Featured Columnist: Media interviews serve industry, promote business during tough market conditions - Harry Zlokower

With office buildings less than half full, according to one recent report, it is time for you to join the conversation and share expertise, advice and solutions with the real estate community and business and consumer worlds at large. Setting and accomplishing this goal will most definitely build awareness of you and your business but even more importantly will provide the opportunity to place your own ideas in play while rendering a significant service to the industry and public at large.

There are many channels for reaching targeted audiences including social media, newsletters, email blasts, podcasts, company websites and advertising. But without doubt the most powerful and believable of these communication channels is traditional, aka earned media namely newspapers, magazines, news sites, radio and TV. While having your voice heard via these traditional media outlets is the most challenging of the many communications outlets, it is also – because of the credibility factor – the most powerful.

Getting interviewed, quoted, even profiled in traditional media on a consistent basis normally requires professional assistance from public relations or marketing personnel either in- house or on contract. These folks are aware of the media, their needs, how to contact them and what they need. Your job is to cooperate as best you can and to provide sound guidance as to what you would like to achieve as well as expert content to share with journalists.

As stories on the challenging office market abound, property owners, developers, brokers and attorneys should seek out opportunities to answer questions, give reporters their take on the situation, and offer possible remedies including examples, case histories, even statistics, if indicated. Mentions and quotes, sometimes including a link to your website, in traditional media provide a powerful means to build awareness and share your ideas and expertise with the community.

Harry Zlokower is a real estate public relations consultant based in New York.