitable. But don’t hard-sell. “It does not really matter if PR or marketing guys push for a particular angle as long as they won’t insist that that is the one that should come out on print or broadcast,” he says.
If the agenda is just to plug and promote, it won’t wash. “Entrepreneurs miss the point that they are being considered for live guesting because they can impart a lesson or two on entrepreneurship…Journalists look for stories to tell and not for products to sell,” adds dela Peña.
“You know your [business] best so you will be in the best position to find angles,” says Nadal. However, don’t seek to control the copy. Understand the difference between editorial and advertorial pages. “When it comes to the former, he or she has no control whatsoever, and any attempts to vet these features and any discussion about ‘proper branding’ will result in general hysterics on the part of the editor,” warns another magazine staffer.
"Press releases are very good at saying a lot about nothing" —don't bury the lede.
>KEEP IT SIMPLE
Keep your press release or story pitch to the point. “PR people bury the lede [the point of the story]. They also use too many adjectives and adverbs and exclamation points. Press releases are very good at saying a lot about nothing,” observes one editor.
Proper grammar and spelling is prized more than any attempt at literary style. “We can tell if you’ve just put together a lot of flowery language. It’s a real turn-off. Get to the point and make it interesting. Our desks and inboxes are flooded with invitations and press releases every single day. If you don’t capture our attention in the first paragraph, it goes out the window. So please write clearly and succinctly,” says Barrios.
“A press release that’s too long or which holds too much information might just end up in the trash can,” warns Nadal. “If you have a lot of information to communicate, best to divide your press release into clear sections so that the reader can identify immediately the information that is relevant to him.”
Be selective. When promoting a restaurant, for example, Nadal would highlight the menu and the history of the establishment to the lifestyle magazines, while relating the education and the operational experience of the owners for business publications.
And for visual enticement, send a link—not a series of attachments—to your promotional images. “Access to high-quality images is also appreciated, but you should know better than spamming my inbox with a million pictures. Share your images through the cloud,” notes another editor.
>INVITE MEDIA TO A SIT-DOWN OR AN EVENT LAUNCH
“Let the media know the highlights of your event, give them details of the program so they will appreciate it more and can make a decision of whether to go or not. Is there an important person showing up? Will there be an activity where they will learn something new?” says Nadal. Once there, “help them build their story by allowing them to speak with the business owners and providing them direct interaction with the product—taste the food, test drive or ride the car.”
Sometimes, the more exclusive it is, the better. “I will always ask for a separate shoot, interview, coverage because I want the article to be unique to our publication, even if it’s just tweaking the angle,” says Barrios.
“Putting together several intimate sit-downs—like a lunch—is the most effective way to get your message across and to create a setting where the media practitioner can ask as much as he or she can,” advises one lifestyle editor. “It is more cost-effective and gets right down to the point. You don’t really need a lot of bells and whistles. This is especially true if your product is a restaurant.”
Inviting journalists on separate occasions could help generate unique stories. “Perhaps it’s time to rethink the arrangement of inviting everyone to one big event and providing them with the same experience. Have you ever read those food blogs where the same restaurant is featured within days of each other? They will each have shot the same dishes, from similar angles, and lifted copy from the press kits so that their captions are all the same. The result is the most boring deluge of content,” says Barrios.
No amount of angling or media hooks could substitute for a good story and its relevance to the media audience.
>DON’T LOSE SIGHT OF THE END GOAL
The whole point of reaching out to the media is to communicate to your market. Nadal warns against getting “so carried away in making the event innovative that the message gets drowned out.” No amount of angling or media hooks could substitute for a good story and its relevance to the media audience. Readers, who are your final target, can easily discern when you’re being too self-serving.
“Sometimes businesses forget that the publication caters to readers: What about your business will they find interesting? How can the information in your press release help them?…Yes, you want to promote and grow your business but why would the readers want to support you?” says Nadal. “What’s in it for them if they patronize your business? Better health, happy tummies, beautiful skin? There should always be a takeaway for them, not for you. If your material is something that would interest or benefit the readers, the publications will easily pick it up.”
SUREFIRE SABLAY
Some blunders are forgivable; others will get you on the media blacklist. Take care not to commit any of the following offenses:
01 MISTAKING OR MISSPELLING NAMES AND TITLES.
“When they misspell my name or put another publication instead of my own, [it] shows that they are careless and undisciplined,” says an editor. Also, beware of gender-neutral names, lest you address a “Ms.” as “Mr.” or vice versa.
2 ISSUING LAST-MINUTE INVITATIONS.
Apart from being inconvenient, it’s rude. “It feels like I’m only invited because a slot opened up, or that I wasn’t important enough to be invited ahead of time,” says another editor.
03 LETTING THEM GO HUNGRY.
Setting appointments during mealtimes is asking media to forego their break. “Make sure the media reps are comfortable and won’t go hungry. You can’t expect them to stay if there are no chairs and there is no food,” says Nana Nadal, owner of nananadal Public Relations & Events Management.
04 MISSING DETAILS.
Gerard dela Peña, co-host of radio program Oplan Asenso and reporter for TV5, says, “Press releases that beg questions on figures, the complete name of the company, or designation of an official quoted... are also common.” They’re also commonly passed over for more informative press releases. Also, prepare for interviews: Having the basic facts and figures on hand will save you from wasting time and having to correct inaccuracies later on.
05 LOCKING YOUR PRESS RELEASE.
The easier it is for someone to be able to lift passages from the text, the better. “Text files that allow me to cut and paste relevant information are better than protected PDFs,” one editor points out.
06 PROVIDING TOO MANY BARRIERS.
Between two events on the same day, the more accessible wins. “Transportation to and from the venue is nice. Avoiding rush hour is nice. Assuring me that I will get the interviews I need is also nice. Don’t make your dress code too weird. An event that requires me to come in my best peacock attire will have to do without my presence,” says an editor.
07 ASSUMING YOU WILL GET FEATURED.
Troy Barrios, managing editor of FOOD Magazine, says that attendance does not guarantee a write-up: “We attend to check out the product, to see if it is as good as claimed—and reserve the right to decide later if we will run it.”
08 NAGGING.
“Find out first if they have decided to do a feature before you ask when. If you can help it, avoid asking when the article is coming out. But before you follow up, give them ample time to work on the article and publish something,” adds Nadal.
09 BEING A NO-SHOW.
“I don’t really burn bridges, but broken promises are noted. Whenever I approach or invite someone for guesting and that person turns me down more than once, I take it as non-interest,” says dela Peña.
10 BRIBERY.
“Editors get swag [free stuff] all the time. You’re not special for doing that. Trying to lure editors to an event with swag is tasteless and offensive; don’t insult our intelligence and assume we are ready to throw away our editorial integrity for a GC,” says one lifestyle editor.
("Sablay" is loosely translated here as "missing the mark".)
Originally published in the February 2015 issue of Entrepreneur Philippines.