Checkey Beckford

Learn how to gain valuable media coverage without paying crazy PR prices.

With nearly 20 years in broadcast television telling stories from cornfields to the mean streets of New York, Ive seen just about everything. Some of it I'd rather forget. The one thing that remains constant in practically every story I've told... the characters. There have to be characters. Every story has to have someone (or something) to root for. And, unfortunately, I've encountered way too many PR reps who miss that very point, costing their clients valuable *free media coverage and ultimately sales.

I have endless examples but I'll give you this one: a school district where the superintendent was previously lambasted for "omitting" she did not have a doctorate degree until after she took the position was starting an innovative aviation program... for high school students!.. using a real simulator... taking real flying lessons... I can go on and on but perhaps the most glaring nugget that makes this story so sellable is the fact that a teen who suffered from scoliosis and underwent surgery to fix his condition was helming the program! The metal placed in his body to fix his condition also meant he could never join the airforce despite the two years he'd spent at an aviation boarding school to pursue his passion. So, the chance to help build out this district's new high school aviation offering gave him a renewed passion.

I'm already wiping away a tear! Aren't you?? I mean, come on! But the superintendent, who was in desperate need of some good PR, didn't think that was something to alert the media to, nor did her communications officer take the initiative to pitch the story. A golden opportunity missed!

Tell me about your company and I will teach you:

• What to pitch: how to mine your business for relatable narratives and content that will connect with audiences. (Hint: it could be where you least expect it! Don’t count out your employees as possible story sources)
• How to monitor local and national news for tie-ins to your business that you can then pitch to reporters or assignment managers (don't forget them)
• When to pitch your stories to TV stations (line up your timing with editorial meetings and slow news days. Reporters are always looking for stories)
• Who to pitch: Don’t blindly send out a press release. No one reads them. Believe me, I’ve got thousands sitting in my inbox.
• How to think outside the box; TV is great but you can, also -- without too much effort -- create visual content for your social media that’s short but impactful.