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LingQ Academy - Tech Startup Course, How to Hack Your Way Into the Press (1)

How to Hack Your Way Into the Press (1)

Press coverage is an invaluable growth tool and, in most cases, a pretty cost-effective one too. That's why I believe that a strategy for chasing coverage should always be part of your marketing plan. But the best part is, you don't have to aim for the top, all the time. While a front page spot in the New York Times or Washington Post would be pretty freaking awesome, writers on industry sites and publications can be much more approachable and receptive to your pitches than the journos at the frontlines of traditional newsrooms.

When I was trying to get the word out about ContentMarketer.io, for instance, I wasn't always shooting for the moon. In fact, one of my key strategies was to go after mentions on industry blogs with small, but mighty, readerships. It wasn't always easy, but I definitely think it paid off. Stick with me to find out how you can replicate this strategy for yourself…

Build Your Brand and Storytelling Abilities by Telling a Great Brand Story While you're probably not going to approach the press with the tale of your success, an engaging backstory will add weight to every other story you tell. It's a key part of building your brand, too, and a brand with a great story – a brand people recognize – is more likely to gain the media recognition they deserve when they have a fresh, new story to tell. It'll also be great practice for mastering your storytelling abilities (but more on that later…). What is a brand story? Let's start by clarifying what a brand story is not: a brand story is not primarily about your company. The very best brand stories, conversely, have the customer at their center. I think Neil Patel and Ritika Puri got it spot on when in chapter three of their Beginners Guide to Online Marketing they advised brands to “think of your company as a supporting character.”

Writing a great brand story As well as centering on the customer, the best brand stories look good, and embody a style that reflects the brand's ethos. Here's one from popular UK beverage company Innocent: And another great example from Sharpie:

Some of the best of the best brand stories, however, adhere to the traditional idea of a story in only the very loosest sense. Great brand stories (and great stories, period) don't have to follow a linear format. Take a look at GoPro's story. They summarize themselves in a single sentence, “GoPro makes the world's most versatile cameras.” Below that, is a letter from Nicholas Woodman (the company's founder and CEO). The letter skips the history of GoPro entirely, and instead, delves into what makes the brand tick, and how they want their products to make you (the customer) feel.

The page also includes a 7-minute long video that begins with an interview of Nicholas. Filmed back in 2011, the interview shows Nicholas talking about the company's vision and what GoPro had achieved up to that point. The video then launches into around five minutes of GoPro footage (supposedly, their story “today”). Then it ends.

From this, it's clear that stories – brand or otherwise – don't need to have a clear beginning, middle, or end to be effective. Your brand story should reflect how you want your brand to be perceived. Don't bore people with the tale of your growth if that story isn't interesting. Focus on your customers and your brand's relationship with them. Make damn sure your brand's personality shines through. Most importantly of all:make people care.

Find a Unique and Genuinely Interesting Story A great brand story is a critical part of brand-building. And that's important because, the bigger the brand, the easier it is to gain coverage in the press. In fact, some lucky brands can gain coverage simply by hiring someone.

As much as I'd like to be in that position (and as much as I assume you'd like to be too) few of us are able to say “jump” and have the press say “how high.” The reality for most of us, is that if we want a journalist to write about our company, we have to give them something really worth writing about.

Of course, that's easier said than done. Stick with me – it's time to get your thinking caps on…. Do you have a new product or service? You're unlikely to get national coverage with this sort of story (unless you're introducing something really innovative) but industry publications are always looking to write about new additions to the market. A new product isalways worth shouting about. Are any of your products or services related to a current event? For example, there's a lot of furor surrounding the evils of sugar right now. If you had a naturally low-sugar alternative to a popular product, this would be an excellent time to promote it. Is there anything especially unusual or controversial about your product or service? A really quirky USP could be just the hook you need to get tongues wagging. Have you bucked a trend? Perhaps every firm in your industry is experiencing a seasonal dip, while you've seen an uptick. Gather Your Own Data Still stuck for a story? No problem. Extract one by performing first-hand research and gathering your own, original data.

“There seems to be nothing the media love more than figures and surveys which convey (apparently) simple messages.” (source)

I can't say how accurate the above statement is, but I do know that interesting, insightful stats can provide the basis of an excellent story. If you don't have a story to tell, start gathering data and build your own on the back of what you find. The quickest and easiest way to gather data is with a survey. You have a few options here:

You can use a tool such as SurveyMonkey or SurveyGizmo to build, and promote, your own survey. Or, you can use a tool that will find respondents for you. SurveyMonkeyactually offers this, but it's certainly not your only option. Bear in mind that buying survey responses comes at a cost – quite a large cost if you're looking for a significant number of responses (and you should be – a pool of 1,000 respondents will lend your findings far more credibility than a pool of 100 respondents). If you're working to a tight budget, there are a number of things you can do to promote your own survey: Send out an email message asking your subscribers to fill out the survey (offering an incentive – such as the chance to win a prize – or a discount will help your response rates). Promote your survey over social media. You'll probably want to allocate some budget to paid promotion (you're unlikely to get much visibility on Facebook or Twitter unless you do). However, the cost of this should still be significantly less than paying per response. Again, it's a very, very good idea to offer an incentive of sorts. And since you're not necessarily targeting your existing subscribers or customers, a prize will likely reap better results than a discount. Of course, just because you've gathered some data, that doesn't mean anyone's going to care. The subject matter needs to be interesting, and the results, ideally, should either:

Surprise, or Confirm a preconceived notion. You don't have to keep on the straight and narrow with your research, either. Think outside the box.

OKCupid set out to discover which smartphone users have the most sex(iPhone users, in case you were interested…)

While Timberland executed an “Eco-Love Survey” which discovered that more than half of us would avoid dating an “eco-sinner.”

Beyond this, you should:

Clearly define what you want to achieve. Keep the survey as short and sweet as possible. Keep the questions simple. As far as you can, use close-ended questions (i.e. questions that require a yes or no answer – this makes the survey much easier to complete). Test your survey on an audience that's played no part in its creation. Make Your Own Story Another way to whip up a great story if you don't have anything worth talking about (yet) is to start doing the sort of things that are worth talking about. You can't expect an awesome story to land in your lap, so get out of the office and begin doing things that will give you a tale worth telling. Get involved with a charity (don't just donate money – do The more unique and innovative, the better). Host an event. Share your expertise by teaching a class (either on or offline). Do something awesome for your employees. Do something awesome for your customers. A PR stunt doesn't have to cost the world, either. Here are a few examples of companies whose brands blew up after easy, affordable PR moves:

Morton's Steakhouse Remember when Morton's Steakhouse obliged a hungry consumer's request to meet them at Newark Airport with a porterhouse? They didn't do it out of the goodness of their hearts – Peter Shankman had more than 100,000 followers at the time – but it's still a seriously clever, and in the scheme of things, cost-effective stunt. Tinder Tinder's Co Founder Whitney Wolfe played an instrumental role in its success when she toured sororities and fraternities to pitch the app and drive installations. All told, her tour grew the app from 5,000 to 15,000 users.

The Icecreamists The now defunct London ice cream shop “The Icecreamists” turned heads and got people talking when they revealed they would be the first ever company to sell ice cream made from real breast milk.

The product wound up being on sale for a mere three hours after Westminster Council declared it potentially unfit for human consumption, but in the meantime, the company's unusual offering resulted in thousands of column inches and endless discussions over social media. Writing Your Story “How a story is told is more important to the audience than its topic, what it is about.” American Press Institute

Don't assume that an interesting story is enough to grab the attention of the press: how you tell your story is equally as important. A boring story told in the right way can become interesting, just like a supposedly great story told in the wrong way can suck.

Look to the example of filmmakers Ramin Bahrani and Werner Herzog, who joined forces to create a short movie that tells the tale of how a plastic bag makes it from the store, to the landfill, and eventually to the ocean (aptly titled, “Plastic Bag”). An Oscar-worthy plotline? Hardly. But the dialogue, presentation, and underlying message makes for oddly compelling viewing. The film was highly-regarded by critics and currently boasts a pretty-impressive 7.8 rating on IMDB.

So, what actually makes a great story? How can you take a relatively benign topic and turn it into something people care about and want to write about themselves? Think back to when we looked at how to tell your brand story; many of the same lessons apply here.

Focus your story on your audience

Find an angle that people will be able to relate to; that they'll be able to empathize with. Nothing is more boring than self-absorption, as expressed by people who tell stories with a focus on “me, me, me.”

In “Plastic Bag,” we're presented with a woman who receives a plastic bag while shopping, reuses it, and then discards it without thinking – something many of us do, time and again. Consequently, it's a situation that most of us can easily relate to. Play with the structure of your story

There's no hard and fast rule that says a story should follow a linear format (with a clear beginning, middle, and end). Bear in mind that your plan is to approach the press with this story. The journalists you contact aren't going to read your story in full unless something catches their eye at the start. If the most interesting element of your story is how it finishes, begin it at the end.

Weave your story around a person; not an object or an event

If, for example, you're reporting on a new product you've designed, don't just state its features and benefits – showcase them through the eyes of a protagonist. In “Plastic Bag,” the bag itself is given a voice. He tells his own story. If you haven't already, watch a minute or two of the movie and imagine how effective it would be if instead, the narrator spoke about the bag instead ofas the bag. Spoiler alert: nowhere near as effective.

Ask (and answer) the right questions

Every topic, however “boring” hides an interesting angle – you just need to ask the right questions.

Let's think about an actual plastic bag, for instance. On the surface, is this an interesting topic? Not to most people, no.

How to Hack Your Way Into the Press (1) Wie man sich in die Presse hackt (1) Cómo hackear tu camino hacia la prensa (1) Comment s'introduire dans la presse (1) 報道機関への道を切り開く方法(1) Kaip įsilaužti į spaudą (1) Je weg naar de pers hacken (1) Jak włamać się do prasy (1) Como entrar na imprensa (1) Как пробить себе дорогу в прессу (1) Hur du hackar dig in i pressen (1) 如何破解你的方式进入媒体(1) 如何侵入媒体 (1) 如何侵入媒體 (1)

Press coverage is an invaluable growth tool and, in most cases, a pretty cost-effective one too. 報道は非常に貴重な成長ツールであり、ほとんどの場合、かなり費用対効果の高いツールでもあります。 新闻报道是一种无价的增长工具,而且在大多数情况下,也是一种非常划算的工具。 That's why I believe that a strategy for chasing coverage should always be part of your marketing plan. だからこそ、カバレッジを追いかけるための戦略は常にあなたのマーケティング計画の一部であるべきだと私は信じています。 这就是为什么我认为追求覆盖率的策略应该始终是您营销计划的一部分。 But the best part is, you don't have to aim for the top, all the time. しかし、最良の部分は、常にトップを目指す必要がないことです。 但最好的部分是,您不必一直以最高为目标。 While a front page spot in the New York Times or Washington Post would be pretty freaking awesome, writers on industry sites and publications can be much more approachable and receptive to your pitches than the journos at the frontlines of traditional newsrooms. New YorkTimesやWashingtonPostのフロントページのスポットはかなりおかしくなりますが、業界のサイトや出版物のライターは、従来のニュースルームの最前線にあるジャーノよりもはるかに親しみやすく、ピッチを受け入れることができます。 虽然纽约时报或华盛顿邮报的头版位置会非常棒,但行业网站和出版物上的作家比传统新闻编辑室前线的记者更容易接近和接受你的推介。

When I was trying to get the word out about ContentMarketer.io, for instance, I wasn't always shooting for the moon. たとえば、ContentMarketer.ioについて情報を広めようとしていたとき、私はいつも月を狙っていたわけではありませんでした。 例如,当我试图宣传 ContentMarketer.io 时,我并不总是满怀希望。 In fact, one of my key strategies was to go after mentions on industry blogs with small, but mighty, readerships. In fact, one of my key strategies was to go after mentions on industry blogs with small, but mighty, readerships. 実際、私の重要な戦略の1つは、業界のブログで、小さいながらも強力な読者層で言及された後を追うことでした。 事实上,我的主要策略之一是在行业博客上关注读者群虽少但规模巨大的文章。 It wasn't always easy, but I definitely think it paid off. 必ずしも簡単なことではありませんでしたが、確かに成果を上げたと思います。 这并不总是那么容易,但我绝对认为它得到了回报。 Stick with me to find out how you can replicate this strategy for yourself… この戦略を自分で再現する方法を見つけるために私に固執してください… 跟着我找出你如何为自己复制这个策略......

Build Your Brand and Storytelling Abilities by Telling a Great Brand Story While you're probably not going to approach the press with the tale of your success, an engaging backstory will add weight to every other story you tell. 優れたブランドストーリーを伝えることでブランドとストーリーテリングの能力を構築する成功の物語でマスコミにアプローチすることはおそらくないでしょうが、魅力的なバックストーリーは、あなたが話す他のすべてのストーリーに重みを加えます。 通过讲述一个伟大的品牌故事来建立您的品牌和讲故事的能力 虽然您可能不会向媒体讲述您的成功故事,但引人入胜的背景故事将为您讲述的所有其他故事增添分量。 It's a key part of building your brand, too, and a brand with a great story – a brand people recognize – is more likely to gain the media recognition they deserve when they have a fresh, new story to tell. それはあなたのブランドを構築する上でも重要な部分であり、素晴らしいストーリーを持つブランド、つまり人々が認めるブランドは、新鮮で新しいストーリーを語るときに、メディアに認められる可能性が高くなります。 这也是打造品牌的关键部分,拥有精彩故事的品牌(人们认可的品牌)在讲述新鲜的故事时更有可能获得他们应得的媒体认可。 It'll also be great practice for mastering your storytelling abilities (but more on that later…). ストーリーテリングの能力を習得するための優れた練習にもなります(ただし、それについては後で詳しく説明します…)。 这也是掌握讲故事能力的好方法(但稍后会详细介绍……)。 What is a brand story? ブランドストーリーとは何ですか? 什么是品牌故事? Let's start by clarifying what a brand story is not: a brand story is not primarily about your company. ブランドストーリーが何でないかを明確にすることから始めましょう。ブランドストーリーは主にあなたの会社に関するものではありません。 让我们首先澄清什么不是品牌故事:品牌故事主要不是关于您的公司。 The very best brand stories, conversely, have the customer at their center. 逆に、最高のブランドストーリーは、顧客を中心に据えています。 相反,最好的品牌故事以客户为中心。 I think Neil Patel and Ritika Puri got it spot on when in chapter three of their Beginners Guide to Online Marketing they advised brands to “think of your company as a supporting character.” 我认为 Neil Patel 和 Ritika Puri 在他们的在线营销初学者指南第三章中建议品牌“将您的公司视为配角”时就明白了这一点。

Writing a great brand story As well as centering on the customer, the best brand stories look good, and embody a style that reflects the brand's ethos. 写一个伟大的品牌故事除了以客户为中心,最好的品牌故事看起来不错,体现了反映品牌精神的风格。 Here's one from popular UK beverage company Innocent: 这是来自英国知名饮料公司 Innocent 的一款产品: And another great example from Sharpie: Sharpie 的另一个很好的例子:

Some of the best of the best brand stories, however, adhere to the traditional idea of a story in only the very loosest sense. 然而,一些最好的品牌故事中最好的品牌故事只是在最松散的意义上坚持传统的故事理念。 Great brand stories (and great stories, period) don't have to follow a linear format. 伟大的品牌故事(以及伟大的故事,时期)不必遵循线性格式。 Take a look at GoPro's story. 看看 GoPro 的故事。 They summarize themselves in a single sentence, “GoPro makes the world's most versatile cameras.” 他们用一句话总结自己:“GoPro 制造了世界上最通用的相机。” Below that, is a letter from Nicholas Woodman (the company's founder and CEO). 下面是尼古拉斯·伍德曼(公司创始人兼首席执行官)的一封信。 The letter skips the history of GoPro entirely, and instead, delves into what makes the brand tick, and how they want their products to make you (the customer) feel. 这封信完全跳过了 GoPro 的历史,而是深入探讨了品牌的魅力所在,以及他们希望自己的产品如何让您(客户)感受到。

The page also includes a 7-minute long video that begins with an interview of Nicholas. 该页面还包括一个 7 分钟长的视频,该视频以对尼古拉斯的采访开始。 Filmed back in 2011, the interview shows Nicholas talking about the company's vision and what GoPro had achieved up to that point. 拍摄于 2011 年,采访中尼古拉斯谈到了公司的愿景以及 GoPro 迄今为止取得的成就。 The video then launches into around five minutes of GoPro footage (supposedly, their story “today”). 然后视频开始播放大约五分钟的 GoPro 镜头(据说是他们“今天”的故事)。 Then it ends. 然后结束。

From this, it's clear that stories – brand or otherwise – don't need to have a clear beginning, middle, or end to be effective. 由此可见,故事——品牌或其他——不需要有清晰的开头、中间或结尾才能有效。 Your brand story should reflect how you want your brand to be perceived. 您的品牌故事应该反映您希望品牌如何被感知。 Don't bore people with the tale of your growth if that story isn't interesting. その話が面白くなければ、あなたの成長の話で人々を退屈させないでください. Focus on your customers and your brand's relationship with them. 关注您的客户以及您的品牌与他们的关系。 Make damn sure your brand's personality shines through. あなたのブランドの個性が輝いていることを確認してください。 该死的确保你的品牌个性闪耀。 Most importantly of all:make people care. 最も重要なことは、人々を気遣うことです。 最重要的是:让人们关心。

Find a Unique and Genuinely Interesting Story A great brand story is a critical part of brand-building. 寻找一个独特且真正有趣的故事 一个伟大的品牌故事是品牌建设的关键部分。 And that's important because, the bigger the brand, the easier it is to gain coverage in the press. 这一点很重要,因为品牌越大,就越容易获得媒体报道。 In fact, some lucky brands can gain coverage simply by hiring someone. 事实上,一些幸运的品牌只需雇人就能获得报道。

As much as I'd like to be in that position (and as much as I assume you'd like to be too) few of us are able to say “jump” and have the press say “how high.” 尽管我很想处于那个位置(并且我假设你也很想处于那个位置),但我们中很少有人能够说“跳”并让媒体说“多高”。 The reality for most of us, is that if we want a journalist to write about our company, we have to give them something really worth writing about. 对于我们大多数人来说,现实情况是,如果我们想让记者报道我们的公司,我们必须给他们一些真正值得报道的东西。

Of course, that's easier said than done. 当然,说起来容易做起来难。 Stick with me – it's time to get your thinking caps on…. 私に固執してください-あなたの思考の上限を設定する時が来ました…。 坚持我——是时候让你的思维上限了……。 Do you have a new product or service? 您有新产品或服务吗? You're unlikely to get national coverage with this sort of story (unless you're introducing something really innovative) but industry publications are always looking to write about new additions to the market. この種の記事で全国的に報道される可能性は低いですが (本当に革新的なものを紹介する場合を除きます)、業界の出版物は常に市場への新しい追加について記事を書こうとしています. 您不太可能通过此类故事获得全国报道(除非您介绍的是真正具有创新性的东西),但行业出版物总是希望撰写有关市场新产品的文章。 A new product isalways worth shouting about. 新产品总是值得大喊大叫。 Are any of your products or services related to a current event? 您的任何产品或服务是否与时事有关? For example, there's a lot of furor surrounding the evils of sugar right now. たとえば、現在、砂糖の弊害をめぐって多くの騒ぎが起きています。 例如,现在围绕着糖的危害有很多愤怒。 If you had a naturally low-sugar alternative to a popular product, this would be an excellent time to promote it. 如果您有天然的低糖替代品来替代受欢迎的产品,这将是推广它的绝佳时机。 Is there anything especially unusual or controversial about your product or service? 您的产品或服务有什么特别不寻常或有争议的地方吗? A really quirky USP could be just the hook you need to get tongues wagging. 非常に風変わりな USP は、舌を振るために必要なフックにすぎない可能性があります。 一个非常古怪的 USP 可能只是让您大开眼界所需的钩子。 Have you bucked a trend? 你逆潮流而动了吗? Perhaps every firm in your industry is experiencing a seasonal dip, while you've seen an uptick. 也许您所在行业的每家公司都在经历季节性下降,而您却看到了上升趋势。 Gather Your Own Data Still stuck for a story? 收集您自己的数据 还在为故事所困? No problem. Extract one by performing first-hand research and gathering your own, original data. Извлеките один из них, проведя исследование из первых рук и собрав собственные оригинальные данные. 通过进行第一手研究并收集您自己的原始数据来提取一个。

“There seems to be nothing the media love more than figures and surveys which convey (apparently) simple messages.” (source) 「(明らかに)単純なメッセージを伝える数字や調査ほど、メディアが好むものはないようだ」 (ソース) “似乎没有什么比传达(显然)简单信息的数据和调查更受媒体喜爱了。” (来源)

I can't say how accurate the above statement is, but I do know that interesting, insightful stats can provide the basis of an excellent story. 我不能说上面的说法有多准确,但我知道有趣、有见地的统计数据可以为一个优秀的故事提供基础。 If you don't have a story to tell, start gathering data and build your own on the back of what you find. 如果您没有故事可讲,请开始收集数据并在您发现的内容的基础上构建您自己的故事。 The quickest and easiest way to gather data is with a survey. 收集数据最快、最简单的方法是进行调查。 You have a few options here:

You can use a tool such as SurveyMonkey or SurveyGizmo to build, and promote, your own survey. 您可以使用 SurveyMonkey 或 SurveyGizmo 等工具来构建和推广您自己的调查。 Or, you can use a tool that will find respondents for you. SurveyMonkeyactually offers this, but it's certainly not your only option. Bear in mind that buying survey responses comes at a cost – quite a large cost if you're looking for a significant number of responses (and you should be – a pool of 1,000 respondents will lend your findings far more credibility than a pool of 100 respondents). アンケートの回答を購入するには費用がかかることに注意してください。かなりの数の回答を探している場合は、かなりの費用がかかります (そうすべきです。1,000 人の回答者のプールは、100 人のプールよりもはるかに信頼性の高い調査結果を提供します)。回答者)。 请记住,购买调查回复是有代价的——如果你正在寻找大量的回复,这是相当大的成本(你应该这样做——1000 名受访者比 100 名受访者更能使你的调查结果可信受访者)。 If you're working to a tight budget, there are a number of things you can do to promote your own survey: 如果您的预算紧张,您可以采取多种措施来宣传您自己的调查: Send out an email message asking your subscribers to fill out the survey (offering an incentive – such as the chance to win a prize – or a discount will help your response rates). 发送一封电子邮件,要求您的订阅者填写调查(提供奖励——例如赢得奖品的机会——或折扣将有助于提高您的回复率)。 Promote your survey over social media. 通过社交媒体宣传您的调查。 You'll probably want to allocate some budget to paid promotion (you're unlikely to get much visibility on Facebook or Twitter unless you do). 您可能希望为付费促销分配一些预算(除非您这样做,否则您不太可能在 Facebook 或 Twitter 上获得太多知名度)。 However, the cost of this should still be significantly less than paying per response. 但是,这样做的成本应该仍然比按响应付费要低得多。 Again, it's a very, very good idea to offer an incentive of sorts. 同样,提供某种激励是一个非常非常好的主意。 And since you're not necessarily targeting your existing subscribers or customers, a prize will likely reap better results than a discount. 而且由于您不一定针对现有订阅者或客户,因此奖品可能会比折扣获得更好的结果。 Of course, just because you've gathered some data, that doesn't mean anyone's going to care. 当然,仅仅因为您收集了一些数据,并不意味着任何人都会关心。 The subject matter needs to be interesting, and the results, ideally, should either: 主题需要有趣,理想情况下,结果应该:

Surprise, or Confirm a preconceived notion. 惊喜,或证实一个先入为主的观念。 You don't have to keep on the straight and narrow with your research, either. 您也不必在研究中保持直线和狭窄。 Think outside the box. 创造性思考。

OKCupid set out to discover which smartphone users have the most sex(iPhone users, in case you were interested…) OKCupid 着手发现哪些智能手机用户的性行为最多(iPhone 用户,如果您有兴趣……)

While Timberland executed an “Eco-Love Survey” which discovered that more than half of us would avoid dating an “eco-sinner.” Timberland 进行了一项“生态爱情调查”,发现我们中超过一半的人会避免与“生态罪人”约会。

Beyond this, you should:

Clearly define what you want to achieve. Keep the survey as short and sweet as possible. Keep the questions simple. As far as you can, use close-ended questions (i.e. questions that require a yes or no answer – this makes the survey much easier to complete). Test your survey on an audience that's played no part in its creation. Протестируйте свой опрос на аудитории, которая не участвовала в его создании. Make Your Own Story Another way to whip up a great story if you don't have anything worth talking about (yet) is to start doing the sort of things that are worth talking about. You can't expect an awesome story to land in your lap, so get out of the office and begin doing things that will give you a tale worth telling. Get involved with a charity (don't just donate money – do The more unique and innovative, the better). Host an event. Share your expertise by teaching a class (either on or offline). Do something awesome for your employees. Do something awesome for your customers. A PR stunt doesn't have to cost the world, either. PR-ход также не должен стоить миру. Here are a few examples of companies whose brands blew up after easy, affordable PR moves:

Morton's Steakhouse Remember when Morton's Steakhouse obliged a hungry consumer's request to meet them at Newark Airport with a porterhouse? They didn't do it out of the goodness of their hearts – Peter Shankman had more than 100,000 followers at the time – but it's still a seriously clever, and in the scheme of things, cost-effective stunt. Они сделали это не по доброте душевной — у Питера Шенкмана в то время было более 100 000 подписчиков, — но это все равно очень умный и, по сути, рентабельный трюк. Tinder Tinder's Co Founder Whitney Wolfe played an instrumental role in its success when she toured sororities and fraternities to pitch the app and drive installations. All told, her tour grew the app from 5,000 to 15,000 users.

The Icecreamists The now defunct London ice cream shop “The Icecreamists” turned heads and got people talking when they revealed they would be the first ever company to sell ice cream made from real breast milk.

The product wound up being on sale for a mere three hours after Westminster Council declared it potentially unfit for human consumption, but in the meantime, the company's unusual offering resulted in thousands of column inches and endless discussions over social media. Writing Your Story “How a story is told is more important to the audience than its topic, what it is about.” American Press Institute

Don't assume that an interesting story is enough to grab the attention of the press: how you tell your story is equally as important. A boring story told in the right way can become interesting, just like a supposedly great story told in the wrong way can suck.

Look to the example of filmmakers Ramin Bahrani and Werner Herzog, who joined forces to create a short movie that tells the tale of how a plastic bag makes it from the store, to the landfill, and eventually to the ocean (aptly titled, “Plastic Bag”). An Oscar-worthy plotline? Hardly. But the dialogue, presentation, and underlying message makes for oddly compelling viewing. The film was highly-regarded by critics and currently boasts a pretty-impressive 7.8 rating on IMDB.

So, what actually makes a great story? How can you take a relatively benign topic and turn it into something people care about and want to write about themselves? Как вы можете взять относительно безобидную тему и превратить ее в то, что людям небезразлично и что они хотят написать о себе? Think back to when we looked at how to tell your brand story; many of the same lessons apply here.

Focus your story on your audience

Find an angle that people will be able to relate to; that they'll be able to empathize with. Nothing is more boring than self-absorption, as expressed by people who tell stories with a focus on “me, me, me.”

In “Plastic Bag,” we're presented with a woman who receives a plastic bag while shopping, reuses it, and then discards it without thinking – something many of us do, time and again. Consequently, it's a situation that most of us can easily relate to. Play with the structure of your story

There's no hard and fast rule that says a story should follow a linear format (with a clear beginning, middle, and end). Bear in mind that your plan is to approach the press with this story. The journalists you contact aren't going to read your story in full unless something catches their eye at the start. If the most interesting element of your story is how it finishes, begin it at the end. Если самым интересным элементом вашей истории является то, как она заканчивается, начните ее с конца.

Weave your story around a person; not an object or an event

If, for example, you're reporting on a new product you've designed, don't just state its features and benefits – showcase them through the eyes of a protagonist. In “Plastic Bag,” the bag itself is given a voice. He tells his own story. If you haven't already, watch a minute or two of the movie and imagine how effective it would be if instead, the narrator spoke about the bag instead ofas the bag. Если вы еще этого не сделали, посмотрите фильм на минуту или две и представьте, насколько эффективным он был бы, если бы вместо этого рассказчик говорил о сумке, а не как о сумке. Spoiler alert: nowhere near as effective. Спойлер: далеко не так эффективно.

Ask (and answer) the right questions

Every topic, however “boring” hides an interesting angle – you just need to ask the right questions.

Let's think about an actual plastic bag, for instance. On the surface, is this an interesting topic? Not to most people, no.