The days of writing a monthly press release have moved on and there are far more ways to get noticed in the media than struggling to find a good subject for a press release that will engage editors.
Like publishing, the media has moved into a much more diverse range of platforms. Now you don’t need to beg editors to publish your content, not only can you publish it yourself, but there are so many other ways to get visibility.
1: Online journals
Most industries have publications that are only digital. Many of these publish articles daily, so they are always looking for material. You don’t need a ‘big story’, you do need a wealth of knowledge and experience to put together a really good article.
2: Local radio
Get to know the local radio stations. Ideally you want to talk to the programme producers, but on very small stations this may be the actual presenter. Again, they’re always looking for interesting material. If they don’t have a business section already, suggest it and round up your network to fill a regular slot.
3: Podcasts
Find out who the most listened to podcasts are in your target market. Contact the hosts and ask if they’d be interested in a chat. Getting featured on podcasts is a great way to gain credibility. Podcasts tend to be casual and conversational, but that doesn’t mean you don’t need a clear subject to talk around or the audience lose focus – and interest.
4: Clubhouse
The new boy on the block for social interaction. Currently only available on Mac devices, but should be coming for Androids later in the year, this is a step beyond podcasting. It’s an audio platform where you can host a ‘room’ and talk about your pet subject, interview other experts, have discussions or Q&A sessions. The difference between Clubhouse and a podcast is that it’s live and interactive.
5: Live streaming
You’ve probably heard of Facebook Live – and LinkedIn has the same facility. This allows you to do a live broadcast on their platform and interact with those who are watching live. The plus is that the live broadcast is saved and appears on your feed as a recording that people can watch later. If you really want to do this well, a service like Streamyard allows you to record and then ‘live stream’ into multiple platforms, this means you can respond to comments personally live, which is difficult if you’re actually broadcasting live at the same time.
A little advice …
Don’t wing it with any of these strategies. Preparation makes you look professional. Have topics ready, if you’re running a Q&A session, have some questions prepared in case people are slow to step up.
If you’re looking for invitations to radio programmes, podcasts or pitching articles to online journals have your subjects and a summary prepared before you make contact.
A short professional bio with your headshot and a 1-2 paragraph overview of your expertise, experience, background is also a useful thing to have to hand.
Getting into the media isn’t as difficult as it might look – it just takes a little planning and consistency.
