marketing
all superfluous details. Give people enough
detail to set the context and to help them
experience the story and see what you see.
Giving too few details doesn’t work either,
as it prevents people from envisioning your
story, so aim for the right balance.
Use Dialogue
Make sure you include dialogue in your
stories. That is, don’t tell a story in the third
person. Repeat for your listeners/readers the
actual words the person in your story spoke.
For example, replace “He was surprised
about the error I made,” with “He said, ‘I
can’t fathom how you could make such an
error’.” Dialogue personalises your story,
makes it more vivid and brings it to life.
Above all, dialogue causes additional regions
in listeners’ brains to light up. This means
they’ll pay more attention to what you’re
saying.
Master Transmedia Storytelling
Today, it’s important to tell a consistent
story across multiple media platforms.
This is currently referred to as transmedia
storytelling. It means your story needs to
be shared on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter,
Google + and other social media platforms.
By doing so, you amplify your voice and
presence wherever your clients and
stakeholders are situated. Each medium
will add a different level of depth to your
story, each piece enhancing the story while
constantly feeding the conversation.
Transmedia strategies create a strong
emotional link with an audience. It
generates buzz across all media and builds a
sustainable audience around your brand.
HOW TO PITCH
Do Your Homework
Know Your Audience
Don’t Be Bashful
Become familiar with the media outlets and
reporters you want to target. Find out what
they have covered in the past and who is
their audience. Make sure your story isn’t
something that was just written about a
month or two ago. Call and find out their
deadlines and lead times. This information
will also help you plan when to make your
pitches.
Tailor your story to specific reporters and
media outlets. Many single elements of a
story often have the potential of becoming a
story in and of themselves. Look at different
ways to approach the same story so that
reporters can get a different spin.
At the same time, think of ‘big picture’
stories as a way of fitting yourself in. Is your
business or service offering part of a larger
trend? Is your approach novel? Reporters
often like to show how the local community
fits into a national perspective.
about a story and how it can be covered
in a newspaper or on a radio or television
program. Look at different or unusual ways
to tell your story. When you work with radio,
audio elements are of major importance,
while visuals are particularly important for
television. Newspapers usually can cover
issues in more depth and may use pictures
or other graphics.
Keep Working
People also often want to go straight to
the top national media outlets with their
story, when it can be more fruitful to build a
presence in other media first.
Sometimes journalists will gather information
about a business from these sources – it’s
never a wasted opportunity when you have a
chance to speak to the media, even if it’s not
on your dream list initially.
HOW TO PERFORM
Follow Up
Once you have phoned a reporter, pitched a
story and positioned yourself as a resource,
learn when and how to follow up. Find out
when is the best time to phone the reporter
again and their deadlines.
Be Creative
Think of different ways to access a media
outlet. There are many ways to think
Develop supporting materials and keep
them easily accessible. Consider creating
a fact sheet containing important statistics
and information relevant to your business
or the issue you are promoting. Or craft a
‘FAQ’ or ‘Q&A’ that explains issues clearly
to reporters. Avoid technical language
and try to write objectively rather than
promotionally. And be sure to send the
material to reporters.
HOW TO PERSEVERE
Be patient and realistic about
the coverage you’ll get
Many business owners are disheartened
when they are not inundated with responses
from their media release.
You’ve got to start small - like anything, it’s a
long-term investment and process.
Local newspapers, bloggers, online business
forums; from there you can often at least
start to build a profile when you are pitching.
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