just connect me with a journalist (please!)
"Just connect me with a journalist!"
It's a request we’ve received a few times lately from clients looking to increase their brand awareness.
And yes, journalists are a key part of the puzzle.
But without the right foundations, media appearances are likely to be missed opportunities at best and negative experiences at worst.
The foundations we’re talking about are:
- great narrative
- great content
- great spokespeople
Great narrative
What is your company’s narrative? Is it thriving? Adapting to difficult times? Changing the world for the better?
If you had to boil it down to just one story, what would it be? What do you want people to think about your business? More importantly, what do you want them to feel about it?
Crafting a clear narrative is essential before you start promoting a specific initiative. Why? Because an article about your latest net zero efforts, for example, should touch on your company’s broader story. And if you aren't clear on what your story is, there’s little chance anyone else will be.
Great content
Content just means words. Those words might be written down in a press release or article or they might be spoken in a video or audio recording.
But in an increasingly noisy world, how can you ensure your content receives the attention it deserves?
One effective way is to be topical. Journalists plan news stories months ahead of time based on anniversaries and major events. So why not do the same? Prepare a reaction to a predictable event, pop it on social media and see what happens. You might just be the right interviewee at the right time.
Great spokespeople
Great spokespeople aren’t born, they’re created. You might not feel confident walking into the Bloomberg studios but get this – no-one is!
Media training is key. Sequentially's holistic approach is to spend as much time on training your body, breath and voice as on crafting the content of your message. We use acting techniques to engage the whole body in the process of communication, giving you the confidence you need to face the cameras.
The last piece of the puzzle is pitching to journalists. As former journalists (BBC, Bloomberg, AFP, Reuters, The Guardian) we have a personal network to draw on and are happy to reach out on your behalf. But first and foremost it’s crucial you have a good story to tell.
We’re ready to help tell your story, the question is, are you?