Using Video & Great Photos for your PR

There is little doubt that a well thought out story is what makes most assignment editors' lips chop at breaking a new angle. However, in the years that I have been in the industry of PR and marketing communications, I have seen many potentially great client stories passed up for one simple reason:

The story was not backed up with great visuals. Unless you are looking to pitch your story to radio, this is often the forgotten and second most important aspect to consider.

Let's take the example of newspapers or magazines (or even many online publications). If your organization has a pressing story to tell about its product or a crying issue that needs the public's attention, do you have any professionally developed photos? Providing a professionalphoto of the CEO may be one option. If you're using a current affairs angle to launch your issue into greater publicity, can you suggest a great photo angle that in itself tells a story? More often than not, journalists will be either accompanied by a photographer or send one to your location after interviewing you over the phone.

In the case of television, this point is even more important. Because television stints need to be compacted into such short periods of time, assignment editors are looking for video cuts that stimulate the eyes and ears of the viewer. For example, would a television news cut on a local car accident be the same without a camera crew on site filming? Of course not!

In developing your press releases and especially your media kits, be cogniscent of these important aspects. A little attention to these forgotten details can score you some big coverage of television and in the major written publications.
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Mark Buzan is the owner of Action Strategies, a public affairs & marketing communications consultancy. You can subscribe now to his monthly PR & marketing tips newsletter by visiting www.action-strategies.ca and dropping down the “newsletter” menu.