How to Win With National Media
Eskenzi PR has a strong long standing relationship with the national press having achieved coverage in the BBC, Press Association, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times and similar for our cybersecurity clients. But it is no easy task. Getting any company into the national press requires strategic planning and a deep understanding of what national reporters look for in a story.
Here are our top tips to increase the likelihood of seeing your brand in the national publications:
Knowing What National Reporters Need
Every newsroom is busy but on the national news desk things are as hectic as they can be which means reporters don’t have a lot of time to search for stories.
They usually run with news that aligns with current events or trends. In cybersecurity, this could mean a major cyberattack, data breaches, regulatory changes etc that has broad implications or impacts a large number of people or industries. These are usually breaking stories so you need to be updated on cybersecurity news and respond promptly with expert commentary or insights.
When seeking expert insights or unique data and stats, the national media will only use reputable sources to include in their stories. They tend to favour spokespeople that have a certified amount of experience, have worked with government bodies and amassed a large online following. Furthermore, they will reuse experts if the individual can clearly speak to the audience in a non-technical manner but with the ability to still convey the message across.
What is the story you’re telling?
To craft a compelling story, make cybersecurity relatable by tying your expertise to real-world events like ransomware attacks or election security concerns. Use original research, such as surveys or threat analysis, to provide exclusive, data-driven insights. Emphasise the human impact of cybersecurity issues to make technical concepts more tangible, and focus on offering actionable solutions that position your company as a credible resource without being promotional. Being salesy or promotional is a sure way to turn away the attention of national reporters.
Forge Strong Relationships With The Media
To build relationships with reporters, identify journalists who cover cybersecurity or related topics and research their interests and writing style through their past articles. Engage with them meaningfully by following them on social media, sharing their work, and interacting with their posts. When reaching out, personalise your pitch to align with their beat and avoid sending generic press releases or news. Reporters will often value exclusivity so offer exclusive insights, data, or interviews to specific reporters to increase your chances of coverage and building that relationship.
Eskenzi Bonus Tip:
Develop a media kit to make it easy for reporters to feature your company or spokesperson. Include a concise company overview highlighting what makes you unique, bios of executives and leading spokespeople as credible sources, and resources like whitepapers, case studies, or infographics.
By staying proactive, relevant, and credible, your cybersecurity company can capture national media attention while building a reputation as a thought leader in the industry.
This guide is a part of our ongoing ‘How to Guide’ series. To read more, please click here.