We get it, sometimes it’s hard to stop talking about your company, products or services when speaking to press, but keep in mind you might be a teeny tiny bit biased. “Company tunnel vision” is a common problem in the PR world. When it’s warranted, discussing the latest company news during a briefing is great, but if that’s ALL you have to talk about, it can get tiring to press.
Think of speaking with the press like a social gathering, if you constantly only talk about yourself, people probably won’t be interested in having another conversation with you. To keep the interest of press you need to be able to confidently speak about the ins and outs of your market and not just your specific product.
As we all know, a conversation is made up of two parts, listening and participating. Don’t forget to listen to the industry. The more you listen, the more reputable insight you can provide when speaking with the press. And once you build a reputation as a reliable thought leader, the press will start proactively reaching out to you.
So, what are you waiting for? Jump in there and start doing a little thought leadership homework. Ask yourself a few questions to get started: What’s the bigger picture that the press and readers will be interested in? What are the latest trends in my industry? What are some predictions for the future of this industry?
And don’t worry; there will be plenty of opportunities to tout your company, we promise! Just keep in mind that the dog and pony show gets old, quickly.