Using the Media To Your Advantage

Last week we discussed how the media can destroy your reputation if you don't properly communicate the right information to them. Today I'm going to take that concept a step further and show you how to use the media to your advantage. As we established before the media is your main connection to your community and good press can bring in tons of support.

The problem most coaches have is figuring out how to get good press, which is much easier than you probably think. The key to getting good press is building goodwill with the press, in other words if you are polite, professional, and supportive towards the media then in most cases they will return the favor. Despite the common beleif the media is made up of normal human beings just like us and they respond to disrespect the same way we do, being disrespectful back. So if you develop a good relationship with the press, that both of you can benefit from, they will be willing to help you out when you need them.

Remember the basis of any prosperous relationship is balance, so if they help you out be sure to return the favor. Plus it never hurts to send your favorite reporters a free tee shirt or an inside scoop on a compelling story, every now and then to just let them know you care. Little things like that go a long way towards building goodwill with the media.

Once you have the press on your side, then getting them to do you favors becomes much easier. For example, the big fund raiser you've been planning to help buy your team new equipment would receive much more support if an article promoting it somehow got published in the sunday paper. Of course this is just an example, the possiblities are limitless as to how you use the media to your advantage, but it all starts with a little goodwill.

Coach Nich