Press coverage can be a powerful way to get your business’ name out there. It’s the perfect tool to market your brand without giving the dreaded hard sell and provides an incredible reputation boost.
But while that’s all well and good, scoring media coverage can be a serious challenge – especially if you’re not a particularly newsworthy business. It’s a problem faced by many companies and business leaders: you want to get media coverage, but you can’t think of anything important to share with the world. Journalists are always on the hunt for a juicy story, but if your company is distinctly drama-free, it can be difficult to get their attention.
A lot of the time, the problem boils down to businesses confusing ‘a good story’ with ‘free advertising’. If you’re approaching a journalist with a piece of sales copy that’s been badly disguised as a news story, you’re not going to get anywhere. The journalist will be able to spot your ploy a mile off, and won’t even justify your message with a response.
But do not stress, getting this attention is not impossible, especially if you have the knowledge, skills and tools to do so and we are here to help. Let’s discuss how to get media coverage for your business in 2022.
So what’s the solution? While it might seem hopeless, in reality, there are a lot of ways to score that all-important media coverage. If you don’t have any interesting news to share from your day-to-day business life, then it’s time to roll up your sleeves and make something newsworthy.
Research
One of the most popular ways to get media coverage for your business in 2022 is through research, especially when the findings reveal something new about an important industry issue. The research doesn’t need to be the most academic in the world: an online survey usually works fine. As long as you can get enough people involved, then a journalist should still be interested in what you’ve discovered.
And if you don’t have the time or resources for conducting your own research, then why not try to make a compelling story out of someone else’s? As always, think like a journalist: are there any new pieces of research available on the Australian Bureau of Statistics? Is there any way you could transform this research into a meaningful story about something that’s happening in your industry? These are the kinds of questions that go through a journalist’s head every day. Make sure they’re always on your mind, too.
Understanding What Makes a Story Newsworthy
Sometimes receiving hundreds of pitches per day, media outlets, journalists and the like are limited in how many of these they actually open and read. Consider the way you are presenting your story and ask questions such as ‘what makes mine unique?’ ‘what can I do to attract their attention?’ and ‘is my story newsworthy’? If you can easily answer all of these questions, you are more likely to get your pitch seen.
No matter the product or service that you are selling, you want to demonstrate that your story is thrilling, exclusive and something that they cannot ignore.
Pitching to the Right Audience
Ensuring that you are pitching to the right audience is key when trying to gain media coverage. Reach out to those within your industry, as they are more likely to take interest in your brand. Remember that your ultimate aim is to reach your target audience and boost sales so it is important to get media coverage in a medium that will achieve this. Choose media outlets, journalists, bloggers, and influencers that align with your values. Write personalised pitches and consider the advice of John Brackett, founder of Smash Balloon, when he says ‘You should never spam a million journalists at once, nor should you spam one journalist a million times‘.
The Power of Social Media in 2022
It is no secret that social media is an integral part of doing business in 2022. The backbone of business strategies and a great way to build connections with both new and existing consumers, utilising social media can be a fantastic way to achieve media coverage. By finding influencers in your industry who align with your company values, you can reach thousands of potential clients and customers. Statista reported that the global influencer marketing value in 2021 was a massive 13.8bn USD and the average engagement rate of influencers on TikTok in 2020 was 15.86%. Judging from these statistics, the use of influencers to gain media coverage is very successful.
Be Present in the Community
Don’t be afraid to start small when trying to get media coverage for your business. Why not attend local business events or join corporate social responsibility campaigns for example? Connecting with your community in this way can attract the attention of local journalists and media outlets, which is a great stepping-stone to obtaining regional or national media coverage.
Hijack an Existing News Story
Another way to score coverage is by hijacking existing news stories. Housing is almost always in the news, so there are ripe pickings for anyone working in the home building industry. When a big story breaks, get in touch with your local journalist to let them know that you are available to comment. Over time, you might even become that journalist’s go-to authority on a certain topic. Yet again, the best way to make this happen is to think like a journalist: keep an eye out for stories, try to predict when they’re going to break, and make sure you’re available to comment when they do.
Try Writing Opinion Pieces & Advice Articles
While hard news is clearly a great way to score coverage, it’s useful to think beyond the daily news cycle. Another great way to get your name out there, for example, is through opinion pieces. These are usually articles written by business leaders under their byline, on a topic that’s close to their heart. They don’t necessarily have to be based around anything currently in the headlines, as long as the topic is interesting enough.
Start by researching the trade publications in your industry, and figure out if they accept opinion pieces from external writers. Take a look at the kinds of topics they like to publish, and consider if you have anything interesting to add to the conversation. Chances are, you have a whole heap of opinions just waiting to be written.
Advice articles are similar to opinion pieces, but with an added benefit: they position you as an authority in your field. If you’ve been trusted to share your knowledge with a publication’s readers, chances are, potential customers will believe you’re smart enough to help them too.
Interviews
Interviews and feature opportunities are another great way to get your name out there. Are you a respected figure in your field? Has one of your colleagues been with the company for decades? Has your business got an unusual history? If so, chances are, there’s a journalist out there who might want to talk to you about it.
Working With a Public Relations Company
When it comes to getting media coverage, public relation marketing firms are experts. With media relations in Sydney, expert knowledge and unparalleled experience, they have the potential to get you the exposure and reach that your business needs to thrive.
For a dedicated service, look no further than the PR agency in Sydney team here at Pure Public Relations. Working with a variety of businesses including small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), we have the knowledge, skills and tools to really take your business to the next level. We believe in the importance of listening to our clients and creating personalised proposals that deliver results. Get in touch to meet our team and let’s work together to get the media coverage that your business deserves.
Conclusion
I began this article with a premise: you don’t have anything interesting to share. I’d like to invite you to question this assumption. Many of my clients are completely unaware of the incredible stories they have at their fingertips, and the chances are you are too. Have you ever triumphed during a challenging time? Did you build your business from nothing? Do you have any remarkable members of staff? These are all starting points for incredible stories that a journalist would love to tell. All you have to do is make sure they can be heard.
