Don't Be a Media Snob

Picture this: You're sitting at your desk, working feverishly on a project due yesterday. You've closed your office door, turned off the iPod and closed down your email software.

Just as you're beginning to hit your stride, the phone rings. It's a reporter from some rinky dink trade magazine you've never heard of. She wants 15 minutes of your time to get gain industry insight. You're tempted to tell her no.

But then you remember your PR expert's adamant warning -- Don't be a media snob!

It can be tempting, particularly if you regularly are sourced by major media outlets, to deny smaller media their fair share of you.

So, here's three good reasons to take that interview with the lesser-known.

1. 'Cause you never know. Smaller media outlets have a tendency to work with freelance writers. Freelancers get paid when their articles are published. So, they have motivation to shop you around. There's a good possibility your article will appear in more than one outlet.

2. It's all about the links. Does the outlet calling have an online presence? Chances are pretty darn good they do. Chances are also good that the story will include a link back to your Website. And what do links lead to? Higher search engine rankings!

3. Who cares if your prospects don't read her stuff. You can make sure they do. News coverage of any kind provides an implied third-party endorsement. Share the news the same way you would a reference letter or a case study. Be sure to ask the reporter when the story will run, capture it and put it in front of your stakeholders. Blog it. Email it. Digg it. (And for the old-school: Mail it!)

There's no telling where this interview could take you. A client of mine recently wound up on ABC World News after doing an interview with a small, regional construction magazine. It happens!

So, take those calls. Do those interviews. Enjoy the fame and fortune to follow.