How to Become a Quoted Source

By Tina L. Pugliese, APR, Pugliese Public Relations

tina puglieseEver wonder why your competitors keep popping up in the media—whether it is in national dailies, on major TV broadcasts or even in local business magazines — while your company is relegated to the back of the trades?

Here are some tips for effectively playing the expert game:

Play reporter. Forget for a moment your own organization's objectives, and read the world as a reporter would. Given your beat and the readers you must satisfy, what topics are of interest? What angles do you find fresh and provocative? With which sources — with what expertise—do you want to be in touch?

Become a matchmaker. Having performed that analysis, you can now play the role of matchmaker. Ask yourself, which individuals within my organization can satisfy these reporters’ needs? And which presentations will be most persuasive?

Identify ideas for the masses versus tailored pitches. When you write a news release, you are packaging ideas for reporters in masses, but when you write a pitch, you are tailoring an idea for a single reporter. You are saying, “I think you'll be interested in this person because” — and you have a good reason for thinking so because you have done your homework. You have read the publication, or watched the show, and you know what works and what doesn't.

Adopt a long-term perspective. In all of your relationships with reporters, adopt a long-term perspective. You should craft your pitch carefully in such a way that even if the reporter does not take you up on your offer this time you can be confident your next pitch will be read. This helps cultivate your standing as a reliable source.

Perform an Expert Audit. You can be a reliable source only if you have a thorough knowledge of your organization and have identified everyone who can be helpful to reporters and how. For this reason, when you join a new organization, you should always perform an expert audit. Sit down with colleagues and identify who can talk effectively about what.

Develop platforms for spokespersons. By profiling your spokesperson(s) on your Website as expert resources for reporters, you provide easy accessibility to these experts. If you have an expert who can speak on a hot topic that is currently in the news, consider sending out a media advisory alerting reporters to the availability of your spokesperson, and her position on the topic.

Follow these simple steps and soon you will find reporters seeking you, or one of your experts, for a quote again and again.

 

Tina L. Pugliese, APR is an executive coach and counselor for Pugliese Public Relations, a communications firm in Boynton Beach, Florida. Pugliese is an accredited member of the Public Relations Society of America, and is the author of the book, Public Relations for Pharmacists, and e-books, Marketing Your Business for Success, How To Work With The Media, and Public Relations Manual — A Guide for Entrepreneurs.  She can be reached at (561) 889-3575 and by email at Tina@PugliesePR.com.  Her web site is www.PugliesePR.com

Article excerpted from e-book, Public Relations Manual — A Guide for Entrepreneurs, by Tina L. Pugliese, APR.

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