Many people know that favorable publicity can bring a large influx in business from customers who didn’t know your firm even existed. Still, dealing with the media can be time-consuming, without any guarantee that the effort will be beneficial.
So, how do you determine whether dealing with the media is worth the effort?
First, ask yourself a couple of questions:
Will my business benefit if I talk to a reporter? If a journalist likes your business or believes that you have information that his or her readers or viewers will find useful or entertaining, then it can help to talk.
Will my business be harmed if I don’t? If a reporter is asking for a response to an allegation that your business is either harmful or has done something harmful, then it may be worthwhile to tell your side of the story. Tip: A negative story can’t be avoided by refusing to talk to a reporter.
If talking to a journalist will neither help nor hurt, then there is no business reason to bother. Unless you have something to tell the world, there’s no point in talking to a mass communicator.
