Building brand visibility is as crucial as the quality of your products or service. While paid advertising has a time and a place, there’s a certain amount of credibility that comes from editorial mentions and features that can really set you apart.
The good news? There are quite a few avenues you can pursue to secure these coveted spots… however, it is a long game and relies on building good connections. Let’s look into a few of these routes:
Be present on social media (and no we don’t just mean posting about your business!)
Social media isn’t just for promoting, it’s also about networking. Platforms like X (formerly Twitter), Linkedin and even Instagram are a gold-mine for editorial opportunities. Where can you find these we hear you ask?
Relevant hashtags: Search for hashtags like #journorequest or #PRrequest where journalists often post their needs for sources or stories. Beware: There’s no quick way to filter these posts, so you do need to be willing to check regularly.
Engage with Media Professionals: Follow and interact with journalists and editors who cover your industry. A retweet, a comment, or a share can go a long way. Remember: If you’ve worked with someone on an article to follow them, and stay in touch afterwards. You never know where that connection may lead!
Publish Thought Leadership Content: Write insightful posts or articles on LinkedIn or Medium to showcase your expertise. Editors often scout these platforms for industry experts.
Be active on industry forums and online communities relevant to your niche
Online communities like Reddit, Quora, Facebook groups and Industry-specific forums are an excellent way to share your knowledge and establish a presence as someone who is in the know. By answering questions and providing valuable advice, you will be noticed by community members and moderators, who may refer to your answers in their content.
Leverage Help a Report Out (HARO)
A little-known secret, HARO is a platform where journalists submit queries looking for experts to contribute to their articles. Sometimes this may be a written or video contribution, other times, journalists are looking to test your physical product and feature it. By signing up as a source, you can receive daily emails with a list of topics that journalists need information on and responding promptly can land you a mention or article about you.
Create press releases for major business updates
It can be easy to think that ‘PR’ is reserved for much larger companies, but it is just as relevant for smaller ones. If your business is launching a new product, hosting an event or reaching a significant milestone, you should be talking about it. Create a PR article and distribute it through free PR websites. Make sure it’s newsworthy to increase its chances of being picked up by media outlets.
Think local
Sometimes local mentions are just as valuable as national ones, so try to think laterally about any news sources in the area who might be able to feature you and reach out! If you’re not sure who to speak to, harness tools like Linkedin to find the right member of the team and reach out.
Have we got you thinking?
Gaining exposure isn’t a quick job, however, with a proactive approach and by utilising the right free resources, you might just find yourself being featured in a few different places. Don’t forget, backlinks to your website from other well-ranking websites will always benefit your SEO – so you’re winning no matter what!
Consistency is key with staying at the forefront of journalist’s minds, so remember to keep engaging, contributing and networking.
