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Article in Local Newspaper about my client

by sodomojo
13 replies
I am working with some local newspapers in a small town to get an article about my client.

Has anybody done this before? If so, what kind of article was it? Obviously I don't want it to sound too self promotional, but of course, I want to bring awareness to the company and drive traffic to their site.

Anybody done this before? If so, what strategy did you use for the article? What angle did you take?
#article #client #local #newspaper
  • Profile picture of the author justmerob
    Our local paper has a PR person listed on their website to contact with "community events, happenings, or local stories". I have contacted them about different things for a few companies and have gotten write ups ranging from holiday shopping ideas, a new service offered locally, etc.

    Basically you just write up a press release and send the correct contact that or I had luck just emailing and saying "Hey I might have a good local story for you" (ok, a little more than that but you get the idea).

    Many papers will take on local stories on slow news days to fill in the space.

    Good luck to you!
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    • Profile picture of the author sodomojo
      Originally Posted by justmerob View Post

      Our local paper has a PR person listed on their website to contact with "community events, happenings, or local stories". I have contacted them about different things for a few companies and have gotten write ups ranging from holiday shopping ideas, a new service offered locally, etc.

      Basically you just write up a press release and send the correct contact that or I had luck just emailing and saying "Hey I might have a good local story for you" (ok, a little more than that but you get the idea).

      Many papers will take on local stories on slow news days to fill in the space.

      Good luck to you!
      Yeah, that's what I was thinking, but the paper wants to know what the article would be about and what direction we would be taking it.
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      • Profile picture of the author justmerob
        Originally Posted by Tydowns View Post

        Yeah, that's what I was thinking, but the paper wants to know what the article would be about and what direction we would be taking it.
        Of course they want that info. So make a reason for it. Create a buzz for them, do something different that no one else does, or find what they do great and make as the other poster here said, a helpful, informative article and don't just promote the business your helping, but leverage them into the article. Maybe just a mention of them somewhere but the main point is info for the consumer.

        Hi mister paper editor person,

        My name is XYZAwesomeness and I have a story that may be of interest to you and your readers....Here is what it's about: ......
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        • Profile picture of the author Paul Bottoms
          Well, as a former reporter, I've seen countless press releases and other pitches. Most of them are worthless with little apparent thought done before writing them.

          You don't say what the business is so it's hard to give specific ideas. Let's say your client just opened one of those businesses that takes care of Ebay orders.

          The average release would probably announce a new store had opened, a few quotes from the owner, etc. Who cares.

          Much better would be to send a press release with a headline: "How people are getting ripped off in Ebay deals." Then you quote your guy, how they're ripped off, what they can do to avoid it. That is much more interesting and might have a shot at getting some coverage.

          Basically the same thing where you write copy and feature the benefits, what it does for the consumer, rather than the features. In this case, the benefit is what the gatekeeper, that is the editor, and the reader are going to be interested in. That usually isn't a grand opening story.

          What are some national issues you could tie into? A guy who runs a computer shop talking about the type of viruses his customers get. A bar having a drink special isn't going to get coverage. But a bar holding a Lady GaGa look alike contest might.

          Manufacture an event. Do a poll. Present some useful information. Then they're going to need some useful quotes. And those will come from your guy.
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          • Profile picture of the author sodomojo
            Originally Posted by Paul Bottoms View Post

            Well, as a former reporter, I've seen countless press releases and other pitches. Most of them are worthless with little apparent thought done before writing them.

            You don't say what the business is so it's hard to give specific ideas. Let's say your client just opened one of those businesses that takes care of Ebay orders.

            The average release would probably announce a new store had opened, a few quotes from the owner, etc. Who cares.

            Much better would be to send a press release with a headline: "How people are getting ripped off in Ebay deals." Then you quote your guy, how they're ripped off, what they can do to avoid it. That is much more interesting and might have a shot at getting some coverage.

            Basically the same thing where you write copy and feature the benefits, what it does for the consumer, rather than the features. In this case, the benefit is what the gatekeeper, that is the editor, and the reader are going to be interested in. That usually isn't a grand opening story.

            What are some national issues you could tie into? A guy who runs a computer shop talking about the type of viruses his customers get. A bar having a drink special isn't going to get coverage. But a bar holding a Lady GaGa look alike contest might.

            Manufacture an event. Do a poll. Present some useful information. Then they're going to need some useful quotes. And those will come from your guy.
            Cool, thanks a bunch.

            It is a tree business by the way.
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  • Profile picture of the author untappedrep
    Originally Posted by Tydowns View Post

    I am working with some local newspapers in a small town to get an article about my client.

    Has anybody done this before? If so, what kind of article was it? Obviously I don't want it to sound too self promotional, but of course, I want to bring awareness to the company and drive traffic to their site.

    Anybody done this before? If so, what strategy did you use for the article? What angle did you take?
    I give our local paper content when they need fillers. I don't try to sell a service I try to establish myself as a expert in Design/Marketing. The stuff I get published helps business with their online marketing efforts. If the business owner likes the information he/she will likely will contact us to set a consultation meeting and I can close them on a web design or marketing solution.
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  • Profile picture of the author jkibbles
    Any chance on getting the paper to take a personal interest type story?
    i.e. A story about the owner of the business, the employees, etc.

    People like to know a little about those they do business with, and one of the best ways I got contracts as a handyman was spending a few minutes telling them a little about me while I was going over the bids.
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    • Profile picture of the author sodomojo
      Originally Posted by jkibbles View Post

      Any chance on getting the paper to take a personal interest type story?
      i.e. A story about the owner of the business, the employees, etc.

      People like to know a little about those they do business with, and one of the best ways I got contracts as a handyman was spending a few minutes telling them a little about me while I was going over the bids.
      That's an option I just don't want it to sound too self promotional ya know?
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      • Profile picture of the author Paul Bottoms
        OK, A tree business. I'm just thinking out loud. I'm kind of hampered by the fact I know nothing about that business.

        Maybe your guy could warn about trees falling during storms. How would I know if I've got a rotten tree in my yard? Is this worse than in other parts of the country? If so the editor will want to know that.

        This is hurricane season. There might be some national numbers about the amount of damage done by old trees falling on houses during storms.

        Hey, maybe he goes out and takes care of some trees for some charity or other good cause. Do something good and point to it.

        Is there some kind of enemy of trees in your part of the country. They could point out the problem. Your guy is the expert because they're in the business. Put it in terms people can understand.

        Do a search on tree services on google. See if you turn up some news stories about how they're being featured. That's about all that comes to mind off the top of my head.
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      • Profile picture of the author jkibbles
        Originally Posted by Tydowns View Post

        That's an option I just don't want it to sound too self promotional ya know?
        Don't go promotional with it, just do a human interest story about how he got into the business, his work ethic, and his experience.

        However, If you want to do the article about the dangers of falling trees I can send you a picture or two of one that fell on my house a couple years ago. lol

        100 ft tall oak tree vs. my garage = $30,000 worth of repairs...
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  • Profile picture of the author misterme
    My experience with trying to get pieces into a small town paper is that they much prefer if you paid for an ad. I had garnered some national attention at the time from my profession, getting my work published in national media and so I offered up a "home town boy makes good" type of human interest story - and they point blank told me they wouldn't run it because "it's not news" and "we're in the business of selling ads." I didn't buy an ad and so they continued running way more riveting stories of how the local middle school was running a cake sale.
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    • Profile picture of the author Paul Bottoms
      Yep...small town papers have their own angle. I thought of something since my last post that may help the OP. What is the biggest problem that his clients are having? What is their major pain point? That might help him find the angle.

      Kevin Spacey starred in a movie called Shipping News which was a book first. He's trying to learn how to be a small town reporter. The grizzled vet, Rip Torn I think, is telling him to think in headlines. That's good because you need to capsulize the story in as few words as possible. The character points out to the storm clouds and gives a headline of something like "Storm Threatens Area."

      Spacey's character asks----"what if it misses us?" The other guy gives another headline: "Storm Spares Area." Not exact quotes---heck I'm not even sure it was Rip Torn but that's the gist of it.

      Get a razor sharp angle, boil it down into a great headline, put in some good quotes and then send it.
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      • Profile picture of the author Carl Fridsjö
        I'm actually doing an interview this week for my local newspaper. I contacted the paper as a person rather than with a company press release (this would've been my 2nd choice if I didn't get a reply).

        I made the journalists job easy. I was flexible and let him choose the angle of the story (a bunch of different would've worked). Kept the first email short, played on my strengths, got them a little bit curious and established some credibility.

        Wasn't that hard, probably going to try again after this have been published.
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