If you have ever wondered why your competitor is making news or being chosen to comment on news stories, it’s usually because they have either built a relationship with the reporter or because they have a public relations professional advising them on how to present newsworthy content.
Figuring out what is and is not newsworthy is a skill that you develop with a little bit of research into news events and a knowledge of what people would find interesting about your business.
Here are some tips to help you determine if your information is newsworthy or if it’s merely the kind of material that would only interest employees:
1. Impact and appeal. If your story directly impacts an audience outside of your company, then it is likely newsworthy.
Example: Your HVAC company is working with the local trade college to help fund training courses for home service technicians. Since there is a shortage of skilled trade workers, this funding will help offset some of the scarcity of technicians in your community.
2. Novelty news. Does your information deviate from the norm? If your material is evidence of something that isn’t business as usual or is extraordinary in nature, you probably have news on your hands.
Example: Your plumbing company has been tapped to join a mission of other plumbing experts to run pipes for a third-world community to have plumbing for the first time in their history. While running pipes for a developer’s new community in Houston is pretty ordinary, running pipes for a tribal nation in a Brazilian rainforest is extraordinary.
3. Human interest. If you have a story that pulls the heart strings or stirs deep emotions within a wider group of people, your material might be of interest to a reporter.
Example: Your HVAC company has identified a veteran who is hard on his luck and your company has purchased and installed a whole new heating system for his home, helping him and his family to stay warm this winter. Not only is corporate social responsibility a timely topic, the fact that your company is helping a local family in need is information most reporters find compelling.
4. Innovative or first-of-its kind. Is your information cutting edge or revolutionary? Will your product or service change the way people use everyday items? If so, this material is a lock for newsworthy content.
Example: Your organization is the first home service company in your area to offer a new technology to your customers that will help them save thousands of dollars on utility bills while improving their carbon footprint. Be careful not to frame this as a sales gimmick or you will not garner interest from journalists. However, if you’re the first to roll out Elon Musk’s proposed home heat pump and air filter technology, you have a story.
5. Relevancy: If you have expertise on a particular subject, you can impart wisdom in ways that will help the general public or can fix an issue that has been in the news.
Example: A winter storm is headed toward your community and, as an auto mechanic or body-shop repairman, you have some expert tips on how drivers can prepare for snowy and icy roads. This is not only timely advice, it is actually of use to readers or listeners.
6. Celebrity. Since there are whole websites, magazines and television shows solely devoted to following celebrities, we know that many consumers find famous people interesting.
Example: You’re opening a new facility and the governor of your state will be at the ground-breaking ceremony. If the governor finds your story interesting, chances are others will, as well. Be sure to get consent from the celebrity before promoting their involvement.
While these are just a few tips that can help you determine whether your item is newsworthy enough to send out a press release or call your local newspaper or TV news station, there are many other items that can be parlayed into news articles. These items can include when your company wins awards, when an employee is named to a municipal board or when you donate funds to support a local nonprofit organization.
And, if you are working with a public relations agency, talk to them frequently. Let them know what your company is doing and, even if you think the information is trivial, your PR experts might see them are more newsworthy.
The trick is to continue an ongoing dialog with your local reporters, with trade journalists, with your local community and with your clientele. Even if the information is not earth-shattering news, it can still be used on your website’s blog or on your social media channels.
The more you promote interesting information out to the public, the more your company’s name is associated with positive or helpful information and that’s always good news.
Heather Ripley is founder and CEO of Ripley PR, an elite, global public relations agency specializing in franchising, home service and building trades. Ripley PR has been recognized by Entrepreneur Magazine as a Top Franchise PR Agency four years in a row and was named to Forbes’ America’s Best PR Agencies for 2021. She is the author of “NEXT LEVEL NOW: PR Secrets to Drive Explosive Growth for your Home Service Business.” For additional information, visit www.ripleypr.com.