We're halfway through the year.  What better time to assess your business' media profile?  Answer these questions.

• Have you been posting regularly across social media platforms, increasing your reach to potential new clients/customers?
• Have you added new videos to your website highlighting your products, services, employees or community projects?
• Have your company executives been interviewed live or been featured in news stories in traditional media (broadcast or print)? If so, were you pleased with the coverage?  
• Have you kept track of your competitors' media presence?

If you scored high, congratulations on effecting using the media to your advantage.  If you see room for improvement, consider the following steps.

• Craft stories that will interest the public.  Not everything your company does is newsworthy to traditional media. That can be hard to accept, especially if your team is especially excited about a new product, service or project. Try to think like an editor or producer before you pitch to TV, radio, newspapers, magazines or trade journals.  They need material, but it needs to pass the 'who cares' test.  Will their readers, listeners or viewers need or want to learn about this? Could you come up with a fresh approach that will spark interest by the gatekeepers in the newsroom--the ones who decide if their journalists cover your news?
• Learn the best times to release your company's news.  Weekends are traditionally slower news days--especially in local markets.  That could up your chances of garnering traditional media coverage.  Summer can also be a bit slow.
•  On  social media you are your own producer and you can get creative with your posting.  Still, if you are posting news that is too inside-baseball filled with industry jargon, you may be wasting your time. 
• Target demographics that match your best client/customer. Consider age, gender, ethnicity, race, language, education level, income, and location.  Some companies also target people by political leanings, but that comes with risk of alienating  other potential clients/customers.
• Are you reaching these people where they consume their news/information?  Minority media outlets are sometimes overlooked.  
• Are your company products or services the kind that could be presented in a light manner?  If so Tik Tok may be the place for your company videos. 

The most important part of any company's media plan is good story-telling.  Some executives are naturals, but the rest will certainly benefit from media training.  A professional can help you tell your story in a compelling manner and give you the chance to practice in mock media interviews. Group  executive media training doesn't have to be scary or tedious.  An executive who can effectively communicate with media, is a plus for any business.  

www.WomenMediaPros.com