By Del Mixon
Your company is scaling. You’re hitting your KPIs and OKRs. Whether you just received a fresh round of funding, launched a new product feature or ramped up your recruiting efforts, you’re ready to get the word out, which means doubling down on marketing and publicity. Excited about your progress, you may ask — how can I get one of the biggest national media outlets to write about my company? However, asking such a question is the wrong place to start when introducing your brand to the media.
It’s true that your investors likely have their eyes on the Wall Street Journal or the New York Times, but don’t underestimate the importance of staying on the radar of trade-specific media and local papers.
Trade and local outlets are pivotal to creating a well-rounded media presence for your company. A study by The Knight Foundation further revealed the value in local news with 45% of Americans confirming they trust reporting by local news organizations “a great deal” or “quite a lot,” compared to 31% for national news organizations. Many local and trade publications such as the American City Business Journals have a national reach and cultivate a readership that includes employees in top management positions and those who influence purchasing decisions. As trusted news sources, they’re not a stepping stone to landing national coverage, but should be an integral part of your overall strategy.
All this to show that gaining the attention of local and trade reporters in your own backyard can be just as, if not more, pivotal to your brand as landing a mention in a top-tier publication. The goal is to align the coverage you receive with the audience you are attempting to reach, which may in fact be residents of your city or peers in your field.
This strategy isn’t a short-term one either. Simply checking the boxes of local and trade in order to move on to the papers with higher circulation isn’t how an optimized media strategy works. Local and industry-specific reporters like to know they have your attention and when you have a story angle that corresponds to a topic they cover, you’ll be glad you’ve maintained these relationships.
Local publications make the most sense as a destination for certain stories. Take for example your company’s community involvement and corporate social responsibility efforts. Sponsoring a local event or volunteering at a nonprofit is noteworthy, but if you were to pitch the news to a national outlet, it likely wouldn’t be as relevant.
Alternatively, stories that hit close to home are more likely to gain the attention of reporters in your city. By reaching out with these more local announcements, not only are you securing coverage, you are also developing a rapport with journalists that could lead to more opportunities down the road such as a lengthier feature piece or inclusion in a key roundup article.
Relationships with local reporters make all the difference during a crisis situation. In the event of a massive recall or relocation announcement that will affect employees located in your area, local news stations will likely be the first to report it. At this point, forming a relationship with your hometown press is difficult, but existing relationships with reporters and producers who know your company and its leadership adds a level of familiarity, and sometimes trust, in a crisis situation.
Trade press, publications that specialize in a certain industry or topic, is the other side of the relevancy coin. The targeted audience provides opportunities that tier-one publications’ reporting is too generalized or limited to give. For example, executives are able to contribute full-length articles for publication free of charge — an activity that may cost thousands of dollars to place in a leading national outlet.
Getting in front of a tailored audience is another benefit of trade media. Since the majority of readers are professionals in your company’s field, writing detailed excerpts and using industry-specific jargon are usually acceptable practices. If you’re a fintech company, you can establish credibility and start to build your reputation with mentions in American Banker or Payments Dive. . If you’re launching a new supply chain technology, you can elaborate on the technical details when sending the announcement to Supply & Demand Chain Executive, landing you exclusive coverage or even an interview.
Trade targets are vital as they provide both a platform to speak to your industry and assist in building relationships with reporters who may get recruited to a top-tier publication later on. At the onset, gaining credibility is the task at hand. But once you prove to be a valuable source, some reporters may come to rely on your expertise and even reach out for commentary.
Although local and trade media help set your brand’s foundation, they are not intended to be graduated from. The question of who to pitch circles back to your audience — who would benefit from reading the story you want to tell? Once you’ve identified your target readers, you’ll have insight on which reporters to contact. Regardless of who you reach out to, having pre existing connections with reporters from all three types of outlets remains paramount to your success.
Another factor to consider is how your company’s reputation is reflected in your “backyard”. In a process that’s only intensified with the internet, top tier reporters are interested to learn how a company is covered by its hometown and peers. In some cases, top tier reporters are former local and trade reporters.
As you establish your brand and executives in the press, national coverage is likely to ensue. While a media hit in a top tier publication is something to celebrate, it shouldn’t mean abandoning outreach to local and trade reporters. Regardless of their industry, companies across the world testify that a balanced approach — composed of local, trade and top tier media — yields the most benefit in the long run.
