When most people think of digital marketing, they only consider elements like their website and social media strategies.
The truth? The media and press still play a huge role in how the general public perceives certain businesses.
This means, as a brand, that it is super crucial to know how to get their attention and ensure they cover your business in a favorable light.
So, how do you make this happen?
In this guide, we’ll detail a few ways to get press and media coverage for your business, while also explaining why this type of process matters.
Grab a pen and your favorite beverage and we’ll dive right in.
What is Press and Media Coverage?
Before we can really get into what the process entails, let’s be sure to clarify what we mean by press and media coverage.
Press and media coverage is anytime a news outlet or publication writes a story about your business or includes you in their content in some way.
In most cases, this could be about something excellent you’re doing in the community or how you’re working to change your industry in some way.
It might even include using you as an expert in your field to answer a commonly asked question or an issue your target audience is currently facing.
Unfortunately, this can also be good press or bad press — depending on the situation.
Remember the old saying about no news is bad news? Well, that isn’t always true. Sometimes, bad media can turn into a boycott of your brand or a slandering of your company name.
This means you have to have a solid strategy to help combat these issues.
After all, in a time when so-called cancel culture is becoming normal, knowing how to ensure your good press gets noticed and the bad is minimized is super important.
Difference Between Earned Media vs. Paid Media
Likewise, it is also important to know the difference between earned media and paid media.
The good news? It’s pretty simple to remember.
Earned media is free. This is when the press covers what you’re doing and does not charge any sort of advertising fee.
For example, if they consult you for a story about a topic related to your niche, this would be considered earned media.
Paid media is exactly what it sounds like. This is where you either pay to run an ad or are otherwise charged to be included in a news story.
But don’t get paid media wrong. There are times in any healthy and robust digital marketing strategy where using paid advertising for better visibility is a great idea.
However, just knowing the nuances between the two can make it easier to determine the overall plan for your business.
What are the Benefits of Earned Media?
There are numerous benefits to attempting to get earned media from various press outlets in your community and/or industry niche.
First, it ensures that your company is noticed as being timely.
When a certain event is happening or you can help with an issue the target audience is facing, this type of press can really paint you in a favorable light.
Second, it helps with overall brand recognition.
While you might not see a boost in leads or sales right away, media spotlighting can help improve the number of people who recognize your business name.
In turn, this is better for the future.
Third, earned media can also help boost your credibility.
Brands that people see on their favorite news stations or across print publications they trust are much more likely to be viewed as professionals and experts in their industries.
So, whether you’re just thinking about getting into using press and media coverage for your business or something you’ve been doing for a while, it is important to keep these three benefits in mind.
Best Strategies to Get Press and Media Coverage for Your Business
Now that we’ve discussed the reasons why you would want to include press and media coverage as part of your overall marketing plan, let’s look at a few ways you can make this happen.
1. Create Content That’s Newsworthy
One of the easiest ways to get press coverage for your business is to create content that’s newsworthy.
By this, we mean cover topics that are timely and that members of the audience or readers could relate to.
You can then submit this information to certain news outlets.
In some cases, this might land you a free guest post spot. Others could charge you a small fee for paid publication, but the benefits are usually worth it.
To come up with topics that are likely to get noticed, take extra time to really think about the needs of your target market and what they would ask a professional in your industry.
You can even put together a buyer persona if it makes it easier to create stellar written or video content for your brand.
2. Get Involved in Your Community or For a Cause
If your business is more of a local organization, take time to get involved in your community.
Often, local news outlets are more than happy to cover an insurance agency that’s working to help a local youth baseball team earn money for new jerseys or a business that helps build homes for those in need.
Online or digital brands can still do this, too. Find ways to include helping charities and other worthy causes — both locally and across the world.
By having a spirit of giving and a commitment to service, many press organizations are more than happy to offer you a shout-out and increased coverage in their content.
3. Get to Know Specific Writers or Reporters
Sometimes press coverage isn’t about what you know — it’s who you know. But that’s like anything else in business, right?
That said, finding out who covers topics like those related to your industry or local community is a good way to increase the chances of getting your business included in a story.
You can send a message to these people and offer a story pitch. Or just give them your contact information in case there’s additional information you can assist with.
There’s also a website called Help a Reporter Out (HARO). This page makes it easy for journalists writing specific stories to get in touch with people who can offer a professional perspective on the issue.
In fact, it is considered an industry goldmine for those who want better brand coverage in the media.
4. Put Out Press Release to the News Wire
While this isn’t always the best choice, you can also put out press releases to the news wire in hopes someone from the media picks up on them.
Generally, this involves someone from your team writing the information in a specific format and submitting it for a small fee to PR Newswire or another similar service.
The information is generally short, to the point, and makes it easy to see why a media publication would want to get in touch with you.
This is one of those tactics that doesn’t always work out in the short term, but can be pretty fruitful in the future.
5. Use Social Media
These days, the news cycle moves incredibly fast.
If you have an idea for a story that is timely or could chime in on a topic that you understand professionally, look to social media pages for news outlets or magazines.
Often, they’re posting the need to talk to someone to complete a story. If you can pounce on this type of request quickly enough, your business can be the one to get the free press coverage.
Likewise, look for the comment section about newsworthy topics and the individual Facebook pages of certain writers or media personalities. More requests are sometimes hidden there, too.
6. Look for Submission Requirements for Your Favorite Publications
Many times, the industry magazines or publications that relate closely to your business have a page on their website on how to get your content featured.
Depending on their size, they may or may not require a small fee. But if you really want to get that exposure, it is definitely worth checking out.
Wrap Up: Getting Press and Media Coverage for Your Business
Getting noticed in the media is just as important today as it ever has been.
Knowing the benefits and the various options for getting in touch with these types of publications is important. With this guide, you should be able to boost your exposure in short order.
Ready to learn more about branding? Our Rock Content Brand Bundle is a great place to start.
