By Lizl Naude, founder of Lilly Loompa
The media sometimes comes across as a scary monster. Being a visual thinker, I always imagined it to be a big creature sitting behind a desk chewing papers. To sum it up in one word…it seemed intimidating. As of late and out of my personal experience as an entrepreneur, I can safely say…the media is and can be a friendly giant.
The perception exists that the news and media only focus on the bad and scandalous bits of the day, however, they also want to feature good news. If you have a newsworthy article or product, they want to hear from you. Maybe you are not visible enough!
I want to share a few tips from my experience as an entrepreneur approaching the media over the last few years:
1. Make a list of the media platforms you would like to be featured on – tv, print, blogs, newspapers, etc. Study them and see what kind of content they feature.
2. Do an e-introduction. Start by sending a short email, introducing yourself and your business. Follow this up with a telephone call. Find an angle to introduce your product or service to them. Maybe quote an excerpt from an article and use that as an entry point to the discussion.
3. Cultivate the relationship. Be honest and friendly. Do not exploit their position by submitting content that is offensive or of no value. Always submit content that would add value to their subscribers and readers.
4. Ask what they want and need. The media industry work according to planned schedules and you can use this to your advantage. They have themes for each print and if they are willing, ask them for a list of their themes for the year so you can be better prepared when launching a new product.
5. Supply them with high res images of your product and good copy. Would you believe me if I told you the pic below was taken on my bed with a smart phone? With a little light and imagination (and some editing), I managed to take a product picture that I could send to a magazine and they featured it! If you can, pay a photographer to take good quality pictures. Good pictures will assist you in getting new customers and following!
6. It helps when your product has a great back story i.e. of creating employment, rags-to-riches, etc. As a Social Entrepreneur, the story of my life and business is all about restoring both products and people. So, tell your story and how you are impacting the world in a positive way. People want to know the person behind the product.
7. Focus on the human element. If your business has a strong social message, proclaim it! Use your voice to raise relevant issues of the day. For example, I have decided to use my designs and products to raise awareness regarding my opinions. Instead of venting about it on social media, I now let my products talk for me, in a more constructive manner.
8. If at first, you don't succeed, try again. Listen to their advice and criticism. Ask them to give you advice on how to improve your submission for the next time.
9. Be visible on social media. Much of my media coverage has come because I am consistently visible on social media, my blog and other on-line platforms. Possible investors and journalists are always on the look-out for potential and if you’re active on the web…they will find you! Be sure to have a consistent message throughout. Also, consider what you say! It can either benefit you or be to your detriment!
As business owners we wear many hats, and whether we like it or not, being our own public relations people is one of them. Building healthy relationships with editors of newspapers and magazines is crucial, especially more so when you have a physical product to present to the market. The same applies for on-line news platforms and radio.
Get over your fear, and start by contacting them today!
Lizl Naude is the founder of Lilly Loompa in South Africa, a company that creates beautiful and usable furniture pieces made with recycled material. Lilly Loompa's “Rubbish Range” is the result of Lizl's craving to deliver pieces that are completely "green". Lizl is a self taught designer and started designing and making furniture because she couldn’t afford to buy new pieces to furnish her home. She started to scout and source for budget material and quickly realised that most people discard of very usable materials. This led to her building and designing beautiful furniture items that she used in her home.
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