Know What’s News.  PR tips for B2B

I just saw a post from a company saying they were 19^th in the country in a specific metric.  Please note that I saw the company’s post – it was not an article in the news.  Can you name the 19^th place team in the NHL in 2020?  Do you know which country came in 19^th place in the recent Olympics?  I’m guessing your answer to these questions is a solid ‘No’ because 19^th place is not news.  Period.  This is why I saw this tidbit in the company’s post and not on the TV news or in an online news feed.

Knowing if your story is truly ‘news’ is just one way you can work to have your story shared.  Here are some tips I’ve learned through the years working with PR professionals and assisting B2B clients in newsworthy endeavours.

1. Recognizing Real News

What do news outlets look for in news?  The answer to this question is a bit of a moving target.  Recently a client wanted to send out a story to media.  We were competing against pandemic news, an election, and a new national holiday.  There was a lot going on so a story would have to be pretty powerful to catch the attention of the media.  At the same time, I sent out another news release to the same media about kids running a social enterprise – that story garnered a radio interview and posts on the news outlet’s social channels.  People love kids and there was a connection between their story and a current event so it had more appeal.

Timing is critical when sharing your story.  Mornings on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday are good days to send it out so you connect with media in their offices and avoid times when they are out following up on a story.

Additionally, consider the other things going on in the world or your local community.  Unfortunately, COVID is the media story that just won’t die so this has been a hard year to sell a local story.

Sometimes you can use time to your advantage.  If your industry is publishing a magazine, send your good news to them when the publication is being written (not printed).  Maybe you’re at a big industry trade show and all the media are in the same place.  It helps to have that underlying support or momentum behind your story.

Finally, 19^th place is not a story, even if you’ve ranked 19 out of 19,000.  We can’t name 19 kinds of soup or 19 TV shows – it’s just too many things to remember.  19^th place is not memorable and, therefore, not newsworthy.  Be sure that your news is interesting for others and not just you.  Check in with someone outside of your company to give you a reality check (not your mom – mom’s think 19^th place is ‘awesome!!’).  This is especially important for B2B companies whose news may not be relevant for the general public but may be of interest to suppliers, customers or the industry.

2. Aim then Shoot

The value of the information really depends on who you’re talking to and how loud you have to speak to catch their attention.  It would be great if every business story made the morning paper and the evening news but the general public just isn’t that interested.  And it’s often ok if the evening news doesn’t cover your story because as a B2B company, the general public probably isn’t your primary target anyhow.

Maybe your story is really important for suppliers or the industry you are part of.  Local business organizations are always looking for great stories to share with others to build positive momentum in the community.  Find the people who are interested, and your story suddenly becomes more newsworthy.

If possible, send your story to a person and not an “info@mediaoutlet.com” email address.  Often there is a person at the media outlet who specifically covers stories like yours – find that person and share your story with them directly.  Media specializing in the news of your industry or your customers can be found online.  The search is worth the effort – like aiming at a target before you shoot.

3. Don’t think traditional media is the only venue for your story.

When you’re building your list to send your release to, include industry associations, influencers, suppliers, customers, and in some cases your industry partners.  WIIFM What’s in it for me?  That’s the question that everyone receiving news releases asks.  Media will be looking at your story and asking themselves the following questions:

• Will my audience care about this information?
• Can I clearly see how my audience will appreciate this information?
• Will this story fit my portfolio? Will reporting on it make me look good?
• Is all the information complete so I don’t have to do more to know what the story is?
• Are all of the relevant contacts included in the communication so I don’t have to find them myself?

Write a clear, concise news release.  Provide all the relevant information, links, and contacts so the person doesn’t have to do too much work to understand, evaluate, and verify the story.  Some media don’t have a lot of resources so provide a story that is well written so they can cut and paste it.  Hire an editor – they offer a great return on investment.

4. Sell the Story

Sending a news release is not the end of the story.  Most big PR companies will follow up after their news release goes out.  A quick email or phone call can offer a busy reporter an option to follow up without doing all of the work to track you down.

If your news is still valid but didn’t get the pickup you wanted, send it out to other media.  If your story is a good one, believe in it enough to work at finding someone who will appreciate it.  Additionally, national or international media are more likely to pick up a story if you can show that you’ve had some local traction.  This is especially true for industry media – local associations are often helpful in providing local coverage and may even help you pitch the story to local, regional, or national mass media.

On the whole, public relations can be a great tool in your promotional playbook but it does take some time, knowledge, and persistence.  Also, the work may not result in an immediate sale – news stories help build your brand more than create immediate demand for your products or services.  Finding someone to help is a great idea if you think you’ve got several stories to tell.  Media consultants know what they’re doing and can add a lot of value while shaving off time and effort required to get your story out.