20 Ways to Get Your Business Media Attention
So you started a business, now comes an important part: media marketing. How do you get the shining lights on your Business?
Most times, the next business is always the next interview or speech away. But there are time-tested ways to get not just publicity but the right media attention.
The following tips should give you a headstart among competitors.
The Benefits of Media Attention
Now to some perks of having positive media coverage of your brand:
- Brand visibility and reputation. Firstly, continued media coverage raises curiosity in the hearts of potential customers. The curiosity here is certainly a good thing.
- User acquisition. Your User acquisition plan gets a boost with each media mention. As a result, it generally leads to more traffic to your website or social media accounts.
- Investor and partner interest. Your startup needs investors and partners, using the media reduces the time and energy it takes to go out and pitch yourself.
- Talent and recruitment. The base of Successful businesses and startups requires a working team. To that end, the media helps by expanding your talent pool
Ways to Get more media attention
1) Know Who You Want to Reach
Do you have a brand, a product, ads, but no target audience? That ship probably won’t sail far.
Know who needs you most and don’t let go. Whatever you put out there in ads, interviews or speeches must be targeted at a particular group (contractors, kids, nursing moms, etc).
Over time you’ll build a reputation in a particular field.
Many companies have more than one audience. For example, as boss of a business that manufactures bicycles, you will want to convince that your products are better than those of your competitor.
Also, you will want to convince stores to stock your product, based on the high quality and excellent customer service.
You may want to tell potential clients that your product has passed a Quality test to prove that it’s safe, reliable and of good quality.
That’s great for your reputation. As such, you’ll want industry bodies to know about it, including the media.
2) Invite the Media to Special Events
Having the media at your special events gives an inside scoop into the management of your brand.
In-house parties, customer appreciation days, end-of-the-year parties, and more.
Rub shoulders
Always be willing to interact with the media and give interviews. Let them know what your team can offer.
You have to develop relationships with writers and journalist’s covering your local area and in your industry.
3) Know What The Media Outlet Covers
When it comes to media outlets, not all of them offer the same thing. That’s one mistake many budding businesses make.
How much publicity does your line of business get from the particular media agent?
Who’s covering?
How knowledgeable is that reporter in your chosen field? A software publication would almost certainly be wasted in a tech paper and vice versa.
There are lots of possibilities to choose from. As such, choosing the most appropriate media outlets to contact should be an easy process.
Research is key to getting this part right. If you want to get publicity for your company in your local area, you need to build relationships with the media.
Get to know reporters and editors of local papers, the local news desk, and the OAPs at your local radio station.
It pays to a build good working relationship with the media outlets that serve your industry.
4) Create a “Complete” Press Release
Information! that’s all the reporter wants and you should be more than willing to give much of it. what’s your business ethos?
What product, management team, offices, contacts, facts, and figures, do you sport?
It’s ideal to have customer interaction points and everything in between.
Remember it’s more beneficial to get as much out there as possible.
You have to think about what the public feels about your business, whether it’s happiness or any other emotion.
Make sure the feelings are reflected in the stories messages you are sending out to media channels.
Let it merge with your brand
Make sure that the message is consistent and merges well with your brand.
Further press releases must be genuinely interesting and relevant or it will quickly be moved on.
Show the journalists you contact that you understand what their readers will be interested in and explain why they should cover what you’re offering.
5) Turn Facts to Research
while collecting facts to gain media attention, create research.
Collect data and observations about facts and figures in your industry then proceed to make an index or research report from it.
Update it monthly and issue press releases quarterly.
6) Create a Resource Center for Media
It’s normal that after putting so much information out there, there might be a need for clarification. Resource centers put more color on some of those grey areas. That way, they reduce the time it takes a reporter to create a more informed report on your business.
It’s not enough to reach out to a journalist and tell them about your business. You have to give them a valid reason to write about it.
7) Be Easy to Reach
What keeps journalists coming back for more? Availability.
If reaching you is always a chore, there’ll be fewer visits. As time progresses, there will be no more.
Let someone else handle the PR duties (a pro), and be sure to have ready information on standby.
Journalists are out for the most authentic sources and projecting your business as open and transparent will pretty much sell the product.
8) Use Bullet Points in Pitches
Be surgical, the media loves that. For example,
- Use stats and points in pitches
- Use your time wisely
- Make sure that they’re easily understood by the target audience.
- Get to the point already
- Don’t get overboard or leave room for confusion
Once you’ve delivered your pitch, follow it up with another brief email or phone call.
However, don’t bombard them with messages and calls. Also, be prepared to pitch again where necessary.
9) Reach out to individual journalists
It’s difficult finding a journalist interested in your business.
PR companies usually take up such responsibilities. But tracking recent publications and posts on the chosen field can give valuable insights.
LinkedIn or other social platforms can also be valuable sources.
Remember these things, What do you want people to do when they read your story?
Once you have someone’s attention, how will you keep them engaged? Identify individual journalists and work with them to get your business featured in a piece.
10) Write a Guest Post
It sometimes gets difficult for startups looking for adequate publicity from media outlets.
Offering to write about your brand yourself can be valuable to establish yourself and your brand as an emerging contender in your field. A guest post is a perfect platform for that.
The benefits
Guest posting allows you to write about your expertise.
You can establish your authority in your industry and get backlinks to your website from credible outlets and networks.
You can use influencers and potential partners in your niche.
Be ready to specify what you do best and hammer home. If your comments add value, they may get attention from different prospects.
11) Go to Local Events
As host or guest, participation in local events gives you and your startup a platform to sell yourself.
To that end, provide samples and be sure to engage others in what makes your brand unique.
Let your brand logo be visible at such events, too.
Paid membership in local business groups in your field is a quick way to give your brand exposure. It’s always best to start local and expand outwards.
12) Pay for Advertising
One of the most effective ways to quick and regular exposure is to pay for advertising.
Sure, it’s advisable to outsource promotion activities to agencies. Yet, as a startup, you’ll probably have to do it yourself.
Getting that coverage
If you do succeed in getting press coverage for your brand, or some publicity, it will reinforce your story and help you to get noticed.
Facebook ads and television ads are currently some of the most popular advertising methods.
Meanwhile, paid advertising may require some expertise and improvisation to perfect, but it’s very effective.
13) Side-step Buzzwords and Other Tech Jargon
keep the buzzwords and tech lingo at home or at least, for the specialists. Using simple words makes for easy comprehension.
Journalists and readers alike, don’t want to have to go through the stress of breaking down what you say every line.
14) Be Philanthropic
Other than business, what else can your brand name be linked to?
Participation in or hosting charity events attracts media attention. Let your reputation go beyond business.
The more involved you are at the community level the more publicity you attract to your brand.
Show up and support a cause
Attend any fundraising event, festival, or little league game, take part in auctions.
Giving in the form of a product or service donation only costs as much as you want to give.
Further, it’s ideal to donate gift certificates that highlight the unique services you offer.
Also, you can give in the form of a product that relates to the goals of the organization. For example, funding an education-based project.
15) Give a Shout-Out on Your Website
Media outlets love good publicity too. Be sure to acknowledge and appreciate media partners that have been beneficial to your brand.
A designated page on your website for such releases or periodic statements on media platforms goes a long way in boosting the relationship between brand and media.
16) Show Them Know You’re an Expert
Send quarterly emails indicating your area of expertise and availability for interviews.
Editors look back on some of these emails for references. As a result, your expertise must not be in doubt.
That’s also where email marketing is key to creating an impression.
What you specialize in
Have a page on your website detailing what you specialize in. That way, it’s easy to find you on search engines like Google.
Further, a Google business account is good for search engine optimization, so that your business gets found easily.
17) Do Something Unique or Uncommon
What makes you stand out? It could be a new product, customer relations, or even your office decor. Don’t assume.
Put out feelers to test the waters in order to bait the media with what you have.
Keep a reporter in awe and you are guaranteed another visit.
18) Target freelance reporters.
Focusing on freelance reporters gives a wider audience than targetting a particular media outlet.
Go for freelancers involved in industries and markets beneficial to your business. As you build brand value and confidence, they can further project your business.
What’s more, freelancers have a tendency to promote your brand because it also helps them promote their services.
19) Leverage Twitter.
With over 2 billion active social media users, you can find your target audience on social media.
Twitter offers many perks and you should take advantage of that!
Tap into trending hashtags and post visual content relevant to your field.
Make use of high-quality video or images and do not forget to involve your customers.
Follow the authorities
Follow reporters and outlets you want to feature in.
Once you understand what they’re looking for, it’s much easier to get noticed.
Also, it’s important that you respond quickly to messages from customers.
20) Offer Product Samples
Everybody likes free stuff. While journalists can’t be offered gifts by sources, product samples enable a more detailed review.
Other time-tested ways to get that publicity includes free trials and discounted products.
Conclusion
When you learn how to get media attention, you´ll quickly learn that it takes a lot of work. But the but) big payoff is not afar off.
While there is no guaranteed formula for this, expect lots of trials and errors as you build experience.
A well-researched media strategy also directly benefits your SEO and other attempts to get some traffic. These tips should help you get started.
