Online press coverage is important for the success of any small business. The benefits include establishing trust and credibility with audiences all over the internet, bringing traffic to your website and store from other websites, and establishing backlinks (links going from other websites to yours) that will strengthen your search engine optimization (SEO).
In our previous article, we talked about the 15 most effective strategies to get published online. In this article, we’re going to talk about how to pitch publications to make those strategies work, with help from experts in the field.
Getting the media coverage you want can be tough. There are a lot of businesses competing for attention, and you need to make sure you present your company in the best possible light. That’s why we’re going to help you by showing you how to find the right publishing outlets for your business, how to connect and engage with journalists, and how to write a winning pitch to get YOU featured online.
The first question you need to answer when planning your PR campaign is who you will pitch to. This includes finding publications, journalists, bloggers, and websites that fit your needs. The best way to find these is to start by understanding your niche and target market. Once you identify potential publishers, keep track of them so you can easily reference them later.
1. Start with Who, What, Where, When, & Why.
If you want to start securing press coverage, Maria Eilersen, Founder of Be Conscious PR, recommends you start by identifying what you want to achieve and who your target audience is. Once you’ve done that, it’ll be easier to come up with key messages about your brand. If you want to be seen as an expert on something, make a list of themes or topics you can be an authority on.
In Paul Chittenden’s opinion, startups should focus on quality over quantity when it comes to media attention. Rather than trying to get as much attention as possible, they should focus on getting attention from qualified prospects. Chittenden suggests targeting specific reporters in publications that cover your niche or story angle, and giving them a story that fits what they typically write about.
2. Tailor it to address their individual needs.
If you want your customer to say yes, make sure your offer is specific and tailored to their needs. Take the time to do it right and make it as easy as possible for them to say yes.
3. Research reporters in your niche.
After figuring out who your target audience is and what they want, look for other organizations and journalists that would fit well with your story. This way, you can have a mutually beneficial relationship where you feature each other on your websites.
“If you want to start doing proactive outreach, consume the media you want to pitch,” says Maria of Be Conscious PR. “Familiarize yourself with the kinds of stories these outlets cover, make a note of the reporters who cover topics that are relevant to your brand and research these journalists before contacting them. Taking the time to find the right reporter saves you a lot of unanswered emails and rejections, so do your homework!”
Cain suggests you research publications that have an audience that would be interested in your message. If you’re not sure where to start, try looking into what publications your competitors are mentioned in. Find the specific category and writers, bloggers, or journalists who would be the best fit for your particular pitch. Look at 5 or more past articles they’ve written to get a sense of the subject matter they typically cover.
4. Know your partner’s (company) motivations.
It’s important to know what motivates your prospect. A well-researched pitch from a business perspective is a given, but do you really understand the values that guide your prospect’s decision making? Make sure your pitch reflects an understanding of the culture your prospect is trying to create with their brand.
5. Tell a story.
Instead of starting with slides, Shaloo Garg from Microsoft suggests starting with a story that ties in with what you’ve heard in previous meetings and what the future goals are. Garg believes that people connect better with stories than slides.
6. Keep a running list of people to pitch and ideas to pitch them.
You will need to keep track of all the publications that match or complement your niche in an organized fashion. You will also need to keep track of all the content topics you might pitch, so you have an ample supply of pitch material at the ready.
Many blogs accept guest posts, and even if a blog does not have an obvious guest post policy, the blog might still be open to receiving one. Dan Bailey, President of WikiLawn Lawn Care, recommends that small business owners keep track of the major blogs in their niche and create a list of evergreen and current topics to pitch. When pitching a blog, it is important to tailor the pitch to the blog’s audience, as this makes it more likely that the pitch will be accepted and that the pitch will be more beneficial.
Michael Becce, CEO of MRB Public Relations, suggests that small businesses should not shy away from trying to get media coverage from major outlets. He says that journalists are always on the lookout for new perspectives and ideas, and if you have something unique to say, you should reach out to media outlets that cover your industry.
7. Connect and build relationships to optimize your chances.
After you have a long list of publications to pitch to, the next step is to get in touch with them. You can do this by building relationships with journalists and potential partner organizations, and joining media communities and online PR tools where you can directly connect with reporters.
8. Follow and engage with journalists in their native habitats.
The goal of connecting with journalists is to expand your network and offer value. You can accomplish this by following and liking their content, and striking up a conversation.
Leah Frazier of Think Three Media suggests looking for journalists on Twitter and LinkedIn. Many list their email addresses in their Twitter bio, so you can pitch them directly. This works for both local and national journalists. Another option is to introduce yourself via a LinkedIn message and then connect with them outside of the platform via email.
It can be beneficial to get to know the work of journalists who cover similar businesses to yours, in order to better understand how to pitch a story to them. Pull PR Co’s Georgia Branch recommends researchign 5 such journalists and reading as much of their work as possible, in order to get a sense of the themes they discuss and the stories that have been most popular. Additionally, she recommends following them on social media and engaging with their content to increase your chances of getting their attention when you make a pitch.
9. Align yourself with the partner’s goals, culture and values.
Be sure that your goals, culture, and values are aligned with those of your potential partner. Frame your pitch so that it demonstrates how your two organizations are a good match and how working together can lead to successful outcomes.
10. Identify the attrition point.
Most people crafting a pitch focus on what will attract a partner, which makes it non-unique. To more efficiently focus on what counts and ensure the most urgent needs are addressed, think about all the points that could make a partner leave.
11. Make it truly personalized.
Do not feel like you have to start from scratch with each new person you meet. Instead, look at each interaction as an opportunity for a new story. It is beneficial to adapt your offer and conversation to the customer to make it seem more personal. Spend some time investigating their interests so that you can build a rapport with them. This will be appreciated by the person you are talking to.
12. Share a success story about a large customer.
CEO One of our largest customers chose our company because we did something that had a positive impact and their ROI has been good since they’ve been a customer. People want to see evidence of success in order to trust that the company can be successful for them as well.
13. Make an emotional connection.
By speaking through stories, you are more likely to emotionally connect with your audience and leave them wanting more. Storytelling is a powerful way to communicate your pitch, and using examples, analogies, and vulnerable, authentic language will make your story even more impactful.
14. Show how you can create value for for partner.
I suggest thinking in terms of what value you can offer instead of making a pitch. A pitch is all about you, but a value proposition is about what you can do for them. If you can answer that question, it will surprise your partner or prospect and lead to a conversation that will be beneficial for both of you.
15. Understand what’s important to your partner.
To make sure your pitch is relevant and powerful, take the time to understand what your partner values most. Start by reading their mission statement and key initiatives, and then look for recent press coverage and social media posts. Knowing what’s most important to your partner will help you tailor your pitch so that it hits the right notes.
Make Your Pitches Happen Consistently Over The Long Haul!
In conclusion, we need to discuss how you will be able to fit these pitches into your schedule as a busy business owner.
Dawn Jones, the owner of Pressed PR, has some advice for those looking to get their brand out there: do it yourself! Set aside an hour or two each week to research and cultivate contacts at potential publications you want to be featured in, and pitch your story or angle directly to them. Even if you’re only pitching one or two outlets a week, you’re making progress and creating awareness around your brand. And don’t get discouraged if you get a ‘no’ from a writer, or if they don’t respond at all – you’re still building awareness around your brand. The same writer may be doing a piece six months from now and remember your brand from the pitch you sent, so be patient.
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