Your business just won an award or you are part of a huge project in the area.  You have a story to tell – a really good one. You’ve told the press about it, but they don’t seem interested. Don’t worry just yet, you may have to tweak a couple of things. Here are six ways to help you get the attention of the media and influencers.

Know the Media
Take the time to connect and communicate with journalists who cover your industry. And I don’t mean that you have to wine and dine them. Frankly, they are so busy that they don't have time to grab a cup of coffee.

The key to connecting with the media is to read and watch their stories. Share and comment on their stories through social media. There is no better compliment for a journalist than receiving great feedback on their stories. Start with Twitter, mostly every journalist is on that platform. Go there. Find them. And share their stories. The more you share and comment on their articles, the more they will get to know you and your business.

Kill the Press Release
Press releases are becoming archaic. Sometimes they are needed. For example, if you have an announcement or an event to tell the media or public about, a press release comes is the way to go. And if you do write one up please keep it short. Journalists are extremely busy and you need to grab their attention in a couple of lines.

It’s all About the Pitch
A pitch is your story summed up in a couple of sentences with key talking points. When writing it I want you to ask these questions. Why is your story important to the reporter and their readers/viewers? What is the takeaway? What are you doing that’s different?  Did something just happen in the world that you can talk? If so, tell the media! The key is to think like a journalist!

HARO
HARO (Help a Reporter Out) is my favorite resource and it’s FREE!  This online service is where reporters, bloggers, and producers put out the stories that they are working on and request sources to provide content. From small blogs to Forbes to Dr. Oz, the media outlets on here are amazing.  The stories come out Monday-Friday at 5:30 am, 12:30 pm and 5:30 pm. The key is to act quickly. If you see a story that would be a good fit for you or your business, respond immediately, even if their deadline is tomorrow.  We have garnered dozens of press mentions by using the service and I highly recommend that you join. Did I mention that it is free?

Reach Out to Influencers
Do you know these folks who have 200 thousand followers on Instagram and Youtube? They may not be journalists, but they have a large and loyal audience. When they talk about a product, that company’s sales skyrocket. If you want your brand to be noticed, then these are the folks to go after. Just make sure that they are the right fit for your brand.

Write, Write and Write
The more that information that you provide as an expert, the better chance you have to get news coverage. Look into becoming a contributing writer for media outlets in your industry. Many blogs are looking for contributing writers. For example, Huffington Post and Entrepreneur Magazine have a dedicated page for people to pitch their articles.

There are many other ways to get press coverage, but start with these and you’ll be on your way to getting your name out there.

Let me know how it goes!

You are in a new city and looking for a restaurant to eat dinner. What do you do?  You begin to search online. You look at the reviews, website and social media. All three of these play a major role in your decision-making. Here’s what I do.

Have you ever held back on telling someone something? Maybe you didn’t think it was a good idea or you were afraid of what they thought. Don’t do that. Communication is key in both your personal and professional life. Don’t ever hold back. If you do, you may be miss out on a great opportunity.

Communicating with your Public Relations team is critical. We need to know everything…from promotions and new products to hirings and firings. What you make think is a small story, may turn out to be a huge pitch to the media. So, make sure that you constantly update your marketing and PR team.

It’s the fastest growing social media platform out there, but many companies are hesitant to jump on board with it. I’m talking about Snapchat. By some estimates, the app has more than 200 million monthly active users.

They work long hours, stand out in the worst weather conditions and get blamed if the weather forecast is wrong. That is the life of a  meteorologist. On today’s Blab:“Be Seen. Be Heard. The Public Relations and News Show” we talk to Brian Lapis, chief meteorologist at WWLP in Springfield, Massachusetts. Brian has been with the NBC affiliate for 19 years and has heard and seen it all. Brian gives Kyle Reyes of The Silent Partner Marketing and I the inside scoop as to what his job is like, the life of a public figure and what he would say to future broadcasters and meteorologists.

Thousands of interns will spend their time filing papers and fetching coffee for the staff, but not for every student. This January, a group of young, enthusiastic students will be taking part in some of the competitive internship programs in the country. The application process is extremely difficult, but if chosen- these interns will have the opportunity to be involved in the most valuable, challenging and educational work.

Are you blabbing? If so, congratulations you are ahead of the game. Blab is that latest live-streaming video platform that is quickly taking off. I guarantee that within the next 6 months you will be hearing a LOT about Blab.

We all know how valuable social media is. In fact, most of us have come to rely on it for information. For businesses to be successful in this cluttered market you need to use social media effectively. Just in the last 2 years, marketing and advertising has changed significantly with a huge focus on social media outlets. I’ll leave those specifics to the geniuses at The Silent Partner Marketing. But I will touch on how social media can help you grow in your profession.

The number one question public relation firms receive is, what’s the value of the media coverage. Where’s the ROI?

Public Relations is not a tangible item so it can be difficult to see the ROI at first. It takes strategy, a ton of pitching and great relationships with the media to get press coverage. But once that happens, you will see it all come back to you. Here are a few examples.

Last year, we pitched our client to the national media about a new test that he implemented to anyone applying to work for his company. You may have heard of the “Snowflake Test” by Kyle Reyes, CEO of The Silent Partner Marketing. Reyes was tired of receiving applications from entry level candidates asking for the world.

Long story short, Reyes was doing something controversial and it involved millennials and snowflakes – things that the media was and continue to talk about.

As publicists, we knew this had what journalists call “legs.” (major potential). We pitched the story and within minutes had a response from Fox and Friends. The next day we were in a car to New York during a massive snowstorm. Reyes received a two and a half minute segment on the couch with all three anchors, Ainsley Earhardt, Brian Kilmeadeand Steve Doocy. During that time his website crashed from so many people going on the site. So when people say that they aren’t watching the news anymore, I beg to differ.

Within a few hours, Reyes had thousands of emails from other business owners in support of what he was doing. He booked 10 new client appointments throughout the country. That was just within 2 hours of his interview. Since then, he has been asked been on the news, other national media outlets have interviewed him and his client base increased significantly.

Now, let’s get to the dollar amount. If you were to buy a television commercial during the number one rated morning news show you are talking about thousands of dollars for a 30-second advertisement. You can’t really do anything with that commercial other than hope that your target audience sees it.

But, if you appear on the news for a 2.5-minute segment, then it is on the national news website along with social media channels and your outreach, that equates to nearly a hundred thousand dollars worth of advertising. In the public’s eye, you are the expert, your company has a great story and your product is a must-have.

Here’s one more example for our numbers readers. For another client, we were able to get a 3 -minute segment on Varney & Co, which is on the Fox Business Network. Within the first hour of the segment, our client saw an increase in sales by $10,000. And that was just in the first hour! They have since been back on the national news and are doing extremely well.

We all know that public relations help build a companies reputation and image, but it also has a significant impact on a companies revenue stream.

If you have an example of how public relations helped build your brand, we would love to hear!

Do you have money in your budget for marketing, advertising, collateral? What about Public Relations? Do I hear crickets?? If you are like many businesses, the answer is probably no. Can I ask you why? Public Relations is one of the most cost-effective methods for small businesses to raise awareness. Perhaps you’ll change your mind after you read this.

Before the internet and social media if you were quoted in the news, it would usually only appear once in print and on TV. But, that is certainly not the case now. If and when you are in the news, it appears on multiple social media outlets. This is a good and bad thing.

Today we’re talking about looking great for your media interview. Keep in mind, these interviews will be all over social media… so not only do you want to sound your best, but you want to look great too! If you’re lucky enough to have a scheduled interview then you have time to plan. So hit your closet.

Has anyone ever told you that they will have something to you by a certain day? That day comes and goes and you don’t hear from them. It’s frustrating – right?

Today we’re talking about the reality of press coverage

As a former journalist I am going to let you in on some secrets when it comes to pitching your story to the media and getting coverage.

Where did these wrinkles come from? Gray hairs? Why do I look so tired? I eat a cookie and gain 5 pounds. I swear this all happened at once. Ladies and gentlemen, can you relate? In two weeks, I am turning 40, big gulp.