With millions of Americans getting their news online, savvy public relations practitioners are adapting quickly, devising new methods for getting their clients’ products mentioned on the Internet. But as long as we’re still listening to the radio, watching TV or picking up a magazine/newspaper, reporters in those media will continue to have a never-ending need for informative stories as well.
We spend a great deal of time strategizing on feature story angles that will interest out clients’ target audiences, with the understanding that if the media runs the article first it will have built-in credibility with the public.
We also look for ways to personalize and tailor these feature story ideas. We’ll take a basic concept and adapt it for a radio interview, give it more visuals for a TV spot, provide more background for a print article, etc. As editorial manager, I’m frequently called upon to revise a press release so that it will fit the needs of a specific media outlet.
I’m not sure how other agencies work, but we’ve found that reporters appreciate our willingness to partner with them on article ideas. It makes their jobs easier and often a lot more fun. Our long telephone conversations and email chains result in some really nice placements.
