If you’ve been wondering how to get media coverage as a blogger, influencer, or business owner, understand that it’s not about how well connected you are, how many social media followers you have, or even how much money your company makes. Unlike many of the things you do for your business or brand, getting media coverage and PR takes a different skill set entirely. It’s about knowing how to find the right publications, writers, and editors to pitch as well as how to pitch them.

Side note: The information in this post is perfect for business owners, bloggers, and influencers looking to dip their toe in the water of public relations. If you're ready to skip to the good stuff, click here to learn more about our online public relations course, Pitch, Please! 

How to position yourself as an expert 

Positioning yourself as an expert is one way of how to get media coverage. In Pitch, Please, you can learn how to figure out all of your areas of expertise and break it all down. This will help you get as many press opportunities as possible, especially in the beginning. Here is an exercise and some quick tips to help you get started: 

If you’re a blogger, ask yourself what information your blog covers. What do you write about? Open your blog and look through past posts. You’ll be surprised at how much you know about and what your areas of expertise are.

·      Take inventory of all of the tags and categories that you’ve created. Write them down on a piece of paper or spreadsheet.

·      If you cover food, for example, what kind of food is it? Family meals, 20-minute dinners, Multi-Pot recipes, healthy food?

·      Do this for every category and tag in your blog.

·      This exercise is also just as helpful for social media influencers, YouTubers, etc who may not have a blog. What kind of content are you creating most often? What has resonated the most with your followers?

·      Go through all of the tags and categories that you’ve created. Write them down on a piece of paper or create a spreadsheet.

·      Bold, star, or highlight your most important areas of expertise.

Business owners should do this as well, but instead of going through your blog, break down your business in the same way. While this is different for every industry, here are some example questions that business coaches can ask themselves.

·      Who are my clients and customers? If they’re mostly moms, you’re an expert on how to succeed as a mompreneur.

·      Do you focus a lot on productivity with your clients? That certainly makes you an authority on productivity and time management.

·      If you are personally a solopreneur or perhaps have a small team, you can easily position yourself as a small business expert. 

So how does all of this help you to get media coverage? You’ll want to cast as wide a net as possible, especially in the beginning to give yourself the highest number of opportunities. This aspect of PR is covered in depth in our online public relations course, Pitch, Please! 

How to get media coverage

There are lots of ways to go about getting media coverage, but one of the best free resources is HARO. HARO, which stands for Help A Reporter Out is a FREE newsletter that gets sent to your inbox three times a day. It can truly change the game for bloggers, influencers, and businesses alike. 

In this newsletter, reporters, writers, and editors share the articles they are currently writing and the specific sources they need to use. Every major publication from Business Insider to Bustle, The New York Times, etc uses HARO.

Here are some examples of recent HARO queries: 

Media Outlet: Yahoo Finance

Hello, For GOBankingRates, syndicated with Yahoo Finance (and sometimes MSN, though these syndication matters are well out of my control), I am working on a finance piece. Here's the gist:

How can you keep on track with your financial goals in 2021? I am seeking concrete, practical tips on that focus specifically on helping someone stay on track with their financial goals and planning.

I can ONLY quote people who work in finance. I am sorry but if you work in construction and have great financial tips, I believe you, but I can't use your tips! Thanks.

Please submit the following if you'd like to contribute: -Your name, title, link to business, and your pronouns -The step (or steps) you think people need to hear to stay on track with their financial goals in 2021. I'm looking to feature a 10-step journey, so hopefully, I can cite several experts. Thanks so much! I am working on 800 other pieces (also in finance!) so if I may not be able to respond but I will read your submission and 100% try to use it!

This query in particular offers a great opportunity for anyone who works in the financial industry or is a financial coach of some kind. One thing that’s important to point out here is that the writer says she working on “800 other pieces” about the same topic. So, while your tips and advice may or may not be exactly what she wants for this article, she may want to use you as a source for a different piece. So, it’s important to know the ins and outs of how to build relationships with writers and reporters. This is something we get into in-depth in our course.

For more information on how to use HARO, read this blog post: Five Ways to Use HARO and Get the Most Out of the Platform.

Media Outlet: Forbes

Query:

Working on a round up of unique products for celebrating Superbowl Sunday at home.

With COVID-19 putting a hold on many live events, we want to help people feel extra inspired to enjoy the Superbowl from home. Out-of-the-box and unexpected ideas are welcome, including for Solo Superbowl Sundays and kids/pets.

Please send a BRIEF description (3-5 sentences or bullet points), price, and link to the product.

First of all, every business wants to be in Forbes (I’m a Forbes contributor, so I know this more than anyone), but also, this is a perfect opportunity for many brands that have a physical product to get featured on the website. Now, you might not have a product that you or your customer base immediately associates with Superbowl Sunday such as décor or home goods, but that doesn’t really matter here. Plates, bowls, serving pieces, etc are all things we buy for and use on Superbowl Sunday.

This query also presents opportunities for anyone who is an event planner, pet trainer, smart technology expert, or perhaps even children’s book author to get media coverage.

This query is also applicable to sports bloggers. You may want to offer your best tips and share some unique ways you like to celebrate Super Bowl Sunday as well as a link to any relevant blog posts.

Remember, even a quick tip featured in a major publication is still a PR win, a boost for brand awareness and the privilege of saying that you have been on that website, etc. (HELLO BRAGGING RIGHTS!)

Sending cold pitches to get media coverage 

Sending cold pitches is another way of how you can get media coverage. Because lots of online and print publications cover multiple topics, it is essential to target the right publications and writers. Otherwise, you are wasting your time and potentially their time as well. If you are looking for feature pitch story examples, check out this blog post. All of this should be part of creating a cold pitch strategy, which is something you will learn about more in the course.  

When to pitch publications

Timing is also important if you’re trying to get media coverage. You should pitch writers and reporters when you have a new product launch, collaboration, or something new and exciting to announce. These types of emails are also a great way to follow up on your initial cold pitch.

Ready for a PR training that will help you explode your visibility and authority? Click below to watch the Masterclass: How To Get Major Media Placement In 20 Minutes A Day.