How to get press coverage

Are you trying to get your companies name into the media? When you are trying to get press coverage, you need to focus on the things the media is seeking in order to convince them to cover a story on your business.

Hire a PR firm
One way to get the press coverage you are seeking is to hire a PR firm. A PR firm will help you acquire press coverage by sending out quality press releases and other information that is geared toward the media. The other great thing about a PR firm is that they already have the connections you need to get "in" with the media. They will be able to provide you with quality and timely media coverage as they have the relationships with the news media members that cover stories based on your particular industry. Finding the right reporter is one of the biggest obstacles companies face as they are trying to gain the media coverage they need in order boost their exposure to their niche market.

Establish goals
Another way to get press coverage is to establish some goals for your business. What do you hope to accomplish? Are you marketing to the correct audience? What do you want your customers to remember about your business and how are you planning to tell this message to the media? When you establish goals for your business, you will be able to easily communicate your message in a timely manner and you will also be able to penetrate the media correctly as you know which reporters to target.

Develop a media plan
In order to reach the media, you must have a media plan. A media plan allows you to figure out how to write quality press releases and it helps you stay focused with your overall marketing plan. In the media plan you want to explain the various media outlets that are available for your company and the tactics you wish to use in order to reach them. Press kits are essential when dealing with the media as you need to provide them with accurate information that explains what your company is and how you are reaching your customers. Make sure the press kits are easy to read and that they have just the right balance of information in order to help the news media collect the information they need.

Hire the right employees
A good PR program is only as good as the people working for the company. Are you hiring the right employees to send out the message to your customers? Look for employees that have quality public speaking skills as they will be in charge of meeting with the media and answering their questions. You also want employees that know how to write press releases. These press releases will be able to help you gain the attention of the news media initially so you can actually focus on getting the media to cover a story for your company.

Use quality headlines
To get the media to pay attention to your company, make sure you are using quality headlines to gather their attention. Do the headlines relate to the press release? Since editors and reporters spend less than 5 seconds on a press release, you need to focus on getting the right headline that will peak their interest. This is why you need good media writers on your team that will be able to use engaging words that inspire the news media members to do something about the press release.

Gaining media attention is easy once you understand how each media outlet works. Make it easy for the media to cover news stories on your company and you will have no problem acquiring the press coverage you need to gain more exposure for your company.