One of the main goals of news marketing is the news participants make a commitment to continue to be newsworthy. They also want to make certain that they are providing their value in the marketplace. There is an old saying, “If you don’t have something to sell, why try to sell it?” This statement holds true even for news marketing.
For any news marketer, the ultimate goal is to create new products or services that generate revenue and increase the readership of the news organizations. The ultimate success of the news marketing effort is contingent on the news participants assuming the responsibility to contribute to the content and quality of the news product or service. This responsibility extends beyond having a news story to contribute. It involves a commitment to do what it takes to get the news out there and to keep the news participants informed. It also means working with other news participants to develop relationships that can result in future business opportunities.
The first part of the news participation objective is to participate. In a nutshell, this means that news participants take an active role in the decision making process. This does not mean they are the only ones who get a say – it simply means that each individual understands that the decisions will impact them and their community. When news participants take an active role in the marketing of their news story, they help to build a stronger relationship with the other news participants, which in turn can help to grow their business.
The second part of the news participation objective is to demonstrate value. Each news participant is often compensated for their efforts, and this is where the true value of the news emerges. Compensation for news participants should be commensurate with the perceived value that the news will provide to others. For instance, if a news organization has special access to a government official or an insider’s perspective, the compensation for such a privilege should reflect that value.
For many news participants, the ultimate goal is to become known as experts in their field. As their name suggests, this requires that they tell other people what they know. News participants will often tell their stories through articles, stories in newsletters and presentations, or even speaking engagements, but they also develop a reputation for presenting well.
This reputation for presenting well means that the news organization’s work becomes trusted, and it becomes valuable. The more valuable the news organization, the more people who trust the story and are willing to read it. When the stories people receive from such organizations are well written, presented well and have significant meaning to the people reading them, they are likely to pass along information about them to other people online. This gives the story and the people who are reading it credibility, and the more credibility there is in the marketplace, the greater the likelihood that business will be successful.
The final section of the news participation objective looks at what happens after people have told their stories. This is the part of the objective that explains why news participants take part in the endeavor. They do so because they want to contribute to the value of the news, to make the public as well as other businesses and organizations aware of important matters affecting their fields.
In the business world, however, participation in the news is an important part of the strategy for marketing a company. Participating in the news, rather than just writing it, also gives other people (such as other news participants) an interest in your business and the company. The value of the news is enhanced when it is widely distributed and presented in various formats. When this happens, businesses can find a way to benefit not only from the news but also from the participation of other news participants.