Want Better Media Coverage? Become an Expert!

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote that “experts” generate greater media coverage.

Today’s post is designed to suggest some ideas on how to become an expert to help generate better media coverage.

First off, be an expert.

This may sound super obvious, but if you’re reading this blog and you’re concerned about what you can do to create better media coverage, chances are you already are an expert — at least on one or more topics.

I’ve found that the biggest challenge most people face is recognizing (and/or admitting) that they are an expert at all. They’re too shy, too humble, too whatever. Get over it. I’m not suggesting that you have to be the foremost expert in the world on the topic in question, simply an expert.

Me? I’m an expert on tons of topics. Obviously, I know TONS about PR, marketing, advertising, investor relations, self-promotion and just about any other topic related to strategic marketing communications. But I also happen to be an expert on a whole raft of other topics as well.

Get published (the new way).

Once you accept the fact that you’re an expert, then you need to begin looking for ways to establish your “expertness.” One of the easiest methods for doing this is to become published. And in today’s world, the simplest way to do this is through blogging.

Yup. Start a blog on your topic of interest. Sure blogging takes time, requires consistency, and (ideally) you’ll be able to string more than one cogent thought together at a time.

While you’re blogging on a regular basis, don’t forget to comment on the writings of other bloggers with similar interests or covering similar topics. Where it makes sense, link back to your blog. Additionally, invite your friends to visit your blog as well.

Get published (the old-fashioned way).

You should also work to get published in the old-fashioned way — by someone else. Depending upon your chosen area of expertise, this can be VERY EASY or VERY HARD.

Assuming you can write, you have three main opportunities to pursue when it comes to getting published the old-fashioned way.

• Write an editorial / opinion piece.
• Write an article.
• Write a “Letter to the Editor.”

For example, let’s say you like to fly fish, and in your spare time you tie your own flies. One day, you read about a proposal to dam your favorite river. What should you do?

First, you should bang out a quick post on your fly fishing blog. Second, you should expand that blog post into an opinion piece/editorial that you can submit to your local paper. And while you’re at it, you should also modify that editorial slightly and submit it to your favorite fly fishing magazine as well.

At a minimum, you should also write and submit a “Letter to the Editor” at the main newspaper in your area, because if there’s a proposal to dam a local river, chances are such news will be covered in the local paper as well.

Toot your own horn.

Once you’ve got a little street cred going for you from your blog and/or from getting published the old-fashioned way, you should reach out to one or more targeted journalists to

• Introduce yourself, and
• Offer your expert assistance.

This is definitely the trickiest and the scariest part about becoming an expert, but let me walk you through it.

First, note that in the sentence at the beginning of this section I use the term “targeted.” This is critical.

IF you really are a subject matter expert on a specific topic, then chances are you are regularly consuming local, regional, national, international and industry-related media about your chosen topic. This means that you already know who the top journalists are that cover your chosen topic in multiple media outlets.

For example, let’s follow through with the fly fishing idea proposed earlier in this post. Assuming you lived in Utah, you should know that the right journalist at the Deseret Morning News for this topic is Ray Grass; his counterpart at the Salt Lake Tribune is Brett Prettyman; and Reese Stein does the same at KUTV-TV. (This is not meant as a comprehensive local listing of journalist who cover fishing, but is designed to merely serve as an example.)

So assuming you “know” these guys (and continuing on with the example above about the proposed dam), your initial contact with one or more of these specific journalists could be as simple as an email introducing yourself as a local angler, who also happens to regularly blog on fly fishing and is VERY UPSET at the proposed dam. And “Yes” (you add in your email), you’d be happy to say so “on the record” and share your opinions if he/she is interested.

My bet? If you emailed all three (individually, of course), I suspect you’d get at least one to respond back who would want to talk to you, probably “on the record.” And you’d probably be contacted within a day or two.

And what if nothing as dramatic as a proposed dam is on the horizon for your area of expertise? That’s fine. Introduce yourself anyway.

Tell the journalist in your introductory email who you are. Explain that you’ve been following their stories about your topic. (You should be able to mention a recent story in your email.) Let ‘em know that you’re blogging on the topic and include the URL/blog address. (If you’ve been published the old-fashioned way, mention this in your email as well). And tell the journalist that if he/she ever needs a source for a story, you’re available.

Provide your contact info, including a 24/7 contact phone number (such as your cell number). Then thank them for their time and consideration and close your email.

Any journalist worth his or her salt will (at a minimum) check out your blog. Assuming you’ve done a decent job, they’ll file your contact info for use at a future date. And that’s what you’re hoping for from your first contact.

Follow-up — JUDICIOUSLY!

If you really want to be considered an expert by journalists covering your chosen topic, then you want to help make that reporter’s / editor’s / columnist’s / producer’s job as easy as possible. In other words, you need to become an unbiased source for them. This is where judicious follow-up comes into play.

First off, note the use of the word judicious. The lead definition for judicious on Dictionary.com says: using or showing judgment as to action or practical expediency; discreet, prudent, or politic.

In simpler terms, DON’T BUG THE REPORTER — or — WASTE HIS/HER TIME.

In my opinion, if you’re contacting a reporter more than once a month, you could be treading into the “bugging” category. ‘Nuff said.

However, if you really want to be seen as an expert, follow-up with your chosen journalist with a tip or idea that has nothing (or very little) to do with you. For example, suggest a fly fishing guide who you know to be an excellent angler. Or perhaps you could pass along word from a fishing buddy about her/his recent success (or lack thereof) on an outing on a local water, particularly if you can also say what flies were working the best on that trip.

If you can also provide a story idea or tip to a journalist that has nothing or very little to do with you, your company, product/service, you just made a deposit in your credibility bank with that reporter. Repeat this process a couple of times during a several-month-period or longer and this reporter will begin to consider you an expert.

(And for the record, this concept works in any professional or personal setting, not just in public relations, publicity and media relations. It happens to be a point of human nature. Try these suggestions out with a friend or relative if you don’t believe me. After a couple of instances, chances are that loved one/friend will consider you a subject matter expert too.)

Summary/Conclusion.

To summarize, one great way to generate better media coverage is to become recognized by one or more journalists / media outlets as an expert. To do this, you should

1. Be an expert.
2. Start (or continue) blogging.
3. Get published by someone else.
4. Reach out to one or more specific journalists.
5. Follow-up judiciously, particularly with unbiased story ideas.

I know these ideas work because they’ve worked for me and for my clients as well.

So if you want more media coverage for yourself, your company/clients or for your products/services, then follow the steps outlined above and you’ll be well on your way to having journalists contact you regularly for your thoughts, opinions and insights.

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