Tips from the Experts: How To Get Your Story Heard!

A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to be asked to address PPRA members at a Strategic Alliances program. It was a great chance to introduce them to Region’s Business and meet some savvy people.

For those who were unable to attend, I hope we’ll have the chance to connect and work together. In the meantime, here are a few points we discussed.

Region’s Business is a weekly print news magazine focused on business and politics in Philadelphia and the city’s Pennsylvania suburbs, aimed at C-level executives, politicians and, in general, the people that shape our region. We started publishing in August (Wednesday is deadline day as we distribute on Thursdays) and we’ll be relaunching our website later this month.

If you haven’t gotten your hands on a copy, first check out the PDF version online, then drop me an e-mail so we can get some hard copies to you.  After you’ve seen it, I hope you’ll agree that it’s a publication your clients should be part of since each of them likely has something to offer our readers.

How do we make that happen? Here are some thoughts from our side.

These move all story pitches to the top of the list: Economic impact, jobs/job creation, innovation, startup, entrepreneur, development. Also, anything that highlghts the intersection of business and politics. We are distinctly pro-business and pro-Philadelphia, political but not partisan.

By all means, please send along your press releases. But don’t stop there. We’re always on the look out for great story ideas – both big and small – as well as contributors for standing features like op-ed columns and Ideas columns (that’s where experts offer guidance, advice and tips to business leaders).

Some at the PPRA event seemed surprised when I said we welcomed story ideas from agencies. I guess I was surprised that they were surprised. After all, we certainly don’t have the market cornered for great story ideas and you certainly know what your clients have to offer better than we do.

We’re just getting started at Region’s Business, but the momentum we’ve built out of the gate is both exciting and encouraging. We have some exciting projects in the works for 2013 and I hope that more people will be a part of it.

I’m looking forward to those conversations, so drop that e-mail or give me a call.

Karl Smith is the Editorial Director for Independence Media, publisher of Region's Business. Previously, he worked for AOL's Patch.com, where he was the third employee hired in Southeastern Pennsylvania and played a pivotal role in helping to build the network of hyperlocal news websites across the Philadelphia region. He worked for more than a decade at Calkins Media'sphillyBurbs.com, directing the interactive operation after several years as managing editor of that company's flagship newspaper, The Bucks County Courier Times. His newspaper background includes stints at The Asbury Park Press, The Pottstown Mercury, The Lexington (Ky.) Herald-Leader and The York Daily Record. A regular presenter at Pennsylvania Newspaper Association workshops, he's taught as an adjunct instructor at Monmouth University and Rutgers University and has held consultancies at the New Jersey Press Association, the U.S. Air Force, the Society of Newspaper Design, the American Jewish Press Association and The Times News (Lehighton, Pa.).