Is Your Company PR-Ready? Take This Quick Assessment
Earned media for Wikipedia is about substance, not flash. Make sure you can check these boxes before getting started.
One of the most important conversations we have with prospective PR clients is also one of the simplest:
What's the story?
Companies often come to The Notability Company because they want media coverage. Some want visibility. Some want credibility. Some are ultimately building toward the kind of third-party validation that can support a Wikipedia article down the road. Whatever the goal, it starts in the same place. That's why it's important to understand what good earned media actually does.
We can identify the story, develop the messaging, find the right journalists, and create opportunities for earned media. What we can't do is manufacture newsworthiness where there isn't any.
So before you engage a PR firm, ask yourself whether you're actually PR-ready.
The 4-Point PR Readiness Test
1. We have something genuinely newsworthy
❏ Do you have a significant milestone, launch, acquisition, major contract, breakthrough, research, expansion, industry development, or compelling human-interest story?
"We're a great company" or "We're worldwide" or “Our competitors have a page” won’t cut it.
2. Our story matters beyond our company
❏ Can you explain in one or two sentences why someone who doesn't know your company should care? Are you making a significant impact on the world beyond your target audience?
If the story only benefits your sales team, it probably isn't ready for earned media.
3. We have proof
❏ Do you have numbers, customers, data, research, results, experts, or other credible evidence to support the story?
The more substance behind the story, the more compelling it becomes to a journalist, and the stronger the resulting coverage can be as independent third-party validation.
4. We're ready to earn the coverage, not just buy it
❏ Are you prepared to make executives available, answer questions, provide information, and move quickly when opportunities arise?
And are you prepared to play the long game? A PR firm can open doors and make the pitch, but we cannot guarantee that an independent journalist will decide your story is worth covering. Earned media is, by definition, earned. Building the kind of coverage history that supports real credibility (including the kind Wikipedia considers when evaluating a potential article) is a marathon, not a sprint.
So, how did you score?
If you can't check at least three of these four boxes, you may not need a PR firm yet. You may need a story first.
And that's not a bad thing. Sometimes the story is there; it simply needs to be uncovered, developed, and positioned correctly. That's part of what a good PR team does, and it's a conversation we're glad to have.
But if you're looking for earned media because you want to build visibility, credibility, or eventually establish notability, the strategy shouldn't start with:
"Can you get us a feature?"
It should start with:
"What do we have that's worth covering?"
Bring us the substance, and we'll help turn it into a story that journalists, and ultimately their audiences, will care about.