Getting ink in your local media.

• Author: Hatch, Cary
• Position: Communications Q & A

Q: Even though there doesn't seem to be much "news"at out bank, the president is always asking why we aren't getting mine media coverage. Is there anything I can do to create additional positive media "buzz"?

It's always easy to spot the hard news that might attract coverage--a new president, an acquisition--but working to build media relationships that result in sustained, long-term coverage requires tenacity. The biggest challenge of proactive media relations is being proactive! The nature of banking is to focus on the problem of the moment; therefore, being proactive, even about media outreach, tends to fall to the bottom of the priority list.

Good bankers inherently know what is newsworthy, but they rarely think about how to make what's happening worthy of news coverage. Here's a quick review of the news values editors use to decide what gets coverage--and what doesn't. Timeliness: How close is it to happening right now? Significance: How important is it to readers/listeners/viewers? Proximity: How close to here is it happening? Rarity: Is this a case of man bites dog? Impact: How big is the impact, a few thousand or a few million dollars? People: How many people are affected, a few dozen or the whole community? Prominence: Is a well-known person, company or government agency involved? Visual: Will there be a compelling visual (especially important for TV)?

The key to a successful media program is to look long-term by focusing on building quality relationships with editors and journalists. Here are a few suggested steps: 1. Dedicate some time to be proactive. You can hire an agency or change someone's duties, but you can't just add "media outreach" to an existing to-do List that already is too Long; it just won't get done. 2. Read/Listen/Watch the news. Focus on the media outlets where you want to place stories. Learn the types of stories and "hooks" they like as well as which reporters are covering what types of stories. 3. Create a plan. Not a giant multiyear strategy, just a simple 90-day plan of activities focused on getting coverage. 4. Build a list of the journalists at the media outlets you want to reach. This list should include what they like to cover, what is their preferred method of contact and appropriate contact information.

Sometimes "proactive" and "long-term" just aren't an option. The following ideas...