NEVER BE STUCK FOR A STORY IDEA

Take local stories national

Holidays How to articles

Success Stories

Pre-prepare: Editorial Calendars

Newsjacking Be a hero

Create interesting stories in local market, add commentary and national statistics - then pitch to national media. OR, take national/state stories and put a local spin on it.

Are you doing something different on a particular holiday? A management consultant who can suggest ways employees productive during the holidays? The week between Christmas and New Year's is the slowest news week of the year - an excellent time to seek coverage.

Provide a solution for the number one problem your customers face. Media wants articles that tell their readers how to do something such as get out of debt, discipline their children, have a safer work environment, set up a home office, or acquire a business loan.

Write case studies on how you have helped your customers/clients solve a problem that has saved them money or assisted them through a difficult situation. Pitch to relevant targeted media

Most business publications and trade publications plan their editorial topics in advance. Generally available on their website, or you can call the advertising department. Note the deadlines; submit on time!

Did the journalist recently write about something related to your business? Add your two cents, give them a new point of view or opinion on the topic that maybe introduces a new, noteworthy angle.

Have you helped someone out – saved them a stack of money, made their life better, raised a lot of money?

E: hello@publicitygenie.com | © 2014 All rights reserved | www.publicitygenie.com

7 TOP STORY IDEAS TO WIN JOURNALISTS OVER…EVEN IF YOU THINK YOUR BUSINESS IS BORING!

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WHAT MAKES NEWS CHECKLIST

1. IS IT NEWS?

News is something new. So timeliness is a great factor in deciding news. An incident that happened one month back will not make news. Also timeliness varies from media to media - hourly, daily, monthly. Or is is something that has not been reported before.

2. IS IT UNUSUAL?

Unusual things makes news. Extraordinary and unexpected events generate public interest. You might have seen box items in newspapers about such happenings. A man pulls a car by his hair, a woman gives birth to triplets.

3. IS IT INTERESTING?People like controversy. Anything that is connected with conflicts, arguments, charges and counter-charges, fights and tension becomes news. People also like quirky, offbeat stories, mainly about other people.

4. IS IT SIGNIFICANT?Impact of an event decides its newsworthiness. Does the story affect a few people or thousands. Does the story impact a suburb, a whole city or nation?

5. IS IT ABOUT PEOPLE?Stories of human interest make good news items. Human interest stories appeal to emotion. They aim to evoke responses such as amusement or sadness. Television news programs often place a humorous or quirky story at the end of the show to finish on a feel-good note.

6. IS IT CLOSE TO YOU?The media wants tory that appeal to their audience and that depends on where the story takes place. If there is an outbreak of flu in England, you may not pay attention because you do not live there but if there is an outbreak in your city, you will sit up and pay attention.

E: hello@publicitygenie.com | © 2014 All rights reserved | www.publicitygenie.com

NEWS IS ALL ABOUT NEWS VALUES - COMBINE TWO OR THREE OF THESE FOR A POWERFUL STORY

STORY CREATION ACTION SHEET

Using the STORY IDEAS CHEATSHEET, brainstorm five story ideas you can write a media release, a blog or another piece of content. Look at WHO WHAT WHEN WHERE HOW AND WHY.

TAKE A LOCAL STORY NATIONAL

BRAINSTORM YOUR STORY IDEAS

EDITORIAL CALENDAR TOPICS

NEWSJACKING - WHAT IS IN THE NEWS YOU CAN USE

BE THE HERO

What do you need help with and who can help you?

HOW TO ARTICLES

SUCCESS STORIES

BE THE HERO

HUMAN INTEREST