Stop blaming the media and start telling your stories

If you've got a good story to tell, now is the time to tell it.

I often hear people criticise the media for only focusing on the negative stories; of ignoring the good news; of talking down a sector, or even the economy. At one point I think we all had a pop at the media for 'talking us into recession'.

But let's set the record straight: I have never had a story turned down because it was good news. That doesn't happen if the story has the right qualities to make news in the first place.

In fact, I would maintain that the media has more appetite now for good news than ever before. Signs of growth, new products, innovation, recruitment, change for the better - whatever your good news is, you should be able to find a way to make it relevant and topical.

Think about it: have you ever said or heard the phrase, "maybe we need to tell our story better"? It's not the jollity of a narrative that's the issue: it's the narration.

A good news story only ever fails because it's not news, not because it's inherently good. A good recent example is the launch of a body confidence pack by not-for-profit organisation Media Smart - the story went far and wide but it had relevance with examples from modern society and of course backing from Ministers - they ticked some crucial boxes before launching the initiative.

Here are just a couple of tips from me - in no particular order - on how to build a good reputation for telling strong stories:

1. Don't send it for the sake of it. If someone somewhere says "just send it out anyway", fight back - sending journalists cr*p content does your reputation more harm than good.

2. Be relevant. Find a way to demonstrate why your news has relevance to today's (or even tomorrow's) world. And don't stop until you get there.

3. Get third party backing. Ever thought to get others to endorse your story? A local MP, or the business community? It all helps build credibility.

4. Create the news. You feel things are on the up but you can't put your finger on it? Well identify why that is, then measure it. Or find out if your company already benchmarks it - you'll be surprised how much internal data could translate into headlines.

So - what are you waiting for? It's time for British Business to shout about its successes.