Janet Falk: So in media relations you have to figure out who you're talking to and what are the publications or what are the outlets where they are searching for resources. Then you'll have to introduce yourself to the reporter in a responsible way. So you have to say to the reporter, why you, what makes you a reliable and authoritative resource. Then you have to explain to the reporter why now. Why is this a timely subject that people need to know more about? And then the third question is why should anyone care? What is it that you have to say that will help someone else save time, save money, or make more money?
Janet Falk: So in introducing yourself to a reporter, you want to establish your credibility, establish that this is a hot topic of the moment that people aren't paying attention to, and if only they knew what Constantine and Janet know, then they would save time, save money, and make more money.
Janet Falk: So figuring out who your target market is, where they're looking for information, and then contacting the reporters who are in those publications or in those newsletters or on those news desks, then you will catch their attention because they want to serve their market. So that is my approach to media relations
Konstantine: And can we make it a little more tangible? Like for me, we spoke about what I'm doing, you know, video for B2B companies, 10 to 100 employees. How would I go about thinking which media to approach?
Janet Falk: Let's say you're thinking about clients in fintech, so they're reading certain financial market publications and certain technology publications. So you want to introduce yourself as the person who can capture the attention of their target market, their decision makers, who need to be kept up-to-date on what's happening and why video is an ideal solution for reaching out to their customer base.
Konstantine: And I would reach out to the reporter of that publication with a short email or a call? What do you recommend?
Janet Falk: I actually have a formula that I use. I call it a media profile, and for anyone who's watching, it's available on my website, janetl-F-A-L-K.com. So a media profile gives first your contact information, your name, your phone number, or your email address, maybe your physical address and so forth.
Janet Falk: Then in broad strokes it describes what are your credentials. You have extensive experience in videos that you've been making for fintech companies, and this kind of company, and that kind of company. Then it gives more detailed experience, how you develop the strategy, how you work with the client to do the best execution of the video, and how you do a great job with the editing.
Janet Falk: Then it talks about what are the issues and trends that people need to know more about, but that no one is paying attention to until you've called it out. So for example, you can talk about the increase in use of video and how it's expected to grow, how over time it's going to become the standard, that people need to have video because they want to have an introduction to the business or the person that they're going to be working with, they want to have an acquaintance of what it would be like to work with that person face-to-face and so on.
Janet Falk: Then you would have a quote, something short and snappy of, you know, 50 to 80 words that would grab a reporter's attention and say ah-ha, there is a human being, Constantine, behind this profile. This is a person that I need to talk to more.
Janet Falk: So by giving your contact information up at the top, establishing your credentials, talking about your, you know, more specific experience, and raising the fact that this is a growing trend that people need to know more about, and by providing a human and chatty and attractive quote, then you get the attention of the reporter.
Janet Falk: Now it may be that you'll get their attention in the moment and then they have to go to their editor and say, "This is somebody that we need to talk to more." But it may be that they're busy on another story and they'll make note of it and put you in their database and then come back to you when the opportunity rolls around.
Janet Falk: So while it's a good idea to introduce yourself as a source, you can also introduce yourself with the story idea and say, "I would like to talk to you about this case study," or, "I would like to present the lessons learned from working with so-and-so," and then you can be teaming up with a client or with a colleague or with someone who presents a compatible perspective.
Janet Falk: Maybe you want to talk with someone who's from a nonprofit organization who worked with you. There can be any number of partners that you can present. So the story is not about you. The story is about you and this other party, and that aligns with the interest of the viewer, because they imagine themselves as if they were the client or they were the collaborator or they were the nonprofit organization that has benefited from working with you, and the lessons learned, and seen these kinds of results.
Janet Falk: So those are two ways of going about it. One is to introduce yourself as a source and the other is to introduce yourself with a story idea that is not about you exclusively, but about you and someone else. Now if you're a reporter and you get a story idea and a source and a client testimonial, it comes to you in a box all wrapped up in a bow. You'll hardly have to do any work. Think about that from the reporter's perspective.