Give journalists a fresh story idea every month. Provide reporters with brief nuggets that pinpoint key trends or issues. Make them timely and succinct, and never let a whiff of self-promotion creep in. Email story ideas to a well-tended list of journalists.

Monitor the media. Reporters are always looking for stories and sources. To find out what they’re after, stay in personal contact with reporters and editors, monitor editorial calendars, and subscribe to a service like ProfNet.

Jump on breaking news. If there’s a big story in the news in your field, immediately let the media know that you or another person in your firm can give timely, expert commentary.

Write articles. Most trade and business magazines want well-written articles from experts in their industry. They may not pay you, but you’ll get the more valuable benefit of widespread exposure and credibility as a thought leader. No time to write? A professional writer can interview you and shape your thoughts into a sparkling article.

Find the human angle. Reporters respond to extraordinary community service and personal accomplishments. For instance, The Boston Globe ran a feature article about a lawyer who recently passed the bar after going to night school 14 years to win her undergrad and law degrees.

Piggyback off client successes. If you’ve helped a client achieve something good, you have a great opportunity for news coverage! Client success stories and case histories make compelling copy, and the reprints are as good as gold for marketing and sales.

Keep digging. Look for new trends and controversies that you can take to the media. Dig within your organization to find experts and authors you haven’t used before. The media never stop. You shouldn’t either.

Henry Stimpson, APR, president of Stimpson Communications in Wayland, Mass., has ghostwritten hundreds of articles and placed them in publications of all types, including The New York Times, and has written under his own name for The Boston Globe, Yankee, and numerous trade publications. He can be reached at HStimpson@StimpsonCommunications.com or 508-647-0705.

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