Breaking in the News: Build Buzz for Your Brand

By Alison Maloni

What if, one morning, you opened your email to a request from an editor at Forbes and they wanted to interview you about your company?

What if a podcast that has millions of subscribers wanted to have you on to tell your story?
It all could happen because you took a few hours to find the contacts, craft a pitch, and reach out to the media.
You don’t need to pay thousands of dollars a year to a public relations agency.
Getting press coverage can be done yourself; you just need to know what it takes to be newsworthy.

In this book, you will learn:

How the media works
What journalists are looking for
How to get featured in magazines and podcasts
What it takes to get national media exposure
What are the best ways to prepare for your media interview
How to establish relationships with journalists
You will hear from experts in the news industry, publicists, and business owners who have used public relations to build their personal brands and companies. You will get inside knowledge from local and national newsrooms on how to craft the perfect pitch. This book breaks down how to get the media’s attention when they are receiving hundreds of pitches a day, and once you get the call to be interviewed, you will learn how to prepare for your interview, what to wear, and how to look like a pro on television.

Public relations is all about storytelling, and you have a great story to tell. You may not know what it is yet, but that’s what this book will help you figure out. In fact, it’s going to help you come up with multiple stories.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Alison Maloni
• Release date: Oct 12, 2021
• ISBN: 9781737921325

Alison Maloni

Alison Maloni is the owner of Alison May Public Relations. A journalist of more than twenty years, Alison is a contributor and anchor for Newsmax. She is also an acclaimed keynote speaker. In front of the camera, a born storyteller, Alison has interviewed hundreds of people, from politicians to well-known experts. Behind the camera, she has garnered media for her clients in outlets such asEntrepreneur Magazine, Forbes, Inc, The Today Show, Newsmax, and Fox News.Alison is a well-respected publicist among reporters, producers, and editors around the world because of her understanding of what journalists want and need. She has been featured in outlets such as Time Magazine, Daily Worth, Dr. Oz, and Reputation Management.Alison’s real job however is being a mom to three beautiful and intelligent girls. When she is not working or writing, her time is spent with her daughters and traveling as much as she can.

Book preview

Contents

Foreword

Introduction

Chapter 1 What is Public Relations?

Chapter 2 Get Your Social Media in Check

Chapter 3 The Strategy

Chapter 4 Local Press

Chapter 5 Industry News

Chapter 6 Digital Media/Print Publications

Pictures in the News

Chapter 7 Podcasts

Chapter 8 The #1 Way to Get Press Coverage

Chapter 9 How to Get in the National Media

Chapter 10 How to Write a Killer Press Release

Chapter 11 The Perfect Pitch

Chapter 12 Establishing Relationships with Journalists

Chapter 13 Preparing for Your Interview

Chapter 14: Maximizing Your Press Coverage

Chapter 15: Everybody Needs a Crisis Plan

Conclusion

Acknowledgments

About Alison Maloni

Foreword

I knew that beautiful, brilliant nine-year-old girl with the bright future Alison describes in her first chapter. Since she was a little girl, I have always admired Alison’s drive and determination. While other girls were playing with Barbies or hanging out with friends, Alison spent much of her childhood visiting a newsroom, joining me for speeches in the community, and envisioning her seat at a future anchor desk, as she sat on my lap visiting the TV Station. Alison kept her personal promise to herself to climb that ladder of success. She made it to the top of her field in both broadcasting and PR and now she’s sharing her advice to help others.

This book is a must-read for anyone wanting to learn PR and how to work with the media. Read on to learn Alison’s PR tips and techniques as she shares her secrets for any business, service, or organization to get noticed in a competitive media landscape. Alison knows what she’s writing about—she’s lived it both in front of the camera and behind the scenes. If you want to improve an image and get media attention, this book provides a step-by-step process to a successful PR campaign. Her candid, clever advice will make a difference for anyone who takes the time to read her book. I couldn’t be more proud of watching Alison—a confident, goal-oriented girl who grew up to be a powerful PR professional and most importantly, a mother of three beautiful, bold girls who are watching her career and all the triumphs and hardships that come with a drive to succeed. Learn from Alison’s amazing stories—and watch your own business thrive.

Brenda Garton-Sjoberg

Former News Anchor and Professor of Communication at WNE

Introduction

The Teen Bop magazines were pushed aside to make the white desk look clean and professional. The pink, green, and blue carbon-copy news scripts—along with my carefully crafted news stories—were the only thing that sat in front of me. I carefully taped a border on my wall that was supposed to look like a video camera so I could have a focus point. Next to me was a tall lamp I borrowed from our living room to shine a light on my face. I wore a red shirt and borrowed a black blazer with big shoulder pads from my mom’s closet. Under my mom’s red shirt was a bra stuffed with socks. Making my hazel eyes sparkle was a light shade of green eye shadow and a little too much eyeliner. After borrowing a bright red lipstick from my mom, I was camera ready.

I had spent the afternoon reading newspapers, writing scripts, and memorizing every word. My prep work was done, and it was almost showtime. A few seconds before the clock struck five, I played a pre-recorded tape on my small pink boombox that said, Five, four, three, two, one, and we’re live. It was time to broadcast.

I would then say, Good evening, everyone. I’m Alison Maloni, and welcome to Springfield’s news station. Here is the top story of the night.

That was me at the age of nine every single day. While other kids were playing Nintendo, I was writing news scripts and pretending to broadcast the news from my bedroom. If I got in trouble, my parents would take away my nightly broadcast, and I couldn’t watch the news. Yes, I was that kid.

Fast forward thirty years later, and I’m anchoring the news from a real studio with better lighting, a slightly different wardrobe, an unstuffed bra, and much better makeup. It’s funny how things become a reality when you imagine them in your mind and are determined to make them happen. But getting there was not easy. Nothing is, right?

I had recently turned forty. My public relations business was finally starting to take off, and my three daughters were thriving. However, I was about to make the biggest decision of my life. I was getting a divorce and starting back out on my own. I was terrified of so many things. Will my girls be okay? How will I support myself on just my income? What if I lose clients? Am I making the right decision?

In life, I believe you have to face your fears head-on. Whether it’s your personal or professional life, it’s so important to take the chance, take the risk, take the bull by the horns, and do it.

So that’s just what I did. There were certainly tough times, but as I look back, it was the little victories that I was so proud of. I was paying my bills on my own, taking out the trash, shoveling the snow, and getting it done. Were there breakdowns? Heck yes. Do I still have breakdowns? Heck yes. I am the first to admit that I struggle with so many things in life, and anyone who paints their life as perfect is lying.

Fast forward a few years, I went through another tragic event in my life. I was on the verge of losing clients and was in debt. I fell into a depression. I would hide in my shower to cry. I couldn’t eat, and I honestly don’t know how I made it out of bed.

Through the support of my best friends and family, I got up from the couch and took it one day at a time. Sometimes, it would be one hour at a time. Doing my hair and putting on makeup would be a victory in itself. But it didn’t just happen overnight; it took weeks, months, and years to heal. I am not sure I will ever be completely healed, but I know that everything happens for a reason.

As I moved forward, I knew that I needed to put myself and my company