We are a long past the day when news arrived with the morning paper or the evening news broadcast. A 2016 article in The Atlantic reported that on average Buzzfeed published 222 pieces of content per day. That was up from about 30 news items per day in 2012. The good news for your association is that there are a lot of opportunities for you to earn media coverage. Three keywords will help you make that happen.
Be Ready
Since Buzzfeed is creating a new story every ten minutes, saying that news happens fast is an understatement. Being ready for media coverage starts with putting information on your association’s website that quickly and thoroughly answers frequently asked questions about your areas of expertise. Think about including quotes from leadership, video clips and photos that would make a reporter’s job easy.
If a reporter reaches out to you for comment or information, being ready will pay off. Having a spokesperson available to speak on prepared and practiced talking points will position your association as a key source of information.
Be Relevant
Be mindful of current news to make sure outreach to a reporter is relevant to a current news topic. Don’t waste a reporter’s time unless your comment is on point. Your association might have experts or research that challenges the prevailing narrative. Reporters are interested in all sides of the story so don’t hesitate to share that information.
Be Relational
Reporters are people too and your efforts to make their job easier will be much appreciated. When you show your association to be a relevant and prepared source of news you’ll become the first place they turn to when that topic emerges.
When you are ready, relevant, and relational, your association will be positioned as a credible and reliable source in today’s whirlwind of news coverage.