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How to maintain positive relationship with the media and press to cover your business story?

Guest post by: Andrew Chow

Article Overview: Journalists, reporters, Producers are the best business friends you will ever have as long as you keep in touch with them and take care of their interest. Understand their job and dateline, know what their media and press readership profiles are.

How to maintain positive relationship with the media and press to cover your business story?

Compile a list of journalists and reporter contacts and develop friendship with them. Try to remember their professional interest in their work and seek to be a resource information centre for other contacts. Be truthful about the quality of a story and its sources. Always give reporters special access to you by releasing your personal mobile number. Send them an email once in a while you see their features published. The common mistake news makers make in dealing with reporter is to insist on a perfect story to advocate your position. The reporters' job isn't to protect your reputation or advance your career. Do not expect them to ask you questions to help you to say what you want to say.

All reporters want to produce a professional story, accepted by their editor and audience with a specific angle. Understanding their job will enable you to build rapport with them and pave the way for media pitching.

Know your rights with the media will be helpful. Always remember you have the right to be treated with respect. You can refuse to answer any personal questions. You have the right to be quoted accurately. Always repeat your key messages if there is a need to. You have the right to determine when and where you will be interviewed.

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Article Tags: information center, positive relationship with the mass media, publicity
Referred by: http://MoonLoh.com



Related Forum Posts
Best PR Sites - Great topic Stephen! I've always found that creating a targeted mailing is was the best way to get press. Just find out who the reporters are who cover your industry and write to them with a story (not a PR!) and there's a good chance you'll either get published or create the beginnings of a relationship with the reporter. We do submit to the top PR places online but it's difficult to say what kind of response we've had from them. The active links are always important though - make sure to include them if you can!
Bad Franchises - . I would scream it from the rooftops but I am not prepared to be sued. This is the reason that there is so little information in the public domain. So like all the others all I can say is that the whole industry needs investigation. If anyone has any contacts in the media, journalists or tv media, there is a huge story to tell if anyone has the guts to do it. I am sure under cover with anonymity many would come forward with their stories.
Re: 3 Ways to Grow Your Business in 2011 - Hi David, I've had a lot of success by building my own media list and then emailing out the reporters when I have a story. I've also used PR Leads (paid program) which got me into the New York Times and Forbes. I haven't done much with online press releases - from what I hear they can help you with your SEO but they don't get much mainstream media attention. Let me know if you have any specific questions and I'd be happy to help!
Re: Calling All Entrepreneurs - Thanks Ryann, those are defintely some great ideas. I think another good strategy for attracting customers is publicity through press releases or human interest stories. It goes back to another forum that I believe Evan wrote about different PR tactics. If its a compelling story say about exceptional service then hopefully that will peak the readers interest and give us a visit. If you were to read a positive review/story on any business, would you try to visit it?
Trying to Create a Promotion Package for My Company - Help! - I a trying to create a promotional package for my company and would like to email monthly press releases to the Canadian media. Does anyone have a list of print/radio/tv media that would be useful in creating these press releases or any info on how to get started getting this information? Jessica


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