Creating PR opportunities takes time. So you want any coverage you get to be as far-reaching and effective as possible. Here are 10 steps to maximising your press coverage:
Before you Pitch:
- Work out your USPs
What are your unique selling points? What makes you stand out from the competition? Perhaps you’re an industry expert on a particular topic. Or maybe your brand has an original backstory. Find unique angles to inspire your pitches and get journalists on board.
2. Research Publications and Journalists
Publications related to your business are much more likely to give you extensive coverage. Research publications. Then delve further to find the sections and journalists who regularly feature content like the content you’d like to pitch.
3. Build your Media List
When you’ve found publications of interest, create your own media list. Put details of publications, journalists and their contact details into a spreadsheet. Having a go-to list of contacts makes it easier to find the right person for the right pitch at the right time.
4. Build Relationships with Journalists
Build relationships with journalists through social media sites like LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. When they’re already aware of you, they’re much more likely to run a full story on you.
5. Be Topical
Make your pitches topical. Think about any seasonal or national events that are coming up. Research awareness days and weeks. And find the editorial calendars of publications you’re interested in to see what they’ll be covering throughout the year.
6. Create Amazing Content
When you have amazing content on your website, journalists will sometimes come to you. Conduct surveys and opinion polls. Publish case studies. Conduct market research into industry trends. Get your content quoted in a few publications and things can quickly snowball.
Once you’ve been covered:
- Drive Traffic to a Story
When a journalist features you or your brand, shout it from the rooftops. Share it on social media networks and in marketing emails. Drive as much traffic to the story as possible. Not only will this raise your profile, it will also make a journalist more likely to feature you again.
2. Create Your Own Content About the Coverage
Get greater PR return on any coverage by creating your own content about it. Write a blog post or a press release about being featured in a particular publication.
3. Use Coverage to Boost Credibility
Being featured in a major publication can boost your brand credibility. Don’t be afraid to mention the feature in future marketing campaigns or in subsequent pitches to the media. The fact that you’ve been featured once can improve your chances of getting featured again.
4. Evaluate
Assess the success of any coverage by maintaining records of social shares, links, referral traffic, and the number of leads generated. This will help you to see which publications, journalists and stories have the biggest effect on your bottom line. And help you to decide who to approach in future.
By pitching stories that inspire journalists and making any features work hard for your brand, you’ll successfully maximise your press coverage. That means using less of your time and money to create big PR returns.
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