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Publicity by "Talking
the Talk"
by George McKenzie
When you're trying to persuade a
reporter to do a story about you or your
business, you're much more likely to succeed if you know how to "talk
the talk"
No reporter will expect you to act
like an insider, but you'll get a lot more respect -
and attention - if you can speak the language of the newsroom.
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It’s not like learning
Mandarin. In fact, all you need to do is sprinkle your pitch
with a couple of catchwords and phrases. For instance:
Newshook - Connecting a story
to something that’s already
in the news makes it
more interesting. For instance: a hot topic right now is airline
security. A story
about a company that’s developing a retinal scan or a handprint
identification
device would automatically appeal to news decision-makers.
Local Angle - Events happening on
a national or even international stage still can
have local impact. Most obvious example: when the U.S recently began
bombing
Afghanistan, many local reserve units were called up. That offered
a variety of
possibilities, including:
Human Interest
Stories - We all saw
video of the destruction at the World Trade
Center, the Pentagon, and Somerset, Pennsylvania. Stories that followed
about
the impact on families who lost loved ones in the attacks were human
interest
stories. Such stories appeal to everyone because - among other reasons
- we all ask ourselves, "What if it were me?"
Follow-ups - If you’re
disappointed because a reporter talked to your competitor
about something, but not to you, you can probably get your turn by
offering a
follow up.
Future File - Generic name for any
system that collects news releases, notes,
or any information related to future events.
Evergreen - A story that isn’t
necessarily tied to a newshook. Evergreens are
stories the media pull "out of the can" to use on slow
news days when there’s
not much going on and they have a lot of time to fill.
Kicker - This one relates TV
only. The "kicker" is a short,
generally amusing story
just before the end of a newscast. It’s supposed to leave you
smiling even if
you’ve just watched nearly thirty minutes of mayhem. If you
want to portray
yourself as knowledgeable and savvy, just tell an assignment editor
you’ve got
something you think will make a good kicker. They’ll pay attention,
since good
local kickers aren’t always easy to find. Plus, if you’ve
got interesting video,
they’ll "tease" the kicker all the way through the
newscast - which means you
get even more exposure.
Sprinkling your pitch to the media
with these words and phrases will greatly
improve your chances of getting free publicity.
And that reminds me of one last thing.
Never use the word "publicity" when pitching a reporter.
Always call it "coverage."
When you "talk the talk" of the newsroom, "publicity" is
one word you never want
to say.
George McKenzie is the author
of "Going Public: 10 Ways To
Use The Mass
Media For Free Advertising, Internet Marketing And Website Promotion.
http://www.get-free-publicity.com
He has almost thirty years experience in radio and TV. During his
31 year
broadcasting career, George's TY Reports have appeared on ABC, NBC,
CBS, &
ESPN
George McKenzie offers a free 7-day mini course to anyone who subscribes
to
his free weekly ezine, Register at http://www.publicitygoldmine.com/ea
George McKenzie may be contacted at http://www.publicitygoldmine.com/ea
george@get-free-publicity.com.
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