Press Coverage can be one of the best ways to introduce your businesses to the masses.
But, in the modern era, where every other brand strives for media attention, making your brand stand out may not be easy. This raises the question, “How to get press coverage for your business”?
One of the most effective strategies is networking with journalists and news reporters. In this context, Journalist Hunt stands out as an invaluable resource. It’s a comprehensive database designed to help businesses connect with over 340,000 journalists, thus enhancing their media outreach efforts.
Among many methods, some easy ways to get press coverage include pitching to the journalists and presenting your business the right way.
To help you with more tips, let’s wait no longer and quickly jump to this detailed guide about getting press coverage for your business.
Source: North Yorks Enquirer
Although press coverage is often confused with media coverage, the term generally refers to coverage or reporting provided by the traditional print media or the press.
In press coverage, you’re more likely to be covered by news journalists and reports through live television programs or newspapers.
Similarly, when thinking about Press Coverage, we often think about what can be done to attract these journalists.
So, here are some ways that won’t just help you attract journalists to your story but also get massive press coverage.
Getting PR for your business isn’t as hard as it sounds. Before I start explaining these ways, allow me to explain the three main news categories that are often overlooked.
Business news is often related to updates and analysis related to commerce, finance, markets, companies, and economic trends. It provides information on mergers, acquisitions, financial results, and industry developments, usually dedicated to investors and entrepreneurs.
Human interest news focuses on attractive, relatable stories about people and their experiences, emotions, and achievements.
The stories are often related to human conditions, highlighting individuals' struggles, achievements, and acts of kindness.
The 'Events' category covers announcements, coverage, and summaries of various happenings such as conferences, festivals, sports events, and community gatherings.
For instance, we have all read blogs and newspapers about sportsmen announcing their retirement while a specific company hosts its 20th year anniversary. The basic goal of the event category is to keep the audience informed about current and upcoming events in their area of interest.
Source: mytutorsource
Journalists and reporters, regardless of what channel or team they belong to, always have one thing in common, and that’s the attraction of a good story. That is why if you’re going to present your story to a journalist, don’t hesitate to explain why it should be on the TV or newspaper in the first place.
Moreover, there’s also the common mistake of not pitching to the right TV channel. For example;
If you are the first person ever to complete a giant mountain hike within 1 hour, this can be huge news for BBC, while AutoMagzine couldn’t care less.
Similarly, if you have a story that is related to automotive while you’re asking a healthcare-related channel to do press coverage, it won’t work.
Pros
Relating your story to the specific channel ensures relevance to their target audience. This approach can lead to higher engagement as the story aligns with the interests and preferences of the channel's viewers or readers.
You will have higher chances of coverage as channels are more likely to cover a story that aligns with their area of focus.
Cons
Finding a related channel or newspaper that only covers your story-related field can be difficult.
Don’t hesitate to think out of the box and present your story in a different way, but wait!
By being creative, I’m definitely not referring to something disrespectful or unprofessional. When we are talking about creativity to get press coverage, this is referred to as the process of idea generation.
To relax your mind, here are some examples.
Adobe celebrated Photoshop's 25th anniversary by inviting artists and designers to recreate their favorite movie posters using only the tools in Photoshop. This creative campaign automatically attracted press coverage, which was mainly targeted towards the famous artists and designers participating in the event.
Moreover, Chobani Yogurt also got huge press coverage when it gave 10 percent of its business shares to its employees.
Although it’s not a tactic that we all can try or implement, it shows that reporters and journalists possess a hunger for unique stories and are automatically attracted to them.
Pros
Unique stories are always loved by journalists, which results in successful press coverage.
Innovative press coverage strategies have the potential to organically captivate journalists’ interest, eliminating the need to actively pitch your event for coverage.
Cons
The biggest problem with designing a unique press coverage strategy is that it consumes time.
Another common mistake many small businesses make is aiming for big names without understanding your target audience.
Even if we assume that BBC, CNN, or ABC has chosen to give you a PR, if your average customer doesn’t watch these channels, it’s a waste.
Similarly, if you can opt for a local PR, provided that it is often watched by your customers, this will be more beneficial for your business.
For example:
An Artisanal Coffee shop in Milwaukee won’t benefit a lot from International PR because no one is going to fly from South Africa to try a startup located in Milwaukee.
However, if the same business can get press coverage from a local newspaper, that would bring it a massive number of new customers.
Pros
Choosing local PR over international would bring quick leads, beneficial for those businesses that need early results.
A local journalist is easy to approach and convince for a PR compared with an International.
Cons
Although local press coverage can generate quick results, it still displays your message to a limited audience comparatively.
The best way to get press coverage for your business is by networking with different journalists and news reporters.
Start by attending events where you can meet a lot of media professionals. Even if you can’t maintain a great conversation, try to get the contact number of any journalist or reporter related to your field. For example;
You can meet any news reporter or journalist, have a chat, and end the conversation with, “May I have your phone number? Or “Do you have a contact card? I often have great stories that are worthy of a PR.
Once you have got the phone number, there are a dozen more strategies to get PR for your business through this tactic.
You can invite the news reporter to have an inside tour of your business, guiding him through the whole product manufacturing process. If that’s not possible, try to send the best item from your business, and you can request a PR for your business.
Pros
One of the best and most effective ways to secure press coverage.
Cons
May not work for businesses that are looking for a quick PR.
Will need some initial investment, which may not have any return.
Finding related networking events and communicating with highly known media professionals can also be a little difficult.
So, there you have the answer to “How to Get Press Coverage for your business.”
However, before we wrap up, allow me to share some final words of wisdom.
Securing a PR requires patience and good communication skills. If you lack any of them, the PR that once used to be your dream may become a nightmare due to repeated failures.
That is why it is important to be patient and understand how you can present your story in the form of attractive news.
Finally, even if you cannot get press coverage for your business after many tries, keep trying again with little changes each time until you get what you aimed for.
A: Securing PR for a small business involves a lot of strategic approaches, like:
A: A Media Coverage Report is a detailed summary presenting all instances where a company or individual has been featured in the media. It includes information such as the names of publications, publication dates, headlines, excerpts, and the overall sentiment of the coverage. This report serves to evaluate the effectiveness of public relations efforts and assess brand perception.
A: Yes! When reaching out to press outlets, the primary objective is to effectively market and pitch your story, making it newsworthy and attractive to their readers.
Target unique angles, importance, and impact of your story. Also, explain why the news deserves coverage and how it provides value to its readers.
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