When a client mentioned in a recent call they’d be undertaking a project with a local school, we felt it was one of those stories that would lend itself well to local news coverage.
Most of our clients – including this one – focus primarily on B2B press and once we’ve established them in this area, their announcements and thoughts are covered regularly by the same publications – in many cases, by the same reporter.
Local news coverage is different. The assumed level of knowledge of what the business does is lower and, in most cases, the business won’t be the centre of the story – such as when the company sponsors a community or charity event.
But there’s a lot of value in getting published or mentioned in local press, not least the fact it can build the credibility and profile of a brand.
The types of content local newsrooms want
Trends in newsrooms are always changing. Right now, local news publishers are seeing the benefits of utilising short-form video wherever possible as social media algorithms tend to prioritise the medium over copy-only posts, particularly on Facebook which is an important outlet for publishers as it allows easier linking to stories and typically creates more community reaction.
Regional publishers are also focusing on the stories that will fetch high traffic and get people talking in the comment section. Nostalgia-type articles with photographs are proving popular as they can trigger memories among newspaper readers and create a discussion.
One example that springs to mind is that of Newbury-based auction house Dreweatts, which was a company I often covered in the B2B press when I was a reporter at Antiques Trade Gazette.
Though it focused heavily on trade press coverage, I also saw it featured in a Newbury Herald nostalgia piece about the company’s historic premises for a feature-length article online and in print – giving it greater exposure to residents in the area.
Local press outlets like good news and celebrating the success of an area’s businesses. Likewise, local newspapers are always happy to see local businesses winning awards – B2B or otherwise – in the business news section, or changes to their premises as companies grow.
Charity work is also likely to appeal, especially if both the charity and the business are in a local newspaper’s area. For companies that are also customer or community-facing, listicles are popular, with TripAdvisor reviews frequently used to produce ‘the best so-and-so in so-and-so’ articles.
B2B publishers – although similar to local press in some aspects – are slightly different to local news publishers in their content, with a greater focus on educating and informing their readership. Thought leadership and podcasting allow companies to fill this need by putting across their specific, in-depth insight to other professionals while getting a brand’s name out there.
Companies are also more likely to come across the proactive work of B2B journalists sourcing their own stories. By concentrating on a particular sector, reporters will frequently come across companies they want to approach and will be taking a far bigger interest in the operations of a particular company than local news journalists typically would. In these cases, journalists benefit from image libraries and press contacts on company websites.
But one thing both local press and B2B publications appreciate day-to-day is a strong press release. Deadlines are tight; time is short. A press release with all the important information, comments and imagery goes a long way every day in newsrooms – whether it’s a B2C or B2B one. Stretched local journalists also often appreciate releases well-written enough to be dropped straight onto the page and unlike B2B releases, where a certain amount of knowledge is assumed of recipients about an industry, a local press release needs to be tailored to those who won’t know much about it.
If a story is human-interest-led, a fully packaged feature or at least feature-style quotes from the people involved could be the difference between something that runs straight away and something that never sees the light of day.
And finally, both types of newsroom appreciate spokespeople who are willing to comment on wider developments and take part in exclusive interviews. And both want hard-hitting, interesting data – it’s just up to businesses to help collate it.
