Love him or hate him, Donald Trump knows how to grab the attention of the media. When he announced last week that he was pulling his name out of the running for the presidency of the United States was anyone really surprised? After all, did you really expect a guy that coined the catch phrase “You’re fired” to lead our country?
Since the 1970s Trump has been able to create an image for himself and the Trump brand, often using his wealth and power to influence pretty much anyone who will listen. Most recently, Trump’s calling for Barack Obama to produce his birth certificate placed him front and center in the media. It obviously wasn’t his first time there and will most likely not be his last.
It’s important to remember that Trump didn’t always have the money and power to promote himself and his brand. He had to start somewhere, right? I do not want to imply that you would want to be like Donald Trump, but if you do have aspirations of building your brand, here are eight tips to help you begin to grab the attention of the media.
1. Develop your story: Why would someone care about your brand? What do you offer that no one else does? Be clear and concise in the message you want to portray.
2. Become credible: Offer advice and be honest in what you are trying to share with your audience. Most people will try something once. You want them to keep coming back. Make sure people trust you. Leave a positive lasting impression.
3. Timeliness: Be timely with details you share. Offer the media information they care about. Also, stay up-to-date with the latest stories from your industry and offer relevant information for spot news tie in stories.
4. Don’t limit yourself: Think outside the box. Be unique. Offer creative advice and insights to anyone who will listen.
5. Give updates: Let the people who use your product know what is coming next. You don’t always have to share your news through traditional media sources. Use Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn and other social media outlets to let your consumers/fans know what you are up to.
6. Be flexible: Times change and so do people’s taste. Reflect changes and advancements in your brand. Stay current.
7. Plan your moves: Make sure to have a plan in place. Set your goals and strategies and achieve them.
8. Make the right connections: Interact with members of the media and key influencers in your industry. Creating relationship and making the right connections will allow for more opportunities. Twitter is a good way to get to know the media and key influencers.
As design director at Cookerly, Tim serves as the creative lead in the development of branding campaigns, print collateral and digital media for clients across a broad range of industries, including consumer, professional services, healthcare and technology.
As a senior vice president at Cookerly, Mike Rieman is a strategic communications leader specializing in media relations and reputation management. With a proven track record of securing high-profile placements in top-tier outlets such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, CNN and USA Today, he excels at crafting compelling narratives that resonate across print, broadcast and digital platforms.
Mike Touhill is vice president at Cookerly Public Relations, where he helps lead traditional, social and digital media programs for B2B and B2C clients in packaging, telecommunications and technology, among other industries. As a communication leader, he develops and executes public relations strategy, provides proactive and reactive counsel to C-level executives and secures earned media coverage for client initiatives and product.
Andrew Agan is a vice president at Cookerly Public Relations, overseeing the agency’s internship program and leading media relations, content strategy and social media initiatives. He provides counsel and executes campaigns for clients across various sectors, including finance, healthcare, hospitality, technology, automotive and many others. Andrew excels at crafting compelling stories and building media relationships, resulting in clients being featured in notable outlets such as CNBC, Associated Press, Business Insider, Fox Business, HBO, Inc. Magazine, Sirius XM, The Wall Street Journal and USA Today, among others.
As vice president of Cookerly, Sheryl Sellaway uses her extensive corporate communications background to lead consumer PR efforts, deliver strategy for marketing programs and share expertise about community initiatives.