I get a lot of questions about how a company can go about getting a story or press release published in officeinsight or viewpoint magazine. “Is there some secret to getting our information in your magazines?” I’m often asked.

It is a common enough question that I thought I would answer it here. And the answer is surprisingly simple: Reach out. While that is only part of the answer, it is a great place to start. If you are in charge of marketing for your company or dealership, ask yourself this question: Do we know each other?

If the answer is “no,” why not? The first step to getting your company covered is to build a relationship (all of this advice goes for just about any media outlet you work with, not just officeinsight). Send me an email. Tell me what you are trying to get covered. If I know you, there is a much, much better chance I’m going to pay attention to the email you send me. Start with an email, because I don’t answer any calls from numbers I don’t know.

You don’t even need a story to pitch to reach out. Simply send me an email and introduce yourself. From there, if you have a story to tell, we can set up a quick call (that I will answer). At this point, it is important to understand that you actually need a story to tell to get published. If you email me and ask if I will write a feature story about XYZ Company, the answer will be “no.” If you call me and say, “I think XYZ Company deserves a feature because we launched a new product that is changing the industry,” you are more likely to get the media’s attention.

The story you are pitching has to be newsworthy to be considered. It must fall into one (or better yet, more) of the following “news values” to be considered actual news.

Impact — Does it impact the world of design or the office?

Proximity — Does it impact our industry specifically?

Timeliness — Is it happening now? Is there an immediate impact? If it does, it could be newsworthy.

Prominence — If you are announcing a change in your CEO, it’s probably more newsworthy than a new plant manager.

Conflict — Conflict doesn’t necessarily mean controversy. Think of it more like tension.

Human Interest — These are stories that speak to our shared experience that emphasize human elements like acts of kindness or overcoming the odds.

Novelty/Oddity — These might include completely new products or strange happenings.

If it doesn’t fall into one of the above categories, it isn’t news. If it does, let’s talk.

Once you get to know the media folks you are pitching, it gets a lot easier. My best sources know when to call me with news and they also know when not to bother. I understand the importance of persistence, but if the news outlet turns you down or doesn’t respond to your emails after a few tries, it’s best to let it go and not push it any further.

We can also help. writeoffice is the copywriting division of OI Publications and we can help you create compelling stories that will get your brand noticed. Whether you need a white paper, blog post, case study, market research or custom publications, we can help. Send me an email at rob@officeinsight.com and let’s talk about what you want to accomplish when it comes to publishing. While we can write a press release, it is important to note that writeoffice is not a public relations firm and we do not get into media strategy or placement. But we can help with just about anything else.

If you take anything away from this column, I hope it is this: Dealing with the media does not have to be difficult. Think about it the same way you do a project in the office furniture industry — built on relationships. So reach out today with your news or with questions you might have about writeoffice.