In the PR industry, the value of the traditional news release has been the subject of great debate. I, for one, am a firm believer in its value. The news release has its place in any public relations program as it provides a great way to get general news out about your organization. Upcoming events, awards, new products or services or new hire announcements are all great uses for a news release.
In most cases, however, the news release tends to get boiled down to a one- or two- sentence blurb by the time it makes it into print. A one- or two-sentence blurb or a listing in the community calendar in the daily paper isn’t enough to sustain a PR program.
Social media extends the life of a news release
Social media allows us to breathe more life into a news release. Depending on the client and the social media channels they use, we may Tweet a link to the news release in the client’s website newsroom, post it on LinkedIn, or turn it into a blog post.
But you don’t want to make every post on social media about your company. Remember, the one-third rule?
What you’re really looking for is the longer story behind these general company news releases, something that digs deeper beyond the newest member of your Board. What you’re looking for is a feature story. And these are much tougher to get, especially with newsroom staffs stretched so thin and so many papers pulling their news off the wire.
Enter: the community paper.
Community newspapers have a strong readership
In Vermont, we have a healthy network of community newspapers serving many of our 246 towns and cities. Most of these are published on a weekly basis. But like most other print outlets, the staff is extremely limited. In many cases, the publisher also serves as editor and reporter. And that’s where you can help.
If your organization serves a specific community or even if it has a statewide focus, there are ways to adapt your news to the interests of a specific community or region.
Call up (or email) the editor of your local paper. Let them know you have a story to share and let them know why you think it would be of interest to their readers. Then, offer to write something up for them.
We’re talking about more than a news release. And it’s not a fluffy sales piece. Write a factual news story with an enticing lead that makes it clear why this should run in their local paper. Be sure to include a quality photo as well.
Chances are your local paper will leap at the opportunity to get a well written piece along with a quality photo that is of interest to the community they serve.
Look beyond the daily paper
Too often we look only to the daily newspapers for media coverage. But the local community papers can be real gems. People read them and they have a longer shelf life.
So the next time you’re looking to get a good story out, don’t forget your community papers. They can be a great source for pumping up the muscle in your PR program.
