How do you do make your business stand out from the crowd and to get known as an expert at what you do? The easiest way to reach a wider audience is to get media coverage. We live in a content-hungry world. Media outlets, bloggers, websites and podcasters are looking for content or guests. Here are some tips on how to get your first media coverage.
What do journalists want?
Ask yourself the above question every time you are about to approach a journalist. They want a story that shows your human qualities, that fits in with their people-centred approach but also challenges the normal way of thinking or brings along something different and unique. What is different about you and your business, what new angle can you offer?
Familiarise yourself with the audience
Make sure you don’t get too wrapped up in trying to promote your business that you forget who will be consuming your news. Introduce yourself to journalists that have a relevant audience with a story you believe should be told for a reason (other than wanting to put yourself out there). Does your story relate to current topics in the news or will it be of value to people?
Find and build your press list
Approaching journalists, such as those within your local news, can be a good way to start gaining media coverage, but it’s worth finding more online – ones you perhaps wouldn’t have thought of! HARO
and JournoLink are sites where you can pay to send out a press release to media lists.
Also, don’t forget to research someone before reaching out. Make sure they are relevant to your story, and if you aren’t sure if they are, don’t be afraid to drop them a message and
ask!F
Create effective press releases
When writing a press release, make sure you are snappy and to the point. If it’s easy to navigate, you have a much larger chance of the journalist giving you their full attention.
To do this, try to:
Capture the underlying message of the story within the first paragraph
Avoid jargon and acronyms – it often puts off the reader
Instead, stick to factual evidence that you can back up with statistics
Don’t forget to add your contact details to the bottom so they can reach out if
they’re interested!
It is also worth supporting your press release with high res photos but make sure they are in a Google Drive or Dropbox so you don’t clog up their inbox.
For more tips you can download my free – Be your own PR guide here.
Build relationships
Journalists can be very useful contacts, so try to build genuine relationships with them if you can. Giving them regular news content and delivering on your promises will build your reputation in their eyes, and you are much more likely to gain extra coverage if they feel like they have a reliable friend on their side.
For more tips on Pitching to the Press read my blog.
So, don’t be afraid to reach out to the media and influencers. What’s the worst thing that can happen? They may say no but when one door closes another will open. So be brave and start pitching to the press. If you want to learn how to pitch to the press, grow your audience and get more customers – You can join my course that starts on November 11. https://clairewinter.info/pitch-to-the-press/