The secret to getting media attention - accept for paying them - is doing something newsworthy. Organic coverage tops paid media every time.
It’s a two-way street. Like you need coverage, media outlets need content – that gets them clicks. It all comes down to an eye-popping story, pitched with grace.
An editorial or writing professionally in PR receives 3,167 emails each month on average, as per Harvard Business Review. Why would they open yours?
Writers from popular publications block your email if you continuously pitch uninteresting ideas. Having a Solid Company Story promotes your cause. Take a look at this example:
How to Develop a Newsworthy Brand Story?
Visual Aid is crucial when pitching your story. It helps editors attach a face to your brand and serves as proof for your claims.
Visuals can be infographics, videos, or gifs to enhance the credibility of your story. Providing first-hand visuals allows writers to begin immediately as they already have everything they need.
Here’s an example of a cosmetic company using the image of a beauty vlogging influencer.
Tips to Providing Visual Aid:
Your goals must be measurable and contain a definitive timeline. Set measurable goals that you can review at regular intervals. Tweak them based on your performance and drawbacks.
For example, Coinbase’s PR team decided to show their Media outreach is a tiresome task. You’re bound to get distracted without an action plan.
You can use excel to keep a tab of desired publications and their employees to create an outreach strategy.
Examples of Well-Crafted Goals
The best example of this is the PR stunt of Coinbase at the Superbowl event.
Measurable Goal: “I will pitch eight well-known publications this month.”
Measurable Goal: “I want New York Times to publish my brand story.”
Always begin with an introduction, as pitching directly to the editors won’t get you much attention. 64% of writers prefer pitches from personal connections.
Connect with companies that publications have collaborated with and ask them to introduce you to the publication. Network with local journalists face-to-face to increase the chances for pitch approval.
How to Network?
Here’s a sample screenshot of how you can filter the right people to connect with.
The data from Buzzstream’s recent webinar with 500 writers and editors is surprising. 81% of them preferred emails over other social media platforms.
The reason is that the pitches on social media platforms are often spammy and lack common interest. Cold emailing with a follow-up strategy works best.
Tips to craft an irresistible pitch:
Restraint towards following up is natural as there’s a risk of sounding pushy. But you can’t skip it. Editors have around 200 emails at all times.
Hence, most companies use automated follow-up (as shown in the image) emails to reduce time and not miss any prospects.
A follow-up message reminds them that you deserve attention. Use a CRM like HubSpot CRM to automate your follow-up strategy and manage customer relationships.
Create a Follow-Up Strategy:
Neil Patel says that he got free PR from TechCrunch by doing free marketing. He’s an adamant preacher of making a deal rather than asking for stuff. See what your business can do with that agency or its employees.
How to Make a Deal?
MS-Excel is not the only PR tool there is. Modern PR Tech constitutes media relation tools, outreach tools, press release distribution, and online newsroom software.
PR tools can be generic or specific to a purpose like outreach, media relations, and monitoring. Choose tools that fit your needs and sit well with your PR team.
All-in-one PR Tools
Read: Step-by-Step Process to Do PR Outreach for Local Businesses
It’s better to target Freelance Reports than outlets as a single reporter can get you opportunities from various channels. Freelance Reporters are highly enthusiastic about getting their work published, increasing your chances.
Make sure you research the persons you’re reaching out to cover your story. Here’s an example that you ought to avoid.
How to Find Freelance Reports for Your Brand?
Twitter is the birthplace of every content piece. CFOs, CMOs, writers, and editors tweet about their requirements and plans. It gives you inside access to all things popular.
How to Get Leads Through Twitter?
Posting something trendy is the number one method to get media traction. Brands do this all the time, and media or advertisement outlets pick them up.
Once you create a trending story, please post it in your online newsroom and market in full throttle. Here’s an example of a similar kind.
A relatable meme from your business that uses a trending song or show goes a long way.
Tools to Identify Current Trends:
Brian Dean, the founder of Baklinko, says that his first curated report got backlinks from Forbes and HubSpot. Why? Because it takes a lot of time to create such reports and journalists need them.
Use case studies to build detailed data reports with valuable research to the journalists in your niche. Or analyze existing data and compile it into an account. For example, the big players like Meta, amazon share their quarterly or yearly data reports that publications publish.
Take a look at this screenshot:
Benefits of a Data Report:
Modern businesses know that employee experience is glamorized all around social media. Employees from HubSpot and Ahrefs hold high authority over marketers. It works well for the brand.
It works best on LinkedIn, where employees use their accounts to preach about the product.
How to Use Your Team to Get Media Coverage?
One such example is that digital marketing podcasts are loved by audiences who look to promote their brand online.
For those who don’t know: News + Hijacking = Newsjacking. It means piggybacking on viral news trends and using them to your marketing advantage. Marketing geniuses around the world use this to get sensational media coverage.
Examples of Newsjacking:
HARO stands for Help a Reporter Out. It helps journalists with new stories and data. Journalists can post queries requests on HARO to get a reply from professionals in that niche.
Brands to this to get backlinks. Target journalists from publications you want to be published in and give relevant answers.
How to Make the Most of HARO?
Brice has been handling marketing projects for more than 12 years and he is providing consulting services on SEO, Social Media and PPC. He has a huge expertise in working at large corporations including Accenture Interactive & PwC Digital Services.
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Metrics to Track in Local SEO Audit
SMM Benefits for Local Businesses
Local SEO Tips to Drive Foot Traffic
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Local 3-Pack for Small Businesses
Content Type That Helps Local SEO
Offline Advertising Tips for Local Businesses
Tips to Handle Local Competition
Tips to Gain Quality Links for Local SEO
Promote Local Businesses Using Instagram
Increase Site Speed of Local Businesses
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Business That Benefit From Local SEO
Technical SEO for Local Businesses
Optimize for Google Local 3-Pack
Hyperlocal Marketing for Business Growth
Tips to Promote Local Biz on Facebook
Local SEO Mistakes Moving Companies Make
Local Business Directories Benefits and Tips to Use
Blogging Tips for Local Businesses
Brice has been handling marketing projects for more than 12 years and he is providing consulting services on SEO, Social Media and PPC. He has a huge expertise in working at large corporations including Accenture Interactive & PwC Digital Services.
Tips to Choose Local SEO Agency
Common Google My Business Mistakes
Effect of Covid on Local Marketers
Video Marketing for Local Businesses
Pr Outreach for Local Businesses
Tips to Rank on Google Local 3-Pack
Metrics to Track in Local SEO Audit
SMM Benefits for Local Businesses
Local SEO Tips to Drive Foot Traffic
How Local SEO Firm Save Your Money
Local 3-Pack for Small Businesses
Content Type That Helps Local SEO
Offline Advertising Tips for Local Businesses
Tips to Handle Local Competition
Tips to Gain Quality Links for Local SEO
Promote Local Businesses Using Instagram
Increase Site Speed of Local Businesses
Do Local Businesses Need a Website
Business That Benefit From Local SEO
Technical SEO for Local Businesses
Optimize for Google Local 3-Pack
Hyperlocal Marketing for Business Growth
Tips to Promote Local Biz on Facebook
Local SEO Mistakes Moving Companies Make
Local Business Directories Benefits and Tips to Use
Blogging Tips for Local Businesses