A guide to making the most of increasingly limited, but valuable, opportunities to speak with the press.
There are more ways than ever before to communicate directly with your customers—on blogs, through Twitter and Facebook and, of course, on your website. All of these tools allow you to provide great information on a timely basis, exactly the way you want. (And let's hope you have a good communications person helping you figure out how to do that, ok?)
But smart companies still strive to have their products, services, and approach chronicled in the press – broadcast, print, and web-based.
Why? Maybe I'm biased (I count reporters among my closest friends), but it is the editorial independence and news judgment that makes news coverage so valuable. A reporter's job is to evaluate the facts and present them in a way that is useful to the public. And as much as members of the press come under fire for alleged political views, they are still by and large considered a reliable filter of information.
So how do you make the most of your opportunity with the press? By understanding that a reporter's job is not to promote your product or service, but to tell an interesting story that is valuable to his or her audience of readers or viewers. The following tips give you a few things to consider before your next interview.
NB: While bloggers certainly have their place in the world of new-media, the rules for dealing with them are a little different and this article sticks mostly to traditional TV, print and online media (meaning web-based magazines).
Talking to the Press: Read the Reporter's Clips
Do a little bit of advance research about the reporter you'll be speaking with and the outlet they work for. This legwork can go a long way to making sure your interview goes well – and raises the odds that you and your company will actually be mentioned it in an article. What should you try to learn ahead of time? Some tips:
- What has the reporter written about before? In today's world of stretched resources, few reporters have real 'beats' (areas of focus and expertise) anymore. But reading past articles written by the reporter – a must-do, given how easy it is to track them down online – can help you understand what the reporter is interested in and how he or she writes. This research may give you some insight into how much the reporter may know about your industry.
- What's the approach of the outlet you are speaking to? You can be more technical if you are speaking with a trade publication than with a daily newspaper reporter. Magazine reporters tend to have a little more space to play with than newspaper reporters, so you can get into more detail. For a broadcast show that includes a panel of experts, you rehearse a few specific points in advance, since there will be some live competition for airtime.
- What's the reporter's goal? If he or she is writing a feature story, and your business is likely to be its sole focus, you'll want to present to expand on your story, presenting several different angles. If, however, the reporter is writing a trend story – where you're company will likely be one of several mentioned – consider the single most compelling point you should make. If a piece seems analytical in nature and a reporter appears to want to cite you as an expert source, make sure your comments include a mix of fact and provocative analysis.
Dig Deeper: Five Ways to Get Good Press
Talking to the Press: Know Your Message
As your company's public voice, you could probably talk forever about all aspects of the business and industry. But a reporter doesn't have forever—he or she is probably on deadline for not just one but several articles. In that situation, too much information is not a good thing, since it can leave a reporter searching for the best information.
Before an interview, carefully consider: What are the two or three most important points you want to make, and what facts do you have to back them up? While you should let the interview evolve naturally, consider these points your touchstones, and try to repeat them for emphasis. (That said, if a reporter asked you the same question in a slightly different way three or four times, it is not because he or she is stupid; it is because he or she is interested in the idea you expressed but thought the actually quote was weak or muddled.)
It's almost a given that a reporter will end an interview with a variation on the question: Is there anything else you want to say? Don't waste that opportunity. Use the moment to succinctly reinforce the point you consider critical.
Dig Deeper: Writing a Pitch to Get Noticed by the Press
Talking to the Press: Illustrate the Facts with a Good Story
A good interview is an engaging mix of facts and anecdotes to back up your position. But think carefully about what stories to tell and how to convey them to the reporter. A client of mine who is a hospital president in Boston loves to illustrate drab talking points about lowering hospital infection rates with fairly humorous stories about some of the things his quality control staff does to encourage people to do simple things like wash their hands, don sterile gowns, and minimize risk of infection passing from visitors to patients. These stories help sell the concept to broadcast health reporters, because it is something their viewers will find engaging. Just don't get carried away: Avoid saying something outrageous in order to make a good tale seem a little better. You may regret what you said when you (and your employees, investors, and competitors) see it in print.
