It's not about You

You may be tempted to pitch your latest widget as a great subject for a media interview. It's a new product that will do wonders, you think. How could it not make news?

Stop the presses. Stop thinking about the product and your company. Stop thinking about yourself.

Think, instead, about the viewers, listeners or readers you're trying to reach. What do they think? What do they need? What are they most interested in learning?

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Now, think about the newspapers, reporters and talk show hosts who reach those same individuals. How can you help them help their audience? Now, you're ready to start pitching your story.

Thinking about your potential audience or target market helps you come up with solution-oriented nuggets of wisdom that you can share; tips and how-tos or warnings that may never occur otherwise.

It's a bit like selling a new car by showing what it looks like climbing that hill or plowing through snow. You can talk about features all you want, but until you show it in action, your readers or viewers may miss the benefits.

Your object is to reach people who are interested in what you have to say. You can do that with a targeted, benefit-oriented approach to your press releases and media calls.

Think in terms of the radio station WII-FM; "What's in it for Me?"

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