The Public Relations Blog

Thirteen tips for being included in a news story

News media coverage is important and necessary for CPA firms because it improves your company’s overall reputation with the public. Inclusion in news stories also helps place your CPA firm at the forefront of new customers’ minds as well as solidify your company as the best choice for current customers. 

The hundred dollar question you may be asking yourself is how does a CPA firm get in the news?

It’s possible to attract media attention even if you think nothing within your company is newsworthy. Use the following tips to identify and create news for your business, ultimately gaining the publicity you desire.

Today, I want to share with you the work Axia Public Relations is doing on earned media and helping clients with news coverage. TV newsrooms often keep a daybook for their news shows, which they use to see topics they want to cover each day and in the future. If you want the news team to cover your story, you need to be in that daybook. And, if you have a big announcement, you want to be first on the list. It’s important to know where you rank on the list because the list could be five things, or it could be 20.

Recently, I attended a PRSA chapter’s Media Roundtable event where 12 journalists from different outlets and backgrounds gathered to give insight and best practices to public relations professionals. While all journalists have their own preferred way for you to pitch them – and it depends if their outlet is print, online, or broadcast TV – there are some similarities that PR pros should know.

Rethink media relations’ role in your communication strategy

Earning media coverage for your company is more difficult than ever. Newsrooms are smaller and journalists cover multiple beats and report for multiple platforms. Additionally, there are more opportunities for advertising. It’s time to rethink media relations and understand its role in your overall communication strategy.

Grow your business using media contacts

When you think about how to get explosive business growth, you probably imagine your company website displaying on the first page of Google’s search results – and all the traffic that comes with that. No doubt, this is something that would do it. However, there are other ways to grow your company without necessarily being No. 1 on Google. And one of the most important is building solid media connections.

A newsworthy story doesn’t require a favor

A public relations insider knows that relationships matter when connecting with reporters. You must build and maintain relationships with journalists in order to receive quality media coverage. And you can’t call it a relationship when you’re simply asking a favor. A relationship benefits you and the media outlet, while a favor is requesting a reporter or contact give your company preferential treatment through media coverage.

3 ways your company can rise above the fray and maintain a positive image

According to the Knight Foundation, public trust in the media is at an all-time low. In a recent survey conducted with Gallup, the group dedicated to supporting quality journalism and engaging communities found some shocking facts. One surprising finding was that participants ranked newspaper and television news lowest, next to Congress, among major institutions they trust.

3 tips to improve your pitches

For more than 25 years, I worked as a journalist. During that time, I would pitch story ideas, while simultaneously learning the preferences of my editors. One time, an editor declined my offer to write about an emerging artist. "What will your second paragraph say?" he asked. He explained that he wanted human interest. So, I gave him plenty. I repitched the story, providing details about an 88-year-old dying artist, who was bedridden and painting with an easel sprawled out on his stomach. This time, my editor approved the story.

Our recommendations to make paid media your last resort

Companies sometimes get caught in a cycle of utilizing paid opportunities because they don’t fully understand what public relations is and how to use the power of PR to earn media coverage. Some outlets will even tell companies that if they advertise, the outlet will write more about the company. This isn’t right. In fact, your company should make paid media its last resort.