Exposure

Felicity Cowie is a media relations coach who has helped some of the world’s leading organisations gain extensive news coverage. Having been pitched at least 100,000 story ideas as a journalist she has an insider’s view on what breaks through and why. Her mission is to get early-stage businesses media-ready.

...a brilliant ‘how to’ guide for startup founders that want to establish strong media relations to help grow their businesses. It’s engaging, highly readable, and full of practical, actionable advice. I have begun to recommend it to all businesses to which I’m an advisor!

• TABLE OF CONTENTSForeword by Eileen BurbidgeIntroduction‘Why wasn’t that us?’What is media relations?How can media relations help YOUR business?Chapter 1 You need scrutiny, not ANOTHER strategyMedia relations starts in the guts of your business.Can you articulate what you do in 50 words?What are your key business objectives – are there holes and conflicts and how to use holding statements and key lines to takeWhere’s the proof – case studiesWhat Journalists Think When You Pitch (A-F)Chapter 2 Demystified: How you get media coverage, end to endJournalism is not a dark art. It’s a long-established and hierarchical industry with strict rules and non-negotiable deadlines.The main rules which journalists are bound by: TimeThe main rules which journalists are bound by: TeamworkA timeline of how the pitching process all worksWhat Journalists Think When You Pitch (G-K)Chapter 3 Business first, story secondNever fall in love with your story over your business.Matching your core business objectives to storiesTiming is everything: When do YOU want this coverage (and why)?Finding the right journalistsWhat Journalists Think When You Pitch (L-P)Chapter 4 Tomorrow’s chip paper or the feeding frenzySuccess! You get your coverage. But this immediately leads to two new challenges. Your coverage is over before it starts, or it accelerates. And you need to plan for both before you start out.Amplifying all media coveragePlanning for and coping with intense media interest: For the business ownerPlanning for and coping with intense media interest: For the business and its wider relationshipsWhat Journalists Think When You Pitch (Q-U)Chapter 5 Implementing infallible processesMost businesses don’t know where to put media relations.Embedding tried and tested toolsBriefing to recruit the right skills – in houseBriefing to recruit the right skills – agencyWhat Journalists Think When You Pitch (V-Z)Media Relations ToolkitHow to write a press release with the only template you will ever needHow to find the right journalists cheat sheetHow to pitch your story to any journalist in 7 steps (with script)Critical housekeeping to avoid knowledge loss and reinventing the wheel/How to store media contacts and coverageHow to create a job description/invitation to tender/request for proposal to get the right skillsMethod to describe your business concisely using a 50 Mighty Words quadrant to check/keep everybody is on the same page through opportunities and risksKey termsAcknowledgements