Every startup owner craves some media coverage and attention for their brand. They want it and know the benefits they could enjoy, but they can’t come up with ways or resources to drum up media coverage in the way they would like. Few startups can afford to work with a PR agency at the start of their journey, which is why it is relatively hard for them to create a stellar media pitch for coverage.
Major media placements at the very beginning of a brand’s journey can be wonderful for entrepreneurs. Such media placements increase brand awareness when it is desperately required, build credibility for your new organization and help pull in massive amounts of leads and sales. The competitive advantage you get through media coverage gives you the jumping pad you need to launch your brand in the industry.
Determine Newsworthiness
The very first thing to consider when planning a media publicity campaign is to find out exactly what makes you and your brand newsworthy. As crazy as it sounds, media outlets only consider newsworthy and trendy items, because that is what gets their attention from their users. Consider whether the service you’re in or the industry you’re a part of is trending amongst customers of a specific niche.
If you aren’t able to find a specific trendy topic related to a niche, look at what is relevant and timely within your industry. With research and attention, you might uncover a controversy or a conflict that your business can weigh in on. Going through these possible brainstorming points will help you uncover a newsworthy angle to your media placement and give you the traction you require with media outlets.
Credibility
Now that you have uncovered newsworthy details related to your business, it is time that you consider what makes your business credible in the industry. In other words, you have to find out what makes your business trustworthy and believable to your potential audience. Your customers will only find your content and media release readable if you are able to create an initial layer of trust and credibility. This layer is what will eventually bring them toward buying your products or using your services.
Media Bio
Many new businesses consider using their website bios for their media bios. If you’re also wanting to do so, then our simple answer is ‘no’. Your website bio and ‘About Us’ sections are generally lengthy and elaborate. They talk about your journey and where you started among a number of other things. Typically, website bios can often cross the 1,000-word barrier, extending to over 5,000 words at times. Believe us when we say that your media bio has to be much shorter than this.
Create a specific and concise boilerplate for your company and use that for all your media placements. Most PR companies recommend this and want the bio to explain what you do within 2 paragraphs at most.
Find the Right Media Outlet
Start your search for the right media outlet once you have finalized your new media bio. You can go through the internet for relevant media publications and find the number of annual subscribers or monthly readers for the magazine. Base your selection on facts than just general likeness.
The Pitch
Once you’ve unearthed the contact details of the magazine from the online world, you should start work on finalizing your pitch. The pitch you make is an important part of the overall success and determines a large chunk of it.
Additionally, when you do talk to a journalist, make sure that your email conveys your understanding of the reader and what they want. This is the best way to gain rapport with media outlets and show your understanding of the industry. Keep the primary pitch limited to 200 to 300 words and explain your business as well.
Pitch Follow Up
Once you’ve made the pitch, wait for 2 or 3 days before you follow up for a positive response. You might be tempted to call them up, but do not call unless you know the contact personally. If you don’t receive a reply after two follow-ups, don’t be discouraged and start looking for alternative media outlets for your story. Keep repeating the process we have mentioned above to finally get your way into the media industry and find coverage for your startup.
Securing media coverage shouldn’t cost your brand tens of thousands of dollars. Instead, if you have credible content ready, you can pitch your plans to the media yourself and successfully save money in the process.
