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I sat across from a potential client this week while he bemoaned the fact that he kept sending news releases but no one, not a single TV or radio station or newspaper in Iowa, would pick up his stories.

I asked for more information, and he showed me some samples of the releases his company had sent out over the past few months.

They were plentiful and certainly followed the right format. All the contact information was provided. But there was still something terribly wrong.

He wasn’t happy with me when I told him the reason he was not getting any coverage was that he was boring the reporters. (I was much kinder in the delivery, but the message was the same.)

He was sending them information that mattered to him. It might have even mattered to some of his employees or a specific customer. But not to the reporters. And even more important, not to the reporters’ audience. It’s not their job to help him sell his wares. It’s their job to engage their audience.

To catch the interest of reporters, you need to know who their audience is and what interests them. Does the fact that your business is turning 50 matter to the average person? Probably not. Does the fact that you’re having a sale matter? Sure, but buy an ad. Reporters can’t write about your blue-plate specials.

Has your industry seen sweeping change, and do you have some thoughts on trends for the next 10 years? Now we’re getting somewhere.

Before you send your next news release, ask yourself why anyone but you would care. If you can answer the question, there’s your lead sentence. If you can’t – think twice before you bore them.

Drew McLellan is Top Dog at McLellan Marketing Group and blogs at www.drewsmarketingminute.com. He can be reached at Drew@MclellanMarketing.com. © 2009 Drew McLellan