Every good publicist should be an ace at pre-planning. For example, even while much of our country was covered in snow, but I was talking with reporters about spring allergy stories. The media often has long lead times, and there’s a lot of competition for air time. I know that if I’m going to get our clients mentioned in a story, I’d better start early and I’d better be prepared with fresh angles.
This month, you’ll hear, see and read stories about spring break, St. Patrick’s Day and perhaps even how to prepare for the stress of tax day. Chances are good that the media has been working with publicists on those stories since January. If you think that is a little confusing, consider that this week I’m working on getting some of our clients’ products mentioned in Christmas gift guides!
While the lead times vary by the media and the specific outlet, the point is that if you want coverage to run at a certain time, you have to plan ahead. Here are some guidelines to get you started:
• Schedule topics for your media calls several months out. Try not to let major seasonal or holiday stories sneak up on you.
• Look at how the outlet has covered this story in past years. Consider how you can spice it up and improve on it.
• Ask reporters and producers about the types of stories they want to see. Then go to work filling that need.
• Have stories ready for national months, but don’t depend on that coverage. National Heart Health Month, for example, may be a great tie-in for your product, but the competition for coverage will be fierce.
• Be prepared to get pushed out. If you have a great story that gets bumped by bigger stories, you may have to work harder to get it back into the schedule.
• Remember that the media’s decision makers are people too. They go on spring break. They juggle a lot of moving pieces. There’s usually a swell of vacations in March, following the February sweeps, and again just before the holidays. Reporters are scrambling so that they can be out of the office. It’s your job to help them out.
• Track the details. You’ll also need a calendar to manage spokespersons’ schedules, and to mark down when you need to mail materials for guest appearances.
There are media opportunities available, but it often requires careful – often complicated – planning.
