Using the media is one of the best ways to get your brand noticed and earn new customers without spending a ton of money on marketing efforts. However, getting media attention is easier said than done. With the right approach, you can work with the best journalists and outlets to boost your brand awareness, visibility, and relevance.
1. Create Press Releases
The first thing you need to do to get media coverage for your brand is to create press releases. This is an example of proactive media coverage where you’re putting information out there and are looking for it to get picked up.
You should discuss newsworthy events in your press releases, for example, funding, events, milestones, etc. These days, press releases should be digital. The best approach to press releases involves submitting them on a press release platform that exposes them to thousands of different news platforms with a single click in hopes that one of them will pick up your story and publish about your brand.
2. Pitch the Right Journalists
While it may seem like casting a big net is the best approach to media coverage, this isn’t necessarily the case. Perhaps a better approach involves pitching the right journalists to boost the likelihood that they will run with your story. But how do you determine who is the right journalist?
If you’re a new business, you may want to start with less popular media outlets. From there, you can look for journalists that have written about similar subject areas. Finally, you should always personalize your pitch to the journalist and the outlet — make it seem like a mutually beneficial partnership for the best results.
3. Build Relationships With Journalists
When pitching journalists, the biggest mistake brands make is that they simply pitch a story and move on. Instead, it’s important to build relationships with journalists so that they’re more likely to cover your story.
As a business owner, you know that the business world is all about relationships — the media world is too. If you’re looking for an effective yet inexpensive way to build relationships with journalists, consider sending out small branded or personalized items. You shouldn’t send anything too expensive, though, as it goes against media ethics.
4. Self-Promote on Social Media
Social media isn’t just about marketing — it’s also about media coverage as well. After all, the end goal of media coverage is to have journalists reaching out to you to write a story — not vice versa.
The best way to do this is to embrace social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook. Then, optimize your strategy to boost your reach and engagement levels. Make sure that you’re regularly posting meaningful branded content, boosting your best posts, and working with social media influencers to improve your reach.
From there, journalists are more likely to naturally come across your content and come directly to you about writing a story.
5. Stay on Top of News and Trends
News cycles are incredibly short, so the best way to get media coverage is to use current stories and trends to your advantage. If you notice that something related to your business is trending, you can either pitch your unique perspective to a journalist or publish your own relevant content with the end goal of outlets picking it up. This isn’t exactly “newsjacking,” so to speak. Instead, it’s using current trends to boost your relevance.
6. Offer Product Samples
Although journalists cannot accept gifts from potential sources, they are allowed to accept free product samples to write reviews. Journalists are just like everyone else — they like free stuff and would be more willing to write an honest review about your product offerings in exchange for your generosity.
Think of this as the media alternative to influencer partnerships on social media. If you’re just starting out your business, you may want to reach out to smaller blogs and less popular platforms that would be more likely to accept your products and post a review.
7. Develop Valuable Research
Another way to earn media coverage for your business is to develop valuable research within your subject area. Media outlets are always looking for data and research to add to their stories — and you can provide it to them.
You can either compile your own data or work with a research firm to develop useful and unique research about relevant topics that media outlets are interested in. This is another area where staying on top of news and trends is especially beneficial.
8. Help the Community
If you’re looking for good press, then you should consider helping out the community. At the same time, the good press shouldn’t be the main motivation for your philanthropy.
Now more than ever, people need help, and your business can make a meaningful contribution. When considering what charities to help out with, consider your industry as well as your brand mission and vision. Also, consider what issues your customers are particularly passionate about.
For instance, some philanthropic areas include animals, arts, education, healthcare, environment, youth, and veterans. Choose an area that you want to contribute to regularly, whether organizing outreaches or donating financially. No matter your approach, the media often takes note of businesses that are invested in their communities.
9. Host and Attend Events
Another way to get effective media attention for your brand is to host and attend events. When you host events, you can invite members of the media to cover them.
Make sure that the event is easily accessible for the media and offer to speak directly to them about your press release or answer any other questions they have. If hosting isn’t your thing, you can also attend community events where the media may be present.
Not only are these events a great way to get media exposure, but you’re also able to reach your target customer group to increase brand awareness at the same time.
10. Be Responsive and Persistent
If you’re looking to get consistent media coverage, then you need to be responsive and persistent. If a journalist reaches out to you, be sure to get back to them as soon as possible.
Journalists are often on a timeline, and they will be more willing to work with a company that understands and values their time. On the flip side, if you’re having trouble getting a response from a journalist or an outlet, then you need to remain persistent. While it can be hard to strike a balance between persistent and annoying, just make sure that you’re following up on a regular basis and don’t be deterred if you get turned down or ignored the first time.
The Final Rundown on Getting Media Coverage
Use these tips to gain more media coverage. If this seems like a bit much to handle, you may want to consider working with an expert like Greg Gillman. Greg Gillman specializes in omnichannel growth strategies for direct-to-consumer brands and has helped generate more than $4 billion in annual revenue for his clients.
Sources:
28 Ways To Get Your Small Business Media Attention | SmallBizTrends
5 Ways to Get Media Coverage as a Startup | Entrepreneur
11 Cost-Effective Ways To Incorporate Philanthropy Into Your Brand | Forbes
