A small business’ marketing strategy should include gaining media coverage. Attracting media attention is an art inself. so here give some best ways to get media attention for your business.
Journalists such as me are often pitched daily, sometimes multiple times per day. We journalists must make quick decisions when we see an email or a press release.
There are proven ways to get your brand noticed by the media. These are 24 ways you can get media coverage for the business.
Top 24 ways to get media attention for your business
1. Find out what the media outlet covers
Most media pitches are not matched to the content of the publication, show, or journalist. Each media outlet has its own style, depending on its audience. Even though they may be covering the same news story, different media outlets will report it from different angles. Journalists might have their own “beats,” so not only must your news be consistent, but also your angle. These nuances can only be learned by watching, listening, and reading the media outlet often.
2. Choose email over the phone
Media pitches should be sent via email today. If you have a specific question, avoid calling. Voicemails can take longer to listen to and can be difficult to forward to the correct person. If they are faced with long voicemails with garbled words, busy editors will hit the delete key on their phones.
3. Reach the right person
Finding the right person is a key part of being a successful PR professional. Small Business Trends has multiple writers and editors. A message sent to one person won’t be seen by another.
You can also use the main contact form. Media outlets might use help desk software to route communications to the correct place using drop-down menus and certain words in the message.
4. Target regular features
Is there a regular feature in the media outlet? If you take the time to find regular features that would suit your company’s story, it is possible to schedule your story for publication in print or online. These regular features are often sought out by media outlets. To spot recurring features, search for editorial calendars or follow their Twitter account.
Follow any instructions given for the feature. Small Business Trends, for example, does a weekly spotlight on small businesses. You’d be amazed at how few people bother to visit the Contact page to learn how to submit a company for consideration. They instead send out general emails. Most likely, their email is not seen by the editor responsible.
Also read: Social Media Target Audience: What It Is and How You Find It
5. Let them know that you’re an expert
Send an email every three months indicating that you are available for interviews with the media. Being quoted can help you and your company be recognized in your industry. These emails are often saved by editors to be used as a reference. You can also create a page that identifies yourself as an expert on a topic on your website so editors can find it through Google.
6. Be easy to reach
There is nothing more frustrating than a difficult source to interview for an interview. Journalists are often under strict deadlines. Make it easy for journalists to reach you by phone. For media inquiries, add a phone number to your website. Return calls immediately. You should also respond to your PR rep if they are trying to arrange the interview for you. We have lost count of the number of times PR representatives claim that they can’t reach their client two days later. If you are difficult to reach, journalists or media outlets won’t contact you again.
7. Create a resource center for media
Media coverage should be easy. A media page should be created where journalists can easily access your logo in black and white, screenshots, images from your top products, and headshots for key executives. High-resolution versions are recommended. Include basic information about your business. Don’t forget, your business should not be the main story. The editor might decide to delete your company entirely rather than wait for one piece of missing information.
8. Tweet @ them
Twitter is a great way to connect with journalists. Follow journalists on Twitter. Tweet at journalists if they have anything to say. Include their @handle in your pitch tweet. They’ll most likely receive a notification on their smartphones if they are mobile-savvy reporters. You don’t want this to be excessive. It is he best way to get media attention for your business.
9. Newsjack
Incorporating your business in a breaking news story, even indirectly, can have devastating (or great) consequences. However, there are some low-key methods of newsjacking. If there is an unbreakable heatwave and you own an HVAC company, this would be the perfect opportunity to give your expert opinion to any news story.
10. Invite the media to your special events
Don’t forget to invite media to any event you host. You can invite the media to any event, such as a customer appreciation day or a company anniversary. Make it easy for them to access the press and remind them that they can reach you with any press release. You can also hold times at an event where you can speak to the media or answer questions.
11. Engage on Facebook
Find media on active Facebook pages. Please share their stories. Comment on their Facebook posts. You’ll at least get some attention from their followers. This is a great way to grab the attention of the outlet. Many reporters also have their own Pages. Make sure you Like and Engage there. It’s a great way for you to be noticed.
Also read: 8 Types of Podcasts for Audio Content Marketing
12. Start With blogs of media outlets
Some outlets also have their own outlets. Many newspapers and TV stations have blogs. Although it might be difficult for your business to appear in the New York Times immediately, you may be able to connect with bloggers and get featured in one of their blogs. You can technically still claim that you were covered by the New York Times website.
13. Make your media shortlist
Keep a current list of journalists, media outlets, and other contacts within the media industry. You can break down the lists to include local and regional sources as well as one that is specific to your industry. Notes can be made to help you remember how to reach specific people and what stories they cover.
14. Offer exclusives
Offering a special to one outlet is a great way to benefit if you are in the competitive news industry. Press outlets that compete with each other are always seeking ways to gain an edge. Take care. This could backfire, and people you didn’t give the exclusive to might feel betrayed.
15. Do not brag about other news outlets that cover your news
What if you invited people to a dinner party but told them that you were serving leftovers from the previous night’s dinner party? Do not send pitch emails boasting about the news outlets that have covered your story. This is like telling the recipient that he or she is second to none.
16. Participate in community events where the Press may be present
Small businesses in the local area can do amazing things by simply being friendly. Participate in local community events. You can set up a booth. These events are a great opportunity to meet the press and vice versa. It is the best way to get media attention for your business.
17. Offer review products, but not gifts
Get to know product review journalists for companies that have products. Reach out to them and offer to demo, review or temporarily copy your products. However, journalists should not be offered free products or gifts as this could be against the ethics rules of their employers.
Also read: 20 Tips to Promote Your Business Online for Free
18. Create a complete press release
Today’s press release should contain everything that a reporter needs to create or publish a story about your company. Your logo, product images, and screenshots as well as executive headshots and videos. Links to free online trials or demos are also included. You should also include facts about your company, such as how many customers and markets you serve and where your offices are located. You are more likely to be covered if your package is complete.
19. Send bulky mail
Sending a bulk mail package with a small swag item and a personal note can help build relationships with journalists. Send nothing expensive. Journalists are prohibited from accepting valuable items by many media outlets. A branded thumb drive for $2 or a small notepad with a personal message could make a lasting impression without going over the ethical line.
20. Be philanthropic
Help your community in times of crisis. Donate or organize charitable drives. Your name and business name should be mentioned in the community. These charities are often mentioned in the media, as well as those they helped. Your name will be included on this list, which attracts the attention of the media and the community.
21. Get freebies
Many news and trade news websites offer event calendars and free listings of resources. These listings can be used to find information and special events.
These listings are often followed by news outlets in order to fill in any feature or news gaps in their coverage. A comprehensive and well-written listing of Your story may catch their attention and lead.
22. Do something unique
Media is always looking for unique things. Your brand can make a statement. You could have a unique product that you created, or have in stock. Or a new color for your store’s exterior. Anything that makes your business stand out from others. The important thing is to be able clearly to explain what makes your business different. If you don’t clearly state the difference and point it out, a journalist won’t “get” it.
23. Create research
The media is always on the lookout for statistics and facts. Compile any data you have collected in your business, or observations about facts and figures within your industry into a research report. It should be updated monthly or quarterly and a press release issued around it. Barbara Corcoran was a multimillionaire Shark Tank investor who gained publicity early by compiling statistics for the Corcoran report about New York realty.
24. Give a shout-out
Recognize media outlets that have given your business attention on your website. To collect these references, create a press page. You can also share stories via social media. Although journalists won’t expect you to thank them, they may be interested in knowing that your story had an impact on their decision-making process for future stories.
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