Getting Ink: “Quotables”
It’s a misnomer that the longer you are on a phone interview with a reporter, the more press coverage, or ink, you’ll receive. This isn’t the case. In fact, if you have a reporter on the phone for longer than 15-20 minutes, chances are it’s because you haven’t given “quotable” information. In a digital era where information abounds and media acquire their facts from a variety of sources, you need to have “quotables” to ensure your message will be used.
What makes something quote worthy? Our client, Dr. Tecoy Porter, was featured in an article for Black Press USA which is distributed to 220 newspapers nationwide. Out of the five sources the reporter used for her article, Dr. Porter was quoted ten times! He was given a significant amount of ink because he included quotable elements: analogies, “…from Wall Street to Main Street.”; emotions, “we create an atmosphere of hope…”; clichés, “this too shall pass”; absolutes, “California just got out of the budget crisis so our members are furloughed twice a month…”; bold action words, “the strong must bare the infirmity of the weak”; examples, “we have seminars to help them…”.
If you want to be quoted, begin incorporating some of these elements in your interviews, along with elements of humor, pop culture references, and rhetorical questions. I guarantee you’ll see more ink if you do.
