It’s World Book Day so if you’ve got a story to tell we thought we’d shared a few tips to help you on your way.
If you’re trying to get your story in the press, the key is it’s got to be newsworthy. Journalists simply won’t cover something they perceive to be a sales pitch. Your story’s got to have an angle. Will it grab attention, will readers, listeners, viewers relate to it? Will it provoke a reaction?
Look how Sir Captain Tom Moore captured the nation’s hearts – a symbol of hope for us all last year when we needed it most.
Also, think about the demographic you’re sending your story to. If you’re trying to get your boss interviewed on radio, the audience will be very different when you’re pitching to the BBC, than it will if you’re contacting a commercial station and the stories, they feature are different as a result. That means you have to craft your messages accordingly.
If you want to get something featured on TV, you have to think pictures. What filming opportunities are there for a film crew? A lecture theatre full of surgeons and doctors attending a conference won’t make for good TV. If they’re there to hear about a revolutionary new treatment that saves lives, then you could have an angle.
If with permission, you can get filming opportunities with ten-year-old Charlie whose life has been saved by treatment and an interview with his Mum, then interviewing one of the surgeons at the conference is a goer and you then have your coverage.
In business, if you’re taking on staff, building or moving new premises, launching a ground-breaking new product or you’ve won an award, pitch it your local press or trade press equivalent. Add numbers, figures and dates if you can. A story about a business moving into new purpose-built premises carries far more weight if the premises are costing £5 million.
We hope that helps you share your stories – for more tips follow us on our socials or check back here for more of our blogs.
