Everyone, including reporters, like a personal story, especially if it teaches a lesson.
Framed correctly, these stories can lead to important media coverage in desirable publications.
Here are a few examples:
- A company president was talking about how her staff voted each quarter to select a group volunteer activity in which the entire company would participate. This was more than a photo opportunity or a bonding experience. From the president’s perspective, it was a chance for a staff member to exercise leadership skills and take control of an event without any profit or loss responsibility. Corporate volunteering is not unusual but the lesson learned was. The local business paper editor thought so too and printed the story.
- A marketing client believed good creative need not be expensive. His office space was proof. Formerly the showroom of a defunct auto manufacturer, the space was outfitted with curved walls, bright colors and re-finished furniture found at flea markets. He shared professional photos of his unique space which later became the focus of a Wall Street Journal story on unusual office spaces.
- The CEO of a software company updated us on his weekend plans, which included grueling exercise workouts. He was training for a highly competitive physical program used to train Navy Seals recruits. The recruits are at least 10 years younger than the CEO. What’s the point? While the training appears to be physical, the real challenge is mental. Competitors prepare for how they will react when they are fatigued, cramped, wet, etc. The CEO felt using the same kind of mental preparedness would make him ready for the challenges of running a business, and a reporter from a business magazine agrees.
So tell me: what’s your story?