It’s important to first define and clarify your PR message, then keep your message targeted and focused. You may be well versed on a number of topics, but believe me, you don’t want to pitch the media a Chinese menu.

I worked for several years as a journalist and magazine editor; whenever someone I was interviewing assure me that they could discuss everything, I generally found they had real trouble focusing on anything. Generalists tend to remain just that. You want to be a specialist. The media wants an expert. They want someone who is an authority, someone who is well-versed on a certain topic or in a particular field.

When defining your media message, be specific. Sharpen your story. You may have numerous talents, you may have several stories to tell, but don’t try to tell them all at once. You don’t want a one-note campaign, but you do have to play each note individually. If you slam all of the piano keys down at once, you don’t get music, you get noise. What you’re looking for is melody, music. You can tell your various stories, but don’t try to give them to the media all at once, tell them sequentially.

Come up with five or six different topics or hooks that you can comfortably and expertly address. Now put them in order. Prioritize them. Don’t pitch all of our stories to the media at the same time. You want to be targeted and succinct in you media pitches. Pitching several media hooks at one time will only alienate the press.

Be realistic. You’re not doing this to satisfy your ego needs, but to interest the media, in order to build your business. Don’t worry about not being able to discuss all the various topics that are near and dear to your heart. That’s not your objective. Your goal is to pitch a clear, interesting story that grabs the media’s attention.

Don’t present yourself to editors and TV producers as the master of everything. Otherwise you’ll be left alone up there in genius-land with no one to talk to. Your job is to meet the media’s needs by developing hooks, story ideas. Eventually you can broaden your scope and move the focus to other topics. Be patient. Develop your stories, outline the particulars, be specific. Keep your eye on the prize, a successful, sustained, ongoing media campaign that will build your brand, grow your business and bring you more clients and customers.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2010

Tags: business, media, media message, pr message, public relations

This entry was posted on Friday, March 5th, 2010 at 9:49 pm and is filed under Business, PR. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.