The days of press releases being the only route to getting publicity are long gone. Today’s editors are looking for something much more interesting than your latest product launch.
In fact, getting published is actually easier – there are new publications popping up daily – most of them online – and they’re hungry for good articles, so if you choose the right publications and can give them something that will educate and inform their readers, they’re likely to be receptive.
Choose your publications carefully. If your target market is local and direct to consumer then local magazines may be a great place to promote your services. If your audience is national or global then online publications are probably a better bet.
Don’t get carried away with distribution figures – a national daily may have a distribution list of hundreds of thousands, but how many of them are your ideal client? An industry journal may only have a distribution list of a few thousand – but if they’re all your ideal clients (or most of them) you’re much more likely to make an impact.
There are also online platforms where journalists post requests for quotes and expert opinion. Again there is a cost in terms of a subscription and you would need to be on there daily to make the most of it – this is more the domain of professional PR executives. If you have a good PR company that offers you a couple of mentions in your chosen press a month, it can be worthwhile; there are companies that have gone from zero to hero with good PR coverage.
Influence the influencers
But it’s a mistake to stop there. There are so many other ways to get noticed.
Does your target niche have bloggers, YouTubers or podcasters who they follow? If they do there’s an opportunity to engage with those people. At the free and simple end you can always share what they publish on your social media with an intelligent comment, or comment under their post/blog/video.
Real influencers cost money as that’s how they pay their bills, but not all of them are expensive and you could get coverage or promotion to their followers for as little as £50 – although some cost thousands. It depends on the size of their subscriber/follower list and also on the level of engagement they get.
Get a gong
Another aspect of PR is to either win an award or sponsor an award for your target market.
Search online for your industry awards or local/regional business awards and enter. When you’re completing your entry, the hottest tip we have is to answer the question they ask, not the one you wish they’d asked!
If your target market have industry awards and you have a budget, offer to sponsor an award and then your brand will be in every mention of the award and you’ll be in all the pictures with the winners!
It all comes back to knowing who you’re trying to reach and what they read, view or listen to.
