How to make your business newsworthy (with steal-worthy news angles to try)

With journalists bombarded with hundreds of pitches and media releases each day, your ability to generate media coverage is directly determined by how newsworthy and interesting you can make yourself, your business or your topic.

But with so many different media outlets, and so many differing opinions on what is newsworthy, how do you choose the right angle to make sure you don’t end up deleted?

Here are some tips to help you find the best newsworthy angle for your business and some steal-worthy news angles to get you started.

1. Know why you want media coverage

The first step in making your business newsworthy is to determine why you want to generate media coverage in the first place. Is it to build brand awareness and get people talking about your products or services? Is it to raise awareness for a cause or issue? Is it to gain credibility and be able to say that you or your business has been “featured in…” or perhaps it’s to be the go-to source on your area of expertise?

Why you want to generate coverage will not only impact what media outlets and journalists you target but also the angle you use to make it more newsworthy to each of them.

For example, if you want to be an ongoing source you wouldn’t send off a media release about how great your product, service or business is. You would be leading with statistics, figures, trends, industry insights and other valuable information that will prove your worth and credibility.

2. Determine your target market

Like any form of promotion you need to know who you are targeting and why. While the journalist will be the first point of contact, they won’t necessarily be the primary market you want to target, unless your goal is to become their expert source.

So think about it, is it that you want to reach new potential customers and persuade them to buy your product or service? Do you want to attract more wholesalers to stock your products or high quality staff, licensees, franchisees and investors into your business?

When you know who you are targeting you will easily identify the best media channels to use to get your message across and the right angle to ‘hook’ both the journalist and your target market.

3. Know the media you are targeting

Once you have a list of the media outlets that attract your target market, get to know each one. What stories and topics do they cover? What do they find newsworthy? How do they put stories together? Are they factually based or more sensational? Have they covered anything recently that you could give more detail on or an alternate opinion? How much information do they require? How long is each story or segment? What segment, section or journalist will find what you have to share the most relevant?

Keep in mind too that there will often be multiple opportunities within the one media outlet that will also require a different approach or angle. Take a magazine, for example, which has editorials and features, personal or business profiles, real life stories, product features, reviews and competitions, opinion pieces and letters to the editor.

Each of these segments can offer you media coverage though which one you choose will depend on your purpose. If you want to establish yourself as an expert you may want to go for a profile or editorial article. However, if you want to launch or promote a product you may opt for a product feature, review or competition.

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