If you're in a business group or service club that's hosting someone from the media as the guest speaker, be sure you attend the event. It can be a great chance to get a few minutes of personal time with a publisher, editor, reporter or news director. But don't just show up. Try to sit next to the media guest, or at the same table. Make small talk. Exchange business cards. Explain who you are and what you do. Ask if you can make a follow-up phone call to talk about ways they can use you as a resource. See www.publicityhound.com/free_publicity/Articles/valuable_news_source.html.
If you're the program planner, think of a clever way your members can let the media person know about the products or services they sell. A breakfast I attended as a member of the Women Business Owners Network in
The editor said he was amazed that we had so many women business owners with so many interesting backgrounds.
If a media person covers your meeting, be sure you let them know about trends your group is seeing. Offer to put the reporter in touch with other sources outside your group. Ask if there are specific stories the publication is working on in which they need sources. See www.publicityhound.com/free_publicity/Articles/work_with_newspaper_photographers.html.
The editor who attended the meeting I was at told the group during the speech that he welcomed comments about his newspaper. One enterprising member did just that. She invited him to lunch to give him some one-on-one feedback. Since then, he has called on several members of our group and printed their stories and photos.
If a photographer accompanies the reporter or editor, be as helpful as possible. See www.publicityhound.com/publicity-products/marketing-tapes/morepowerfulpitchletter.html.
Six months later, invite the editor or reporter for a return engagement. It could be that by then, they need more story ideas. And since your group already has positioned itself as a valuable source, don't be surprised if you hear an enthusiastic, "Yes!"
In the interim, write a pitch letter to the editor suggesting more story ideas. See www.publicityhound.com/publicity-products/reports.html.
