The media holds a powerful influence on our personal and professional lives. Although we have come to rely on the media and supporting technologies to keep us informed instantaneously of world affairs, when the spotlight is turned on ourselves or our organisations it can be overwhelming. Alternatively, it can hugely benefit the profile of the company we work for and bring in new interest and business.
There are many different strains to the media and many organisations outsource their public relations to third parties. Public relations and marketing professionals employ media skills to benefit their client or employer in a bid to make the media work for them.
By that I mean they are on the lookout for opportunities to turn the spotlight onto their business, or that of their clients, focussing on unique selling points to raise the client profile and get them what is basically free advertising. This might seem like a daunting prospect to those not educated in media skills however there are fundamental principles underlying the discipline.
The most important word to highlight when discussing media skills is pro-activity. Taking a reactive approach to media handling not only creates missed opportunities but can lead to miscommunications. By applying proactive media skills you can use media coverage for your organisation's gains.
Networking with journalists is one of the essential media skills as it enables you to create interpersonal relationships. When an industry commentator is required or you have a story you feel might be of interest, it stands a better chance of being picked up because the journalist knows who you are.
Even if you have struck up particularly strong relationships with relevant journalists then you need to format your press releases in a way that appeals to an objective media contact. Media skills training and courses are an excellent resource to develop networking skills and to discover how to cater draft your press releases to increase their chances of being published.
Close relationships with journalists are important because when there is a call for some specialist consultation work in your field, you will be in the forefront of their minds. This can often occur when your particular industry is in the news generally and the media need an expert opinion on the current affairs.
Developing media skills focuses oninvolves using techniques to create opportunities to publicise the unique selling points andproducts or services of your organisation or client, or to generally raise the profile and awareness of the brand. A common misconception is that media skills are all focussed on crisis handling,. Aalthough that is certainly a part of media skills handlingtraining and the focus of crisis media handling courses, a pro active approach brings a multitude of publicity opportunities.
A full page advertisement in a national newspaper or trade publication can be an expensive investment. From close relationships with journalists and carefully constructed press releases a full page article can be achieved which contains your company name several times. This is the nest type of objective publicity as it shows your organisation as an industry authorityThis can be a great type of publicity as it is generally seen as being objective and can flag your organisation as being an authority or mover and shaker in a certain industry.
Media skills training is the most effective way to develop the basic media skills. One full page story or two minute television interview can deliver a significant return on investment and media skills can be applied to any industry. Good training companies will use people who are qualified journalists, as well as trainers, to deliver their courses, ensuring that the training is practical and relevant and contains advice straight from the horse's mouth. .
Author Resource:-
Dominic Donaldson worked for years as a news correspondent and is a leading consultant in media skills contributing regularly to a wide range of publications on the subject.
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