Whether you’re looking to raise awareness or hoping to get the word out about a new initiative, media coverage is one of the best ways to get your company noticed.
Unfortunately, there is a lot more to getting press coverage than crossing your fingers and hoping that journalists find you on their own. Getting media publicity for your company takes careful planning and hard work. Sending out pitches is a good starting point, but that one action alone will not get you where you want to be.
Standing out in today’s crowded marketplace requires a dedicated strategy to get you the coverage you’re looking for. Here’s how to get your company into the news:
Establish Achievable Goals
Start by focusing on setting well-defined, reasonable goals.
It’s critical to your success to focus on smart goals, rather than vanity metrics. Set your objectives thoughtfully, with the end goal in mind. Instead of “Get attention,” be specific and choose a measurable outcome. Set goals that will help you to reach your long term objectives: “Increase brand awareness by targeting popular publications with wide circulation,” or “Alert potential clients to a new service by seeking coverage in niche outlets that our ideal customers follow.”
Clearly defining your objectives will help you to know if you’re on track at any given time, and will inform you when you need to adjust your strategy. Use a spreadsheet to categorize your efforts. Build a tactical media list that includes journalists and publications that you want to cover your company. Choose outlets that will help you to reach your publicity goals.
Since your time and resources are finite and you don’t want to spend them all on PR, make sure to target your efforts on quality connections. You will get further with a few solid leads than by spreading yourself thin with too many publications to follow up with effectively.
Build Rapport With Journalists Now
Do you walk up to complete strangers and ask them for favors? That seems like cringe-worthy behavior to most people. Have you ever asked a friend for a favor? That’s much less off-putting to both parties involved.
Journalists are people, too, so the same rules of behavior apply when pitching to the press. It’s important to engage with them and develop a relationship before you start asking them for favors.
Take the time to build relationships with journalists before you’re looking to pitch a story. Relationships don’t develop overnight, so plan to reach out months ahead of time.
Your best chance of coverage is directly proportional to the value you provide through the relationships you create and nurture. The more sincere your effort, the better your results will be and the better chance you have of getting featured. Getting to know them will help you to pitch news that actually interests them. And since they now know you, they’ll be more likely to read and consider your pitch.
Tips for Connecting With Journalists:
Follow Them on Twitter — Most journalists can be found on Twitter; 83% of journalists have a Twitter account. Follow them. Create a list of journalists and check it regularly for opportunities to interact by liking or commenting on their tweets.
Connect With Them on LinkedIn — LinkedIn is another great place to engage with journalists who are active there. See what type of content they prefer and react to so that you can pitch them relevant topics.
Connect Locally — If a journalist is local, connect in-person through networking events when they are available.
Make Yourself Useful — Offer to assist them with a piece they are working on that’s unrelated to your company, by referring them to a business or product that you know. Giving to make their job easier, rather than to get something in return is the key here.
Never underestimate the importance of connections. The old adage “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know” is absolutely true in this case. Take the time to connect with journalists on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, or in-person. Introduce yourself, establish a connection, and be helpful. You’ll have much better results than you would with cold pitching.
Your Story is Critical
The secret to getting press coverage is doing something that will get the media’s attention. The media wants to cover stories that will capture and keep their audience’s attention. By giving them something that stands out, you increase your chances of getting coverage.
Your company story needs to be compelling. It’s your chance to present your message to the press in a way they cannot resist. Your founder or personal story is also important to give your company a name and face. Highlight the need for what your company provides, the problem you solve, and the impact you’re making in the world.
By developing a strong and compelling story, you’ll be a step ahead of your peers. Your story is foundational for facilitating media coverage. Make sure to take the time to fully develop your story.
Build the Perfect Pitch
It’s easy to be enamored with your own news, but it’s important to look at it from the media’s perspective. Consider whether the story will be equally thrilling to them.
Try to envision a headline your ideal customer would want to read. Taking a high-level view from an outside perspective can help you to craft a pitch that will have a better chance of piquing the writer’s curiosity and garnering their attention.
Here is where taking the time upfront to invest in relationships pays off. Remember to ask for permission to pitch and find out how your favorite journalists prefer to receive pitches. Most of them prefer email, but it’s best to verify personal preferences.
After building rapport over time, you may be able to ask if you can share some interesting news, rather than pitching outright. Since you’ve invested time finding out their interests and preferences, your idea should be well-received for consideration.
Not every piece of news comes ready with a fascinating story, but you can create one. Collaborate with a well-matched influencer to gain momentum and generate excitement around the campaign. Much like a resume should be tailored toward your desired position, a pitch should be tweaked so that it fits the criteria the journalist is looking for in their work.
Seal the Deal
Rather than risking your friendly relationship by coming off as overly-aggressive or pushy, take your time and present your story thoughtfully. Wait a reasonable amount of time, usually, a couple of days or more, to follow up. Resist the temptation to reach back out later the same day.
The answer could very well be “not interested,” but don’t take this personally or be discouraged. There are many reasons why your idea could be passed over, including bad timing or a poor fit for the publication. Make sure to thank the writer for their time and consideration. As long as you approach this process politely, you can always try another pitch later.
Once you get positive responses, provide the journalists with anything they need to tell your story well. Make sure your website and social profiles reflect the message you are sharing. Make yourself available for an interview if they request one and prepare your talking points. Double-check your media kit to make sure everything is up to date: your company story, founder bios, photos, and any other collateral that is relevant and highlights how you solve a problem.
Ideally, you will want to work with the journalist again in the future, so make sure to keep your word. Stick to deadlines that you agree on and keep any promises that you make. By making yourself easy to work with, you increase your chances of having future pitches accepted.
Stay in touch with journalists who feature you. Follow them on social media, comment on their articles, and share leads that you think they’ll find interesting. It’s easier to maintain the relationships that you’ve established than to start new ones. You may have more news to share at any time, so be ready.