MDNews - Minnesota

Media BY ROSHINI RAJKUMAR I RECENTLY SPENT HALF A DAY WITH A COUPLE DOZEN PHYSICIAN RESEARCHERS WHOSE ORGANIZATION HIRED ME TO TEACH THEM ABOUT VARIOUS ASPECTS OF MEDIA COVERAGE AND HOW TO GET IT. SOME WANTED COVERAGE for their work. Others didn't but knew they should want it. And several attended to become more media savvy because their counterparts around the country could at any moment have a leg up on grants or plumb new hires. No matter what their distinct perspective, they all played ball when it came to being open to new learnings. BRAND AMBASSADOR You may not think about media as a marketing strategy, but it is. Or at least it's a key leg of a robust overall marketing strategy for your organization and for your own area of health care or medicine. When you are seen on TV, heard on the radio or read online or in print, you get lifted above "regular" folks and into the realm of expert. And even better, as an expert the media sought out, interviewed and then featured in their work. If you can't name at least three reasons any media outlet would want to interview you at this moment, you are missing out on a lot of opportunities. Worse, you're not acting as the best brand ambassador for your institution. WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO OFFER? The first question to ask yourself is what di£erentiates you from others with your title or areas of expertise. Then phrase what you just said in laypeople's terms. Media won't find you or respond to your emails if they can't understand what you do and how you can help their audiences. If your organization has a public relations function, seek out people there to assist you with getting media attention. PR folks are trying to get your hospital or clinic attention all the time. For some, it can be like pulling teeth to get healthcare professionals to speak with the media. When you present yourselves to them, the PR folks will likely see this as a gift and work with you to get some preferred attention. WHICH OUTLETS DO YOU CONSUME? Some initial media outlets to approach and pitch are ones you and your colleagues already consume. If there's a radio station you listen to, then you likely know some hosts names and formats. If there is a periodical you respect, let that be a starting place for your PR person or yourself to contact with your media pitches. Plus, if you are newer to doing media interviews, going with an outlet that's known to you will make for a more authentic experience. SPEAK THEIR LANGUAGE Once you do reach out to the media, ma ke sure to commu- nicate using what I call $1 and $5 words versus $10 and $20 ones. This will help make your pitches clearer and engage your target media person. If they are interested, you'll hear from them sooner. If they're not, you may hear from them with a "no" or a "next time," but at least you know and can move on to the next. Try not to take rejection as a no forever. Most members of the media are constantly looking for good story and segment ideas. If you are concise and polite about how you pitch, and you have a newsworthy pitch, you will eventually land an interview or many interviews. KEEP RECORDS Just as your organization keeps records on employees and patients, do keep notes about the various outlets you have con- tacted as well as ones you'd like to contact. There can be turnover with some media outlets, but that shouldn't make you feel like you are starting from scratch each time. Rajkumar is a presence engineer, business columnist and host of "News & Views with Roshini Rajkumar" on WCCO Radio. To see past columns, listen to past shows and read powerful presence tips, go to OwnYourWOW.com. ■ How to Hook the Bonus Tip: Keep on top of current events and match your expertise to a hot topic. Using colorful language and really showing the media target how what you have to share will bring them terrific results is sure to land some winners. 2 2 2 2M E D I A S T R A T E G Y

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