Letters to the Editors Work
Don't forget about this old-school marketing tactic in a social media world.
Even in today’s social media world, the letters to the editor columns are among the best-read sections of any newspaper, whether it is the Smalltown News or USA Today. It is your link to the public. But major newspapers get hundreds of letters each week and most run only a few letters a day.
The rules for getting your letter in the paper or being posted online:
- Be timely. If your letter is about news that’s three weeks old, nobody cares what you have to say
- Be brief. Keep it short, simple and to the point, under 200 words.
- Have an angle. Make sure your letter is different than the hundreds of others the newspaper receives. Have a reason for them to run it.
- Be sure it is well-written and typed.
- Try to make reference to something that has been in the newspaper, especially in another letter to the editor.
Where in the World is Anthony?
Gave keynote this morning in Kearney, Nebraska at a government risk management conference. Presenting tip 34: Controlling the physical environment in which you talk is crucial to audience engagement. Get there early to minimize tech issues and set up the room to your advantage.
Spoke this morning in Des Moines, Iowa. Crisis communications tip 24: Have a minimum of two spokespeople who have gone through media training. Need a media trainer? I know a guy... 😉
Speaking this week in Iowa and Nebraska. Messaging tip 12: Be narrow & specific. People want 'meat and potatoes,' not 'puff pastry.'
Spoke all day today in Chicago. Crisis communications tip 61: Review, drill, and update your crisis plan once a year. Don't have a plan? Get one! No, seriously...you need a plan.
Spent the afternoon teaching a Chicago-based contractor how to do news interviews. News media tip 6: Don't waste a reporter's time by being unprepared. Facts+good quote=win for you.