Is today your day to shine on social or traditional media?  It could be if your content is compelling and your timing is right. You can up your chance of garnering media attention by acting as your own planning editor. Start by creating your own media calendar. You are looking for the best days to connect with the media to reach a wide audience.  

Obvious business events like a new product launch or a business anniversary should go on your media calendar.  As those dates approach you'll want to post on social media and consider pitching to local media outlets.  You may have been turned down in the past, but no two days are the same in a newsroom.  Today could be the day that your company's 50th anniversary makes the news.  Do you have an original employee who is marking this milestone?  That could make a nice feature story on a local TV station.  

The next assignment for your media calendar is research.  Find out what local, state, national or international dates of importance are slated for the year.  These dates can be silly or significant.  They often make the news. 

For example: May is mental health awareness month.  If you provide a service that helps people achieve greater mental health, that could be newsworthy in May.  Some ties are obvious.  Others require more creativity to grab media attention.  Example: you are a yoga instructor with your own studio.  You know first hand how the practice can relieve stress and improve mental clarity.  There isn't a direct tie to mental health awareness month, but what if you are holding a special event at your studio to emphasis the mental aspects of yoga?  You could invite local reporters to take the class for a hands-on approach to the story.

In the not-so-serious catagory: June is national candy month.  It was first celebrated in 1974.  Most of us think of Valentine's Day and Easter as the big candy dates, but apparently June has its moments.  In if you are in the candy business, what better time to reach out to the media with a sweet story idea?  

On social media you are your own producer.  When you want to connect with traditional media, try to think like a journalist.  What would they be interested in and more importantly, what would their readers, listeners or viewers be interested in?  Journalists are looking for unique, fresh, compelling stories that peak the interest of the public.  Years ago when I was a TV news producer, I was always on the lookout for these types of stories.  A good story suggestion can come from just about anyone on a given day.  

Unless it is an exceptionally busy news day, producers like to include news nuggets that audiences will remember. This is especially true in local news.  Stories about: the kid inventor, the senior citizen who is graduating from high school, the local girl on the boys' basketball team,  a Mom & Pop business passing the torch to a new generation, a car dealership raising money for a community-based charity, a pet rescue waving adoption fees for a time, an educator who's been named Teacher of the Year, or the story you pitch.  Look for the news nugget in your business and go for it.

www.WomenMediaPros.com for your media training needs.