Richard Midson is the managing director of EventTV.org. He is a former national news editor, reporter and broadcaster. He is a specialist in using web video to promote business. His ideas are based on real world experience in media, broadcasting and online video.
 
This article is about marketing.
 
It is about promoting your product in a way that makes you an instant expert in the eyes of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of people and potential customers.
 
It's about promotion on the scale of mass advertising but at the cost of a phone call.
 
I'm not kidding. Anyone can do it and that includes you.
 
Let me ask you a question. If someone from TV, a newspaper or radio came up to you and said, “I love your business and I want to feature you on my show,” what would you say? Tempting, isn't it? If you can reach that many people with a simple interview then it's a no brainer. Someone amongst the vast audience is going to be a potential customer.
 
At this point you might be thinking though, “this will never happen to me”. Well it can and for many people it does every single day. So why shouldn't it be your company that is getting these benefits?
 
Journalists need stories and yet the vast majority of people who approach the press, do it all wrong. In fact I can also tell you that many PR firms get it wrong too. How can I tell you this? Because for years I was the person who decided which press releases went in the bin and which were used. For much of my career I was a news editor, broadcaster and reporter and I am now going to give you one of the most important secrets to getting your message in the press.
 
It might challenge your beliefs but if you are prepared to think like this, then newsrooms everywhere will open up to you.
 
Despite all the social stereotypes of bias in the media, journalists are still trusted far more than any company advertising, any politician or any interest group. People love to criticise journalists but the reality is they still lap it up. When a journalist says something they take it to be true.
 
With advertising, few people read the words and if they do, they take it with a big pinch of salt. This is one reason why most major advertising campaigns sell on emotion, not facts. The problem for many SME's is that you need to explain the product a little more.
 
Here's where many PR firms and most businesses go wrong. They send an advert to the media. It might read something like this; “Local firm sells new product.” If you sent me that to me, I would do one of two things. I would either put it in the bin instantly or hand it to the advertising department who would call you and add junk mail to your inbox.
 
Journalists are only interested in stories. They do not care one bit about your company. If you can accept that fact, then free publicity is going to start coming to you.
 
So how do you turn an advert into a story? In my experience, everyone has a story that is good enough to go on air or in the paper. The problem is, it is normally buried behind the desire to advertise. If you and I sat down and chatted for about ten minutes, I can pretty much guarantee that we could come up with a good story. In fact the principles are so simple that we teach them as part of our courses and in our DVD's but I'm going to give you a couple of pointers right now.
 
Start your press release with a story that interests the journalist, not you. Ask yourself, if I didn't care about my company, why would I be interested in hearing from me? Really, seriously, why would I care one bit? How can that company help me? How can it help my life? How can it solve a problem for me that I would be prepared to spend money solving? Once you have identified the problem, put that in your top line and leave out any mention of your company.
 
The next step in your press release is to explain more about the problem. Back it up with real world evidence. If you can refer to a local example such as Mrs Miggins disaster or that new building everyone is talking about, all the better. Refer to real world events. Local media likes local references. I can not express the importance of this.
 
Once you've done this, then, finally, you can mention your company and how it can help.
 
The worst press release on earth would read something like this “local company makes money”. The best headline would be something like, “20% of people in Blog Town facing housing crisis.” Notice in the second headline there is no mention of your business. When you read the article you find out more about the problem, you get engaged with it and then bang, the solution is your company.
 
I'm being very simplistic. There are a lot of extra things to think about to make sure it you get your message across in the most effective way but this is the core of it. This is how to get in the press.
 
The moment your story goes in you'll be an instant expert. In fact did you know that many prolific speakers in the media represent groups made up of four or five friends? I am not kidding. Many “groups” are just vocal one-man bands. Yet, the “Chairman for the Campaign for this or that” sounds like he represents thousands. You can do this too but with credibility, because you really do solve a problem.
 
My message to you then is this. Forget your pride in your company. I am just as passionate about my business as you are about yours, but I also know that to get people's attention I have to start where they are, not where I am.
 
We can wish to our hearts content that the media worked “our way”. It doesn't. If we are prepared to do it there way, then thousands and thousands of pounds of free press coverage, marketing and sales can be achieved for little to no effort. The only effort is a slight change in attitude from us.
 
I often talk about the power of new media and some of our products teach you how to add journalistic credibility to your message online but conventional media remains a powerful and influential tool for marketing your business that absolutely anyone, however small can use. It's so cheap that if your marketing budget has reached zero, you can still do it.
 
You can find more tips on our website in the “Free Stuff” section at www.eventtv.org as well as final pre-Christmas offers on training products to help market your business.
 
Just finally, if you organise a networking group or event, then you may be interested to know that we do free talks too. More details in the “talks and speeches” section.
 

Richard Midson

www.eventtv.org