How to get press coverage

Have you ever seen other businesses in the media and wished you could get some press coverage too?  Or have you assumed it’s just for big companies with big PR budgets? 

If you’d like to raise your profile in the media, the good news is that with the right story, written the right way, it’s well within your reach. 

For those of you who haven’t done any PR yet but would like to give it a go, you might find it’s much more straightforward than you think. 

And it’s worth a try. While social media is great for sharing your news, it has its limits. You’re likely to gain much more credibility from a publication writing about your business.   

Hiring the agency

If you don’t have the time or inclination to publicise your business yourself, but are keen to pursue media coverage, investing in the services of a good PR could be money well spent. 

When looking for the right one for your requirements, one of the green flags to have on your checklist is journalism experience. It’s not a must, though: good PR people come from a wide range of backgrounds. 

It can also be a plus to work with an agency or independent PR that has experience in your sector – but it’s not always necessary.  Fundamental PR skills mean that many agencies and freelancers can work across sectors, if they want to, although many do prefer to specialise. 

Working together

Before choosing who to work with, ask yourself if you have a rapport with the person who will be making your press coverage happen – whether they’re a freelancer or a member of a team. Also find out if you’re going to be working with the person you initially meet with, or if your account will be delegated to someone else.   

It might sound obvious, but it’s wise to take on board your PR’s advice. Nobody knows your business like you do, so your input is necessary and valued, but let their experience guide you. Some factors will be beyond their control, though, so outcomes can never be guaranteed. 

A good PR will be able to help you find ways to generate press coverage about your business, as well as to publicise potential stories you have already identified.  For instance, if there is news within your company that you might have overlooked, they will see it. They will craft it into a story and create press coverage from it. They will know which publications are looking for these kinds of stories – and they know how to deliver it. The same goes for features. 

DIY 

Would you rather do it yourself, but don’t know where to start?  One of the first steps is to identify your news (which should be recent). Does it relate to a promotion; business growth; an event; a new appointment; an award; a new contract win; a collaboration; a move to new premises; a new product or service; the launch of your business; or the opening of a new branch/office/outlet? These are just a few of the potentially newsworthy possibilities.     

Think about your target audience and target publications for your news, in other words, who you want to tell and which publications they’re likely to read. But you also need to see your story through the eyes of reporters and editors. Research your target publications thoroughly and take a good look at your story or potential feature.  How does it compare to these magazines’ and newspapers’ other stories and features: is yours likely to fit their criteria? 

Telling the story

If you haven’t written a press release before, there are many free templates available on the internet, or you can use AI to create it for you. 

When you start putting your story together, bear in mind that content for the media is very different from marketing content.

The preferred structure for a news release is the facts of who, what, where, when and why. Anything that the journalist might like to know but which isn’t part of the story goes in notes to editor. 

Also, keep sentences short, check for accuracy, include numbers where appropriate and use clear, plain, simple English.

Avoid words that you might use in your marketing content, like ‘unique’ (unless, of course, whatever you’re talking about is undoubtedly unique).  Avoid other marketing ‘filler’ too, as it’s unlikely to be used.  Also, steer clear of jargon and if you’re using terminology that readers might not be familiar with, briefly explain what it means.

When writing your quotes, avoid saying that you’re thrilled, excited, humbled or delighted to announce something. To be fair, it is sometimes hard to find a substitute, but it’s worth trying.  Also, there’s no need to repeat info in your quotes that you’ve already included elsewhere – it’s unlikely that it will be referred to more than once.    

If you’re using AI to create your press release, check that it reflects the right tone for your business. Review it carefully before you send it, to check all is correct (and to edit out the ‘clunkiness’). 

If the editor asks questions, your first thought might be to direct them to your website – but they might be asking because the info is not on your website or they need you to expand on or to clarify something. So, help them out, because the goal is to present your story accurately and make it interesting for readers, which is helpful for both you and the editor.

Want to see it before it’s published? That’s unlikely, in most circumstances. Instead, check out the publication’s other news stories and features in advance, to get an idea of what yours might look like, when it appears.  A focus on producing a story that’s well-written, accurate and similar in style and tone to the publication’s other content, may result in less tweaking. 

Publications usually have a style guide that they work to.  They are not all the same, although they tend to follow the same line on grammar basics. If you see an error or typo, they will want to know, and it’s likely it will be changed quickly. 

Developing good media relationships, through providing high-quality, newsworthy, interesting and accurate content can be a valuable exercise in raising the profile of your business.  Take note, though, that publications might not cover every story you send them. 

Publication

It’s exciting to get press coverage but make sure to keep your expectations realistic. The whole story might not be printed – maybe even just a few lines will be used. Also, be prepared for it not to be picked up at all. This can be disappointing but don’t give up. There are many reasons why a story doesn’t always make it, no matter how good it is. 

Results 

Don’t just rely on press coverage (or any other one channel), to raise the profile of your business – a full marketing and communications strategy and plan to work from is the best foundation for success.