Publicity That Lures In Reporters Like Insects To A Venus Fly Trap

Publicity That Lures In Reporters Like Insects To A Venus Fly Trap
Example:

“Hello, my name is Patrick Garmoe, and I’ve brought to market a skin cream from a recipe my grandmother in Poland used to heal a variety of rashes. People who use it see results without the side effects that plague other kinds of skin creams. It recently was put on four store shelves locally in Duluth Minnesota. I know a dermatologist at a local hospital who advises her patients to buy this over-the-counter cream instead of many more expensive prescription creams, and would be happy to speak with you to verify my account.”

Nearly every local reporter would definitely put that in a “to do” pile, without a doubt.
Why? Let’s dissect it:

• Good opening sentence.

In journalism parlance, it’s called “the lead.” A journalist works hard to make the first sentence interesting. They know that if they don’t grab the reader immediately, they won’t.
It’s nice if the sentence sounds like poetry, but more importantly, it needs to have substance. If it sounds like a sales pitch, it’s getting trashed

“Hello, my name is Patrick Garmoe, and I’ve brought to market a skin cream from a recipe my grandmother in Poland used to heal a variety of rashes.”

• At this point, the reporter has heard what he or she views as a potential heart-warming angle for a story about a local entrepreneur who brought to market an ancient family recipe.

“People who use it are healed of skin problems, without the side effects of other kinds of skin creams.”

• This makes the reporter see why it’s worth writing about, versus the 10 other new skin creams on the market.

“It recently was put on four store shelves locally in Duluth, Minnesota.”

• This sentence contains two big hooks for the reporter.

The entrepreneur already explained why the skin cream isn’t just like other skin creams. But the story is also unique, because the entrepreneur not only lives in the area the newspaper circulates in, but the product is being sold locally, and it was recently added to some local stores.
If the entrepreneur was pitching this product to a paper or television station in New York, while living in Arizona, it would be a non-starter. Your best potential audience in traditional media is always news outlets in close proximity to you. If the product wasn’t sold locally, it still might be a story because the entrepreneur lived in the area, but having the dual benefits just makes the story more likely to be covered.
By now, most people would say, “miracle cure” yeah right! And so is the reporter.

• So the entrepreneur addresses this skepticism immediately.

“I know a dermatologist at a local hospital who advises her patients to buy this over-the-counter cream…”
Again, there’s a local connection to the story. But more importantly, there’s an expert who can vouch for the quality of the product. It’s not just the entrepreneur. She had a testimonial from a doctor, which is critical for credibility.

• But here’s the important follow up, regarding precisely how the expert can help stomp out a reporter’s skepticism.

“… and would be happy to speak with you to verify my account.”
This is the clincher. Not only is a doctor available who the reporter can speak with, but the reporter was told the doctor is ready and willing to speak.

Make Running the Story You’re Pitching As Easy As Possible for the Reporter

Ideally, the pitch would say “we have three happy customers in Duluth ready to speak with you as well,” so the reporter doesn’t have to waste time finding someone who’s purchased the product.
This makes me as a reporter practically giddy. Had this entrepreneur not mentioned the doctor, or not mentioned that she’d be willing to be interviewed, I as a reporter would wonder if the product was a scam, or would be calculating the amount of time it would take to find another doctor. If the entrepreneur couldn’t produce a credible source like the doctor, there’s a 75 percent chance the reporter would drop the story, purely because he or she would have no practical way to explain to viewers or readers why this product probably isn’t a scam.
Would it be possible to independently test it in a lab perhaps? Sure. But when you’re dealing with reporters, keep in mind that it’s a sales process. The more hoops the reporter must jump through in order to make your story printable and defensible, the more unlikely it is not to get printed or on the air.