There are some announcements that will just not generate any coverage in tier one media outlets, no matter how much your company might want coverage in those types of media outlets. These types of announcements are called noteworthy news—it is notable but not quite newsworthy.
There is a saying in media relations, if you have to explain to yourself why a media outlet belongs on your media list for your brand’s campaign, then it is likely the media outlet should not be on your list. To get any coverage at all for your noteworthy news, you need to be smart and strategic, not inquisitive or hopeful.
Here are some types of media outlets you should add to your media list, the next time you are trying to generate coverage opportunities for your company’s announcements.
1. Add talk shows on radio to get interviews for company spokespeople
Does your company want to raise awareness about its newly released products for Father’s Day, Mother’s Day or Valentine’s Day? As part of this campaign, did it collaborate with influencers to promote its products? Consider maximizing your partnership and pitching one of the influencers as a spokesperson to talk shows on radio.
Producers of talk shows on radio are always looking for interesting story ideas. If your brand collaborated with an influencer on a blog post, turn that blog post into a pitch and pitch it to the talk show producers on radio. If the pitch is editorial focused, it is more likely your company’s spokesperson will get some interviews.
2. Add newsrooms from local print and web media outlets to get coverage
Did your company just open a new store? Consider reaching out to newsrooms from the print and web media outlets to share the news from the city your brands store is in.
Reaching out to newsrooms on local print and web media outlets will increase your brand’s coverage opportunity. Reporters in the newsroom will share your brand’s press release with the appropriate reporter that might cover a specific beat that your brand’s news could fall under. Sometimes the reporter from the newsroom might even give you suggestions on the media outlets you could reach out to in another market, if your company’s store is far from that media outlets circulation or coverage area.
3. Add ethnic media outlets to get interviews for company spokesperson from a specific ethnic background
Did your company’s CEO win an industry award? Are they of South Asian, Greek or Armenian background? Consider reaching out to ethnic media outlets in print and web with this news in the cities your company’s stores are in or where your CEO is from.
Ethnic media outlets cover news happening in its community. If your company or its executives have won industry awards, then it is worth it to reach out to these media outlets, if there is a connection with a specific ethnic community.
4. Add local media outlets from the cities and towns near your company’s stores
Is your company hiring employees for its stores? Is the store the company is hiring for located in a small town? Consider reaching out to media outlets from the cities and towns near the company’s stores, if there are no media outlets in the town the store is located at.
Sometimes small towns do not have media outlets. To get coverage for your company’s new hire announcement, you might need to look at cities and towns that are 21-27 kilometers away from the town your company’s store is in. It is very likely the media outlets in the cities and towns near your company’s store cover the town where the store is in, so the new hire announcement could be something those media outlets potentially be interested in sharing with its readers, viewers or listeners.
5. Add trade media outlets to get coverage for the company’s industry
Did your company release a new ice cream flavor for the month of August? Consider reaching out to trade media outlets in print and web that cover food and retail.
Trade media outlets cover industry news, whether it be new product releases, company donations or store openings. Release of a new ice cream flavor for the month of August, is noteworthy news, which tier one media outlets will never cover. However, trade media outlets in dairy, ice cream, retail or franchise media will cover this news, since it relates to its industry.
6. Add business shows on TV to get coverage for your company’s news
Is your company ranked number one in its industry based on the sales volume of its cars? Consider reaching out to the business shows on TV in the city or state your company is in to speak about automotive trends or consumer purchasing habits.
Producers of business shows on TV are always interested in covering industry trends and hearing insights about the industry from CEOs. If your company issued a press release announcing its position in the auto industry based on its sales volume, a tailored pitch to producers of business shows on TV will generate interest. In the pitch, be sure to highlight the main industry trends your company’s CEO is able to speak about, since a clear and concise pitch will generate more interests than a vague one.
