Issue link: http://cp.revolio.com/i/142672
spread the word: massage and the media Most media outlets If you must, pitch the story to a newspaper and a television station. Oftentimes, they're watching each other so closely that if one picks up the story, the sister outlet will follow. If your contact really isn't interested, go ahead and try someone else. If they're tentative, give them more details to get them excited about the story. Remember the basics, and furnish them with complete contact information and/or date, time, address, and directions. When The important thing is to have a peg and let the media in before the action happens. Whether you're trying to woo a television or newspaper reporter, you're going to need something visual to add a dimension to the story. Remember that newspapers and television stations feed on video these days. And be realistic. Make sure you're either tying your story to a particular date on the calendar, a story larger than yours (those chair massages would work well on September 11), or to a slow news time. A lecture on Thai massage at the grand opening of your sleek new office on election night will go virtually unnoticed. Most media outlets are looking for fresh subjects on the weekends, and Saturdays are typically slow days. If a reporter said he was going to show up and had to cancel at the last minute, be gracious. Acknowledge the competition for space and time, and provide them a summary of are looking for fresh subjects on the weekends, and Saturdays are typically slow days. the event. Suggest future story ideas with a little different twist. Where Cultivating interesting local news is paramount to media outlets, and that works well for you because, as a holistic practitioner, your message is best spread at the community level. Turn to the committed staff of small, neighborhood weeklies. Post your polished, informative business cards and brochures on the bulletin boards at area health food and holistic grocery stores. Go ahead and utilize free circulation weeklies as well, but make sure your information isn't published near the singles or "entertainment" ads. Most print products have free event or topical calendars. Your job is to find out who's in charge of those listings, when they publish, and what the deadlines are. Also feel free to share your thoughts on media website blogs. Make sure you identify yourself as a therapist, but don't go overboard in promoting your practice either. If you're comfortable speaking, you may find yourself on a television or radio station program talking about integrative health in the new millennium. You've nurtured your area of expertise, even if it's just about seeking an education in massage therapy. Be proud to share your insights and passion, and make sure you're well versed with the subject matter. How Once you've forwarded your message to your established contact, feel free to place a follow-up phone call or email to make sure it arrived safely and answer any related questions. If you still feel compelled to send a traditional press release, make sure you use one side of a standard sheet of white paper. Again, be brief and make sure all the details are in place and they're accurate. If a reporter makes a mistake because something was incorrect in your release, you've lost a contact. Although elaborate press gifts do exist, most media outlets have rules against accepting such things. But reporters are human, and they have interests. Chances are a health reporter would appreciate and use a water bottle with your logo or a workout towel with your insignia. Stay true to your mission: give them a handwritten note, nuts, or flowers as gestures of appreciation after a story, not chocolates or alcohol. Exhibit the same integrity and passion for your message as you do for your work, and you can't go wrong. SPH Leslie A. Young is ABMP's vice president communication. She has more than 20 years of experience in the media.