When approaching the media, you’d better be darned sure your story is interesting. Got a new product to announce? Just signed a new client? Opening store? If so, that’s great. But it’s useless in the eyes of the media unless you have something that makes it unique. So what makes a good story? How can you turn your announcement into a fascinating topic of interest to the media. Here are a few must-do’s:

• Focus - Your story should be about one specific topic. Being too broad makes the story vague and uninteresting. Don’t add a bunch of mumbo-jumbo just because you want to fill a page of paper, keep your story focused on one topic. Any filler information should only serve to support your main idea.

• Drama- Your story needs to have something that is dramatic, unique, different… If you’re opening a store, what makes the opening different than others? Why is it unique? These are questions you need to answer yourself before you propose the story to someone else.

• Sources-When promoting your story, try to look for other sources that support your idea. Customers that enjoy your service or product and are willing to speak with the press are a great resource for a reporter. Perhaps even a spokesperson from the Chamber of Commerce or local Kiwanis club. Anyone that is independent of you and is willing to offer “kudos” to a member of the press can really help set your story apart from others.

• Biggest? If your story is a “first” (or biggest, largest, fastest, etc…), the press eats this kind of information. In fact, you might even want to try to contact the reporter you think might give you the best exposure to your customer base. Offer an exclusive. An exclusive is an offer to a journalist to run the story first, before anyone else. Now if you do offer an exclusive, it really has to have an incredible “Wow” factor, so think about this carefully first.

• Data: Reporters love data. If you can provide any kind of statistical data that supports your story, you’re more likely to get the attention of the media. If you think about it, you’ll often hear the media quote a source saying; “The top ten reasons….” Numbers and statistics can really make your story more interesting to reporters.

Just remember, when you’re writing an announcement, don’t get caught up with ensuring you write what you want. Its not about you…it’s about the journalist and their audience you’re trying to reach. What will get their attention and how can you write a story idea that will stick? Follow these suggestions and watch how quickly your idea will be gobbled up by the press.

If you need expert PR advice and a professional to help, check out Resource Nation’s business center of public relations professionals.

Email newsletters are a powerful tool that can be used to boost your marketing efforts, without draining your marketing budget. They provide a platform to discuss issues happening in your market, your customers’ potential concerns due to economic shifts and new tips, tools or products.

Offering a newsletter benefits you in multiple ways, including:

1. Helping to build your email list

2. Establishing you as an expert in your service or product arena

3. Providing a great reason to reach out to your list – keeping your company Top Of Mind

4. Enabling you to establish a strong Loyalty program

5. Driving traffic to your site

There are some pitfalls to avoid. Email marketing can be tricky because you want to reach out regularly, but you do not want to over do it. Make sure your e-newsletters are pertinent to your audience. You also want to give recipients an easy way to opt-out with every communication, so they know they do not have to make a long term commitment.

Some of these key mistakes to avoid include:

1. Sending unsolicitated emails more than once. You never want to be viewed as SPAM. When sending your e-newsletter to someone for the first time, you may want to include a line that explains where you got their address and ask them to sign-up for future e-newsletters.

2. Sending poorly designed or written newsletter. Remember, every marketing piece is a reflection of your brand, including your e-newsletter.

3. Using your newsletter simply as a brag piece or an advertisement. It should include helpful information that recipients will benefit from.

4. Be sure to include a clear “call to action”, whether a request for feedback, link providing more detailed information or additional articles, or a coupon or discount offer.

5. Always include contact information and links to your web site and email.

There are some great web-based e-marketing services, but my favorite is ConstantContact.com. Their prices are low enough for the most budget conscience business and they offer all you need to get started – including FREE online tutorials and local seminars. I have learned a lot from both their site and their in-person trainings.

If you don’t have the time yourself, use Resource Nation’s business service directory and find online marketing experts that can help.

It’s happened many times before …and it can easily happen to you too. You get the call that KWHOever is in the lobby with a camera crew wanting to know your company’s response to [insert crisis name]. You’ve got 60 seconds to figure out what to do before the camera goes live…don’t you just wish you’d DVR’d the situation so you can press rewind to grab more time to get ready before you go live?

One of the best responses to a crisis is doing something before it happens. You think it won’t or can’t happen? Think again. If you can imagine it, then it probably will. So what do you do? Get ready before you have to GET READY!!! Here’s how:

Prep the Scouts: Your employees know what’s going on in the trenches. Train them to tell you if they’ve sniffed out a potential crisis or issue of concern before it happens.

Don’t stop talking: Keep regular contact with your company leaders to let them know if there’s a possibility that something bad might happen. That way, you can start to put a plan into action to prepare.

Train the Infantry: Keep your employees informed about what’s going on with the company…good and bad. Not only will you inspire loyalty and trust, but your employees become a great, first line of defense should the media come calling.

Understand, reporters are a creative bunch and will do anything to get the story. I’ve had them stand in a parking lot to catch employees walking to their cars. Not a big deal…IF they know what to say. That’s why keeping them informed is so important.

Cozy up to them before its cold: Keep up relationships with reporters who follow your industry. Strong relationships with the media during a non-crisis time pay off when the heat is on.

Okay…so back to our story. What the heck do you do once the story’s on a roll? What actions can you take after the tape starts rolling? Here’s some things to think about:

It’s a wrap…or is it? Keep in touch with the reporter even if it seems like it’s over. Just because the story is a “wrap,” doesn’t mean it’s a wrap. Monitor how its going and don’t be afraid to call the reporter on the carpet if its not accurate.

Don’t speculate

It is just as important to provide accurate information as it is to act quickly. When researching questions for public release, it is imperative to stick with known facts and don’t feel pressured. The pressure to answer is a dangerous practice and gives rise to speculation. It is true that reporters will be pressing for answers; however, what’s more important is providing factual information.

Play Nice

During a crisis, messaging and communications to any audience should be compassionate to those that may have been affected.

A crisis is a very chaotic time and will create a period of confusion and second-guessing. Remember, everyone is dealing with a difficult time and intangible elements begin to pop up. Just remember, this is a time to show empathy as well as leadership.

Take control

Depending on the situation, the media may try to make a bigger story out of something that really isn’t. Make sure they have the facts right before making the issue to be something bigger than it really is.

If you have to answer

What’s the best thing to do? Take a deep breath and slow things down. Remember the story will be told whether you want it to or not…if you don’t talk, then the reporter will find someone who will. Find out exactly what they’re asking for and let them know you’ll track down answers. This will slow them down and give you time to react appropriately.

If you handle it with honesty and poise, the reporter, and the public, will remember that when times got tough, you handled it like a champ. Then and only then it might be time to set your DVR.

“Truth or Dare?

Remember the kid’s game “Truth or Dare?” You’re asked to either answer a question (with the truth of course) or be summoned to a yet-to-be-named perilous activity known as the dare. Of course, there’s risk of complete and total humiliation either way…the truth could reveal something utterly embarrassing and a dare could grant you the opportunity to completely mortify yourself. But choose you must…or you simply don’t play.

Dared to Spin

In the world of business, you’d be surprised how often I’m asked to choose dare. Since I’m the “PR guy,” when briefing the press on whatever the matter of the day might be, rather than choose to tell the exact truth, I’m dared to “spin” it. The rub with “spinning” a story is that you have utterly no inkling about what might happen. It’s tremendously risky and the upside isn’t so great. On one hand, it might be relatively harmless and you escape with a grand victory. On the other hand, more times than not, it can cause great humiliation to yourself or your company and it won’t take long for you to wish you could go back and take the “Truth” option instead.

The Wisdom of Truth

Working with the media is an exhilarating experience providing great opportunities. It’s a great tool that is helpful for spreading the word about your company or product. But to keep the trust of a reporter and therefore ensure future collaboration, choosing the “truth” is always the wisest decision. Choosing to “spin” only erodes your credibility and cheapens your company’s reputation.

Far and away, the best kind of story you can provide the media is always rooted in the truth. Even when it’s bad news…here are some tips when you dare to tell the truth:

• Ensure accuracy. No matter if the facts are good or bad, you want to ensure the information you share with the media is accurate. In bad situations, take your lumps up front and let your bad story be a one-day story.
• If you make a mistake, don’t worry…just correct it. Even if you forgot to share something critical or you misspoke and needed to provide a correction, that’s okay. Making a mistake is human and the media will forgive you. Purposely not telling the truth? Now that’s another matter.
• You don’t need to be overly forthright. I said tell the truth, not tell your entire life story. Share the facts related to the current situation, but don’t sway too far away and give up other juicy information that isn’t relevant.
• It’s okay to say “I can’t tell you…” If you do run into a situation that you can’t share something…just tell them why. Here’s some examples: “I can’t share that information with you because its confidential,” “Due to competitive reasons, that information is not disclosed,” or “I can’t speak on behalf of that other party, you’ll have to ask them.”