Henry Stimpson’s PR and Marketing Tips
Winter 2007

How to Get PR Always and Forever

Give journalists a fresh story idea every month. Story ideas are brief nuggets that pinpoint a key trend or issue. Make them timely and succinct. Never let a whiff of self-promotion creep in. Email story ideas to a well-tended list.

Monitor the media continually. Reporters are always looking for stories and sources. To find out what they’re after, stay in personal contact with reporters and editors, monitor editorial calendars, and subscribe to a service like ProfNet.

Jump on breaking news. If there’s a big story in the news media in your field, immediately let the media know that you or another person in your firm can give timely, expert commentary.

Write articles. Most trade and business magazines want well-written articles from experts in their industry. No, they won’t pay you—but you’ll get something more valuable: widespread exposure and credibility as a thought leader. No time to write? A professional writer can interview you and shape your thoughts into a sparkling article.

Find the human angle. Look for extraordinary community service and personal accomplishments. For instance, The Boston Globe ran a feature article about a lawyer who recently passed the bar after going to night school 14 years to win her undergrad and law degrees.

Piggyback off client successes. If you’ve helped a client achieve something good, you have a great opportunity for news coverage. Case histories and client success stories make compelling copy, and the reprints are good as gold for marketing and sales.

Keep digging for ideas and experts. Look for trends, controversies that you can take to the media. Dig within your organization to find experts and authors you haven’t used before. The media never stop. You shouldn’t either.



copyright Stimpson Communications

Henry@StimpsonCommunications.com
508-647-0705


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