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7 Pro Tips for Getting Media Attention

Building brand awareness is one of the most important things that you can do for your business. After all, 82% of online consumers are likely to gravitate towards brands that they’re already familiar with. 

A lot of your marketing campaigns will focus on your own output: advertisements, email campaigns, social media content, and so forth. However, there’s one important element that you’ll need to harness and it requires the help of others. That element is media attention.

When we talk about media attention, we’re talking about coverage or mention of your business that comes from a third party. This can include social media influencers but, in a more traditional sense, it typically refers to the press. 

So, what can you do to grab media attention for your brand? Read on for seven pro tips for getting media attention.

  1. Start With a Worthwhile Pitch

This first step is often the one that gives business owners the most trouble. You want to grab media attention and now that you’re aware of how important this is, you feel like it’s urgent to do so ASAP. The question is, do you have something worth pitching?

Traditional media outlets are only going to pick up your story if there is, well, a story. This can include things like a major change in your company’s ownership or it can include an upcoming community event that you’re hosting. It can also include the launch of a new line of products or a revolutionary way of approaching customer service.

The underlying idea, here, is that the media is only going to cover your story if the pitch has some value for them. You both have the same end goal: to get readers’ eyes on the story. If media reps don’t think your pitch will accomplish that goal, they will almost always pass.

  1. Know Your Media Outlets

Once you know that you have a worthwhile pitch, it’s time to find reasonable placement for it. Don’t just reach out to any reporter, editor, or influencer in your town. Make sure that they write and share content that aligns with your message.

For example, a sportswriter isn’t going to pick up a story about a beauty salon–unless it has become a hot spot for local athletes. A food writer isn’t going to write about a home goods store–unless it has become the go-to decor shop for restaurants around town.

Even influencers on social media platforms like Instagram require some research. It may seem on the surface like influencers are promoting a wide assortment of products but the truth is that almost every influencer is working within a niche. If your products align with that niche, you may find success reaching out for media attention from that influencer.

  1. Get Personal

Another reason why it pays to do your research before contacting any media representatives is that you can get personal. What do we mean by that?

When you’re sending out your pitch, you can follow the same format and even send an identical message to each recipient. However, it’s a respectful touch to at least personalize the introduction of your message or email.

Address the writer or content creator by name and reference a recent article or post they’ve shared. Make mention of why you’ve chosen them as the recipient of your pitch. This not only shows that you’ve done your research but also that you value the writer or content creator for what they do. 

Ultimately, you’re going to create a better impression of yourself and your business if you personalize your messages.

  1. Create a Story

We keep using the word pitch but we don’t mean a “sales” pitch. Consumers today don’t feel moved by a bald sales pitch and, as a result, the media doesn’t want to put together a bald sales pitch. Instead, what you want to pitch is a story that will captivate an audience and lead them to your call to action. 

In fact, you should always strive to tell a story as a business. When you can share your story in a compelling way, customers will see more value in your business and feel moved to support it. 

Does that mean that you should wax poetic? You still want to make sure that you’re not sending along a pitch that’s stuffed with fluff. However, you do want to demonstrate real and human ways that your business strives to relate to customers and meet their needs.

  1. Cut to the Chase

When your goal is getting media attention, your best bet is to come up with a press release. All of our tips so far will help you to craft a successful and well-prepared press release. However, there’s one tip you really need to know if a press release is what you’re putting together.

Oftentimes, reporters publish press releases verbatim, or close to. However, they don’t always provide the amount of space your press release takes up in full. If they need to shorten it, they’ll most likely shave sentences off the bottom half, rather than editing a shorter but complete version. 

With this in mind, how should you put together your message? Make sure that the first three-four sentences cover the asbolute most important information: the who, the where, the when, the why, and the how. Take a look at these press release case studies to get examples of successful press release structures.

  1. Make Sure You’ve Included All Relevant Information

There are a lot of components that you need to include to enable smooth communication and to ensure that the media representative you’re sending your pitch to can create a post with ease. For starters, make sure that things like your name, email address, and phone number are plainly stated in your message. If you have any additional information that may help the representative to share your story, include that, too.

This can include things like graphs and charts that you’ve already made for your company. It can also include the contact information of any other relevant parties, such as a person you’ve quoted or whose testimonial you have shared.

The goal is to minimize the amount of back and forth needed to create an article or post around your pitch. The less a writer or influencer has to ask you for, the more likely they are to go forward with the story. Plus, when all of the information is delivered at once, this can help to speed up the process and get your story out into the world in a more timely manner.

  1. Stay on Top of Communication 

It’s your job to stay on top of communication with any media representatives you’ve reached out to but you want to avoid spamming them with messages.

Your pitch will almost always be time-sensitive. That means that you want to send it out at least five days before it needs to go live. That way, you can follow up in two to three days if you haven’t heard back, but don’t have to send a follow up the next day.

If your point of contact reaches out to you with further questions, don’t leave them hanging. Both reporters and influencers are usually juggling a lot of stories and content every single week. If they don’t hear from you in a prompt manner, you run the risk of losing their attention or losing your spot. 

That being said, make sure that whoever is in charge of this communication is the most qualified to do so. Whenever possible, you want to make sure that this person is capable of addressing any and all inqueries without having to get in touch with someone else in your company. You should also ensure that only one person from your company is handling all communication to avoid confusion or the risk of looking unorganized.

Secure Media Attention and Build Brand Awareness the Right Way

Getting media attention should be one of the pillars of your campaign to build brand awareness. Having a third party endorse your products or share your story is a great way to broaden your audience and create trust. With our guide, you can approach the process of grabbing media attention with ease.

Looking for more ways to boost your brand awareness in 2022? Take a look at our business content for tips, tricks, and guides that will help you to grow your audience, increase consumer trust, and allow your business to thrive for years to come.

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