A feature is a story that is focused solely on the company and includes its history, leadership team, market opportunity, unique strategy, plans for the future, and success stories. Most CEOs would agree that there is no better feeling than to see their company’s vision and journey showcased in a positive feature story.
My mantra is “media begets media,” so feature stories are a critical foundation of a successful public relations program. These comprehensive stories establish the credibility needed for more ongoing media coverage, making it easy for other reporters to do four things:
In a 24/7 news cycle that focuses on tweets rather than tomes, along with the shifting media workforce of fewer reporters and targets, it is no surprise that feature stories have become increasingly difficult to land. Many traditional outlets that would have published well-researched feature stories in the past have now shifted their focus to monetizing these types of stories into paid opportunities such as advertorials. In addition, they’ve tasked and deployed their remaining journalists into producing clickable, snack-size digital stories.
So where do you get started?
First off, you need to know where to go and where you still may get a hearing. Trade and local business publications are now often the last bastions to secure invaluable feature visibility for a company. These outlets can still tell a compelling company story of the business, the team, the ecosystem they operate in, and why they are well-positioned for ongoing success.
Over the years, I have carefully studied the common elements of a feature story so that I can enhance my odds of landing one for clients. I do this by delivering a concise and compelling pitch that is irresistible to our carefully selected media targets.
Based on my experience, I know that all successful feature stories share similar characteristics - a company vision delivered directly by the C-suite, a differentiated or contrarian point of view, well-crafted messages that are backed by hard statistics, a compelling news hook, third-party quotes, and digital assets that bring the story to life.
In deconstructing the elements of a successful feature story, the recipe is as follows:
I frequently remind clients that the first three letters of the word news are NEW. What has happened recently that we can hitch our company to, even if it is not our own news?
Feature stories need to include the leadership team. Reporters will want access to the C-suite; the best bet to secure a feature story is to offer up the CEO.
The media loves controversy or a different point of view. What have you identified that others don’t realize is a trend or mistake? What headwinds are you and your industry confronting and how are you prepared to deal with them? What expertise can your executives share that is contrary to popular belief?
How and why was your company founded and what has made it successful? What unmet market need did you set out to address and how did you do it? What is unique about your business model? How have you built your team and attracted customers, and capital? What is interesting or unique about how you built your company? What is your company culture or ethos?
What makes your company unique and best-positioned to be an industry leader? What is your business strategy, customer value proposition, and plans for future growth and success?
What is your total addressable market? What are the drivers of opportunity in your sector and for your company? How are you seizing this opportunity?
The hard numbers behind your company’s story matter - revenue, earnings, assets under management, customer count, customer names, new wins, and case studies. Supporting proof points are key.
What is your business philosophy? How do you look at your industry? What are your predictions for the future of your niche? What is your rallying cry? What makes your company tick? These kind of statements add color to your story.
Quotes from an industry expert, an academic, an investor, or a sellside analyst can provide an objective third-party perspective for a feature story. Reporters will often require this to give their story journalistic integrity, so think carefully about sources to provide and how their opinion will help shape the story.
A picture tells a thousand words. Bring the story to life with great visuals. Most feature stories include high-resolution photos of your executive team members and offices. Provide the reporter with infographics that showcase your addressable market, key customers, etc.
Feature stories - while not easy or quick to secure - are a PR prize worth pursuing, and a successful outcome is no accident. Understand the common elements of all feature stories and then master your own story to fit within this framework. If you want to land this PR holy grail, have a plan, have patience, and keep working to find someone to tell your whole story.