We may be living in a digital age but there’s still kudos attached to getting a story published in the national press. And it’s easy! All you need to do is send out a quick press release and Bob’s your uncle, right? Wrong.
To be fair, once in a blue moon if your story is truly groundbreaking and it’s a slow news day, that might just be enough. In 99% of cases it takes a lot more effort.
The hook
So, what does it take to get national coverage? First thing’s first – you live and breathe your brand so step out of your corporate bubble. It doesn’t really matter how fabulous your offer is when it comes to getting an interview with a national journalist. Ask yourself why the average Joe should care what you have to say. What’s going to make a world-weary journalist sit up and take notice? Or, in PR lingo: what’s the hook?
The most successful pitches are those that are relevant to what’s happening in the news, rather than what’s happening in your company. If we can tie your story in with the hot topic of the day and offer an expert opinion with a fresh perspective we have a higher chance of getting you in the paper or on the news.
Often we’ve been working with you for a while and have a good understanding of what could work so keep our eye on the news, primed to spot that elusive hook. If national press is one of your objectives we will have spent months, sometimes years, building relationships with journalists and positioning you as the industry experts.
Sometimes however, a client is launching something new and asks us if we can get them national coverage. Research is key here. We’ll carry out a forensic review of what’s being talked about in the media that could fit with the story and hunt for any new studies or research we could piggyback.
Once we have our story figured out we’ll research which journalists and broadcasters are covering relevant topics and likely to be receptive to our story. Then we’ll hit the phones. Timeframes are short – today’s news is tomorrow’s chip paper after all!
Pick your paper
We’ll also make sure we’re targeting the right publications and stations to reach your target audience. The old stereotypes are actually quite a good steer for this.
Are you aiming for an older audience, the so called ‘grey market’? You can’t go wrong with the Mail, and also perhaps the Mirror or the Telegraph.
Looking for a liberal, middle-class audience? The Guardian is the obvious choice. BBC News is a good shout if you’re targeting over-40s. Flogging a story about property? The Times’ Bricks and Mortar supplement on a Friday is a must. Tradespeople? The red tops are probably still a good bet. City dwellers and commuters? The Metro has a staggering daily circulation figure of over 950k.
Be careful not to be limited by these stereotypes though. Don’t be fooled into thinking that the Daily Mail’s only for pensioners, with a daily print circulation of over 683k it has a wide reach. And that’s without taking its website into consideration.
Who hasn’t had a sneaky peek at the infamous Mail Online to find out the latest celebrity gossip? You’re not alone. As of September 2024, the Mail Online recorded approximately 18.3 million unique visitors in the UK. This was topped by The Guardian’s online platform which attracted 19.6 million unique visitors in the UK, an astonishing 40% of the online population. If we’re lucky our story will make it into both the print and online editions.
Be prepared
Timing is everything when you’re dealing with the national media – the story is of interest because it’s relevant now. Journalists will want to interview your experts and any case studies you have which means your spokespeople need to be available at short notice. If your expert has just jetted off to Magaluf on a two week all-inclusive the opportunity may not still be on the table when they return.
Imagery is important too. If you’re targeting newspapers (whether print or online) rather than broadcast it’s essential to have professional photography at the ready.
It takes a lot of legwork to get a story into the national media but the thrill of leafing through a newspaper and spotting our piece in print or hearing our client on the news makes it all worthwhile.
