3 parts to a good story

3 Parts to a Story What makes a good publicity story
How did they get on the front cover of Newsweek? It’s a common question. As PR professionals, our clients often ask us how they can get the kind of publicity that other companies have. They complain that they frequently see competitive products or companies in the news. Or that their competitors are regularly quoted in trade magazines. They can’t understand why journalists overlook them.

Despite the fact that they send out news releases every time something happens at the company, they don’t get media coverage -- or if they do, it’s only a couple of lines. They are frustrated.How do you get publicity? Well, sometimes that depends on what you're pitching, what company you represent, and who you know. For example, if you find a cure for Alzheimer’s disease, you will get publicity. If you are launching a new product at a high-profile corporation, such as Microsoft, you will get publicity. If you have earned the respect of the media as someone knowledgeable in your field, you will have an easier time convincing them that you have a good story. But you might not meet these criteria. So, how can you get attention from journalists? By identifying compelling story ideas that the media need.Every radio or television program, every newspaper, every issue of a magazine needs dynamic stories or information. They have to fill their space and make sure their readers, viewers or listeners are impacted by the stories they cover.They need dynamic stories or information. They are under tremendous pressure to secure the best material. The competition between media outlets is intense. The opportunities for getting your story covered are there. You just have to find out what the media wants and craft your story to satisfy that need.What is important to you does not necessarily offer the same degree of interest for the media. The trick is to find what interests them.

The best way to get publicity is to have a good product or service to talk about, a good story to tell about it, and a story that appeals to the specific media outlet you are pursuing.1. A Good Product or ServiceIf you don’t have a decent product or service, or if your product or service doesn’t deliver on the promises you make, don’t seek publicity. You either won’t get it, or you’ll get negative publicity -- the media love to highlight problems.Your product must work. You should collect proof that it works. You’ve tested it, you’ve got customers who are willing to offer testimonials, and you’ve been in business for many years -- use whatever you can to substantiate your claims. Your service should be unique or different; it should meet a specific need and be proven with many customers who will attest that you do what you say you will.2. An Interesting Story to TellAll news organizations are storytellers. They're looking for stories to tell readers, viewers or listeners. If you can identify or create a story related to your business that will interest the public, you'll make it easier to interest media outlets in your company. Find a way to tie your product or service to a national issue or concern. For example, a company that salvages used computers and refurbishes them for reuse in schools and charitable organizations makes a contribution to society and to the environment. Look for a human-interest angle. Find the human elements that make a company's story worth writing about. Tell about the personal sacrifices you made to develop your product or business…how you financed it…or what one user or client has achieved using your product or service.Make sure that your story is really news, not just an advertisement in disguise.

3. Appeal to a Specific Media Outlet Nothing is more irritating to an editor than a news release that is obviously misdirected or irrelevant to their focus. Whatever you pitch, you must ensure that your story is of interest to the media outlet that you are pursuing. What's newsworthy to the editor of Field & Stream is quite different than what's newsworthy to the editor of Report on Business. Find the news outlet that matches your message -- whether business, trade, financial, general interest, or professional affiliations. Know what interests different types of media. Print publications focus on facts and figures. Radio and television don't lend themselves to this kind of detailed information; it’s about sound bites, excitement, and entertainment. Think about whether your story can be conveyed in a visual form.You wouldn’t ask a television reporter to publish your six-month financial results but, if they were impressive, a television reporter might be interested in featuring your business on a weekly business program.Discover how important visuals are to a particular magazine, before you make your pitch, by scanning a couple of issues. Note whether photos or drawings are used. Are they black-and-white or color? Is at least one illustration used with every story of one page or more? If so, you should be prepared to provide to provide the same. Otherwise, your article might move to the reject pile, regardless of its other merits.Don’t overlook good local or regional newspapers or television if your story is local. You’ll be wasting your time promoting it to a national news carrier. Sometimes the large networks will pick up stories that initiated in a local market if they think there might be national appeal.
Develop good relationships with journalists. Be accessible to them. Remember that reporters need information. They might not want your story right now, but you can do a reporter a favor and offer insight and expert comment/analysis on other newsworthy issues. As long as they are quoting you, you are still getting publicity.
If a reporter shows interest in your story, be prepared to provide any additional information they ask for -- like a press kit that includes good image material and background information on each topic or business you are promoting. Make sure that your website also contains high-quality visuals. A picture may help a reporter instantly identify with you and your story.What can you do for them?
Publicity is most likely to happen when you stop thinking about how someone else can help you, and concentrate instead on what you can do for them. Spend most of your time understand them. Find out what areas are the most challenging and identify the hot issues and trends important to them. Then think about what your story does to resolving their issues.That is what makes a good publicity story.

Criteria for a Good Story
· Focus: Does the story have one main focal point, “hook” or angle?
· Timely: Is it relevant to a current social issue? Could it relate to a holiday or special event?
· Novelty: Is there something unique or different about how you run your business? Is your product a novelty in its industry? Have you found a new way to do something?
· Consequence: Is there an impact on a particular market segment with your company or product? Will it change how your customers work or live? Does the topic appeal to a specific group of people?
· Human interest: Is there a story behind your product or company? Have your services resulted in a high-impact result for a client? Has your product saved a life? Has a client realized exceptional results with one of your products? Is the story idea of particular interest to the audience of a specific publication or does it have broad appeal?
· Prominence: Do you have you a high-profile client? Is the product achieving an award or reaching a leadership position in your industry? Can you tie your product or service to a celebrity event? Is your product achieving an award or reaching a leadership position in your industry?
· Proximity: Does your product or service have a local angle? Is it a national story? Is there a geographical region most suited to your solution?
· Conflict: Is your story contentious in a way that would breed debate or opinion?