There are at least seven good reasons your firm will want to sell its story to the news media. Note that we said "sell" instead of "tell" — because unless your story has broad implications for the general public —for example, matters of health, welfare, safety, etc. — the media will have to be sold on another platform.

Based on four decades of experience helping more than 200 companies develop marketing, PR and media relations programs, we have found the following as the basic reasons companies wish attention in the news media.

• Gain greater awareness of the firm and its capabilities among target audiences — general public, financial community, potential customers or clients, etc.
• Introduce a new product or service.
• Make the company known as an authority in a special sector.
• Support marketing goals.
• Announce new top management.
• Position the company as a good corporate citizen.
• Cope with a crisis caused by a disaster, strike or related development.

To be favorably reported in the news media — especially if your company or organization isn't publicly held or a major non-profit — the first requirement will be credibility. The media is going to want to know some basic facts about the company and its CEO and/or board of directors. Thus, the first step requires a well written and concise Fact Sheet, which includes names of senior management and directors; nature of business, corporate history and philosophy.

If the company's spokesperson or outside public relations representative is favorably known to the media, that's a major advantage in getting a hearing.

1. Capitalize on new company developments via news releases on new management, new products, new contracts, new expansion — stressing what they mean to the community as well as the company: new jobs to a depressed area, tax revenues to the city, environmental impacts, etc.
2. Conduct surveys on timely subjects related to the company's industry, being certain to include questions of interest to business leaders, thereby increasing the possibility it will then interest the business media.
3. Develop feature articles which have human interest value or focus on socioeconomic issues that the company is addressing.
4. Get known as a media resource so that when reporters are doing trend stories, they will contact your company — a technique that requires winning the confidence of the media early on.
5. Write Op-Ed pieces for the editorial page or reasoned letters to the editor linked to public policy, pending legislation and other issues that will affect the public and/or the city or state economy.
6. Write by-lined articles for respected trade journals; then abstract them for use in business sections of print and broadcast media.
7. Arrange for company senior management to address public or major industry forums to report on how it is contributing to the surrounding community and/or addressing broader social issues — homeless, education, healthcare, under-privileged children, etc. — making certain to include statistical or anecdotal material which will interest the news media.
8. Create innovative special events that mark an organizational milestone or help to dramatically introduce a new product or service; also organize seminars comprised of respected panelists — not just your own people — who will appeal to news media.
9. Develop story suggestions to interest reporters, broadcasters and online media on new and unusual ways the company's products or services are being utilized or marketed.
10. Create company websites or blogs which serve to enhance the image of your company as an authority in the field in which it specializes by providing significant overall industry information as well as data on the company, per se.