Tell Your Story. Or Someone Else Will.
Donald Trump took my advice. Yes, President Donald Trump.
What’s he doing? Talking again, publicly. After a two-week period of not holding press briefings on the coronavirus, Trump decided at the end of July to restart the public briefings. He must have heard me say, “If you don’t tell your story, someone else will.”
NOTE: Elected officials provide numerous communication lessons, especially during election season. And while this post will touch on politics, my goal is to not be political. I won’t hide my political views; they’re just not necessary in this ongoing communication study.
Why Communicate Frequently? Your Competition Does.
I’ve worked in magazine publishing, corporate advertising, and now content marketing, and I can pull examples from each profession to prove the same point that I made to the President. The world is a giant content vacuum, pulling information and news and opinions from any possible source. It’s been true for years, and is even more important today.
If you – as a business leader or elected official – close your office door and ignore this vacuum, your competition will fill it. And they will talk about their products and their services. Worse, they might criticize your products and services. And you’ll sit behind your closed door thinking everything is fine. But it’s not.
For more than two weeks in July, Donald Trump sat in the oval office each afternoon, or maybe he golfed, ignoring his chance to address a nation hungry for information about the pandemic. He quit his daily briefings because, reportedly, he didn’t like some of the media’s questioning. And he thought his silence would become media silence.
“It was during one briefing in late April,” reports NPR.org,”that Trump suggested people ingest disinfectants as a way of preventing COVID-19, advice that was quickly disavowed by health experts. The daily briefings ended soon after.”
Trump stopped giving press briefings – he stopped communicating – but the constant chatter about his often-questionable statements did not end. By not speaking, President Trump let others speak, he let questions go unanswered, he left a content void that was filled with criticism of his actions.
Media Always Needs Content. You Can Help Them.
When I was a magazine editor, I was searched for content daily. My search intensified near deadlines. When I had a half-page of “news” to fill at the last minute, I turned to my in box (the real kind, pre-email) and grabbed a relevant “news release” to fill the space. Companies that sent me news releases got coverage. Companies that failed to communicate … well they failed.
When I launched a trade magazine in the mixed martial arts industry, I spent a lot of time calling coaches and industry leaders for interviews and commentary. A few helpful people received a lot of coverage in that magazine. Those who ignored my repeated calls missed repeated opportunities. Or worse, they were talked “about.”
Corporate Communicators Should
They should communicate. When I ran a corporate PR group, I implored C-suite leaders, directors and managers to communicate with media as much as possible. I helped these co-workers gain comfort and confidence talking to media – not always easy. Still, the mostly conservative leadership of this company often chose silence. And our competitors filled the media vacuum.
If you read trade magazines and websites and wonder why certain companies and executives get a lot of attention, you need to ask yourself, “Have I communicated to the press lately?” You can’t just wait for a phone call from an editor. They may not know you exist. You can start the conversation, or be your own media.
Taking My Own Advice
I’m an inconsistent blogger, and I need to do better. I’m often writing for clients, so I don’t make enough time to communicate on behalf of HansenHouse Content. Plenty of my competitors are blogging regularly and sending out email newsletters.
That’s the advantage every company and working professional has today – self publishing. No, we can’t all host heavily covered press briefings like the President can – if he chooses. What we can do is write a blog post, share something on LinkedIn, create a simple video for YouTube, and send that email newsletter. Our competitors are.
President Trump did well to take my advice and communicate. Now about his communication style … next time.