One of the best solutions for small but ambitious companies to catch the eye of the media is to successfully build an image of an “expert”. These are outstanding individuals with high expertise and know how to attract the press. And through the media's attention on them, your company's position will also gain a solid place in the public's heart.
The “expert game” requires some imagination and creativity. To do this, you should not skip the 5 steps below:
Step 1: Find qualified people
In any company there are individuals suitable for this task. Usually, it's the company CEO. They are the ideal type of person to develop into an expert in the business field. The press always craves access to these sources of information. Even if your company is not mentioned in the interview, when the conversation revolves around topics related to your business or market, having "a "professional" excellence, your company brand will also be enhanced.
For the media, the most attractive experts are those with views and visions that are contrary to convention. Furthermore, they are willing to talk frankly and openly with reporters. In a start-up and promising company, identifying individuals with all the “expert” qualities is often not difficult at all. In fact, in many cases, small companies have a distinct advantage over large companies when looking for such a specialist thanks to a simple organizational and staffing structure.
Step 2: Put yourself in the position of the press
In many ways, public relations are a sales solicitation. You are asking reporters to “buy” what you have to offer. So let's look at things from the press's perspective:
– What topics are of interest?
– What aspects are new and exciting?
– Which experts in the company and what level of expertise will create a topic that really attracts people?
These will be the cornerstones of all your communications with the media. By doing so, you will hit their "black heart" and build a mutually beneficial relationship.
Step 3: Become a game organizer
After viewing the world through the eyes of the press, you next take on the role of a game organizer. Ask yourself:
– Which individual in your company can satisfy the needs of the press?
– Who owns the most convincing presentation, introduction, and communication style?
– Who can convey the story most clearly and deeply?
Once you have the action script and the performer in hand, you can confidently invite the media.
Step 4: Experts are people who are not difficult to reach
For a small company, the biggest difficulty is appointing an internal expert to handle the interviews. The best way is to find someone with professional knowledge and expertise related to the media topic you intend to approach. Thanks to that, promotional opportunities will be more open. Once a relationship has been established between journalists and experts, reporters will come to you when they need to gather information. This is an ideal scenario.
Direct contact will be the most common way to build relationships between your company's experts and the press. However, it is possible through an online web system to post a list of the company's experts, with the assurance that your experts are always ready to receive any interviews from the press.
To facilitate access for journalists, you should briefly describe the experts on the company's website, or on information sources commonly used by the press. At the same time, you also provide addresses and directions so reporters can make appointments to meet your experts as easily as possible.
Step 5: Anticipate breaking news
You should always follow notable events in the business field so that you can discover topics that attract people's interest. But at the same time, this must also be an issue that your expert is very knowledgeable about. Then, be proactive in reporting the news, creating conditions for the expert to become a sought-after target for the press. The 24-hour news cycle makes journalism a fiercely competitive profession. So, if your expert can provide a novel perspective on a certain issue in the media, then you have a special opportunity to promote your company.
The usual way to discover interesting topics is to read a lot of business magazines and company press releases. However, most people do not have time to read dozens of newspapers in a day, let alone hundreds of other newspapers published on the market. In this case, you can rely on online search engines, including Google, Yahoo! and MSN. These tools have a variety of functions that allow you to find information about issues, articles related to your company, about your competitors and topics important to your industry.
Step 6: Be thoughtful to the end
Ultimately, the key to building an expert image and ensuring your press information is not "shelved" is the element of readiness and thoughtfulness. Nothing will ruin your image as an expert and your company's reputation like after an article is published, but when readers call, no one answers.
You also need to make sure that your company's press releases and website include contact information. Furthermore, if your company releases news, the company spokesperson must be willing to agree to be interviewed by reporters.
Building your company's reputation as an expert and creating a platform where you can provide useful opinions is one of the most important strategies to ensure your long-term presence on the Internet. the media. If you do this well, your company, with its regular presence in the press, will be remembered by potential customers and investors as a reputable business and you as a business. influential person in the market.
Bwportal (translated from Entrepreneur)
