PR Strategies: Attracting Media Publicity for Your Small Business
Get the Coverage Your Company Deserves: How to Get Media Attention.
The business world is more competitive than ever. Consumers have more choices and more access to information than ever before.
Public relations, or earned media, builds trust with your customers and potential customers. The more they trust your brand, the more likely they will be to buy from you. It also generates brand awareness which can set your business apart from your competition.
What’s the best way to generate earned media? Find out how to get media attention with these tried and true PR strategies.
1. Connect with Journalists in Your Industry
Public relations is built on relationships. You have to develop relationships with writers and journalists covering your local area and in your industry.
For example, if you’re in Central Georgia, you can pick up the Macon Telegraph and find out who covers the business beat in the area.
Being active on social media channels like Twitter and LinkedIn are also good ways to connect with journalists.
2. Give Them a Reason to Write About You
It’s not enough to reach out to a journalist and tell them about your business. You have to give them a reason to write about you.
A couple of ways to do that is to host an event or earn a small business award. You could also sponsor an event with another local company which could generate media attention.
3. Make Your Messaging Consistent
In order to gain the full impact of getting media attention, you need to make sure that your messaging is consistent with your brand.
You want to think about what the public should feel about your business, whether it’s security, happiness, or any other emotion. Make sure that that is reflected in the story and the messaging you are sending out to various media channels.
The messaging also has to be consistent. Have you ever seen a politician deliver the same speech and the same message over and over? That’s what being on message looks like.
With earned media, you don’t have full control over the message, but you do control how you present your business. Make sure that the message itself is consistent and that it is also consistent with your brand image.
4. Be Active in Looking for Opportunities
News happens every single day. Journalists are usually looking for sources to report the news. You can help fill in those gaps by positioning yourself as an expert in your field.
As you develop relationships with writers and journalists, you’ll position yourself as the go-to source for an opinion or insight to breaking news.
5. Have Patience
If you really want to know how to get media attention, you’ll need a bit of patience. It takes time to reach out and develop relationships with writers and journalists. They can get bombarded with requests from ‘experts’ and you have to show that you’re the real thing.
When you make a commitment to getting media attention for your business and take consistent action, you’ll eventually be rewarded.
How to Get Media Attention the Right Way
A clip in a newspaper or industry magazine could make a big difference in your brand and your business. When you learn how to get media attention, you´ll quickly learn that it takes a lot of work but has a big payoff.
You have to build connections with journalists and give them a great story to tell. The more you can do that, the more coverage you’ll get over time.
Are you ready to give people a reason to write about you? Find out how a Best in Business Award can elevate your business and generate press coverage.
