How to Grow your Business – Part 9: Media Releases and Liaison

To conclude my blog series: ‘How to Grow your Business’ I’d like to share a brief tip that has greatly helped me in the past. Stay tuned next week for my new upcoming series.

Use of media releases and media liaison

Working as a journalist and media officer for nearly 25 years has taught me a thing or two about how to get noticed in the media.

And this is something that applies to any business – a strong media profile is one sure-fire way to get your name across to the public conveniently and inexpensively.

Since starting Mike Peeters Media about three months ago I have maintained a fairly low media profile – apart from these weekly blogs on my Facebook business page, Twitter, LinkedIn and of course, on my website at mikepeetersmedia.com.au

However, should you wish to really ‘ramp up’ your business or organisation, there are some pretty nifty ways to do so in the news media.

Here is one good idea.

Start by identifying your best local media contacts – whether they be print or electronic.

As Nedra Klein Weinrich of US-based Weinrich Communications puts it:

Once you have identified your media contacts, establish beneficial working relationships with them before pitching them a story….when you have news or an event to promote, send out a press release or news advisory containing the most important information to your media list.

Follow up with a phone call as close to the event as possible. Most news organizations work under tight timeframes, so ask if the person is on deadline before going into your pitch. Be ready to follow up with additional information, and be enthusiastic about the topic as you explain why it is newsworthy.

This is basic stuff but when done in tandem with your organisation’s newsworthy events, it can be worth its weight in gold. Happy surfing and talk again next week.

Mike Peeters is CEO of Mike Peeters Media