How to Get Free Press and Media Coverage for Your Online Business

If a news outlet or publication writes a story about your business or mentions it in one of their stories, you can say that your business gets press and media coverage.

To get media coverage, you need to do something for the community or create a noteworthy impact on the industry in which your business is operating. However, it is considered an excellent way to get some additional exposure, as most of it is achieved via paid campaigns and advertisements.

Suppose you're planning to expand your customer base, enhance your reputation in the industry, or need organic traffic on your website. In that case, the press will work best for your business regardless of size or industry. You can get enough coverage without even spending a penny on it in multiple ways. The question is how and the answer is below:

Top 7 Strategies to Get Press and Media Coverage for Your Business

So, here are the seven most effective strategies if you need free press and media coverage for your business, but free of cost.

1. Creating Newsworthy Content

First of all, you need to focus on creating newsworthy content. Hence, you need to cover trending topics or the ones to which your readers can relate. Then, once you're done with the content, you should contact some news outlets active in your area and ask them if they would like to publish your content. Doing that may get you a free guest post spot for your content, but if that doesn't work, some publication houses can publish your content by charging a nominal fee for it.

To create content your prospects will find useful, you need to identify exactly who those readers are and what their pain points are. Remember, the better you understand your target audience, the more relevant and interesting you can make your content for them. Going that extra mile and creating detailed buyer personas might even help you create better content for your business.

2. Writing Press Release

Press releases are an effective way to reach your audience if you have some important news to share. You can publish your press release on your website and submit it to several other websites posting press releases regularly. Other than that, you can contact a few journalists that might take an interest in your business and the services it offers. So, it would be like a hit and trial method as you'll have to send your content to several journalists and check which one of them responds.

It would help if you did the legwork in order to advance your clients effectively. See who is publishing in related fields of expertise and acquire contact information for these people so that you'll have it at hand every time before you publish an article or conduct a public relations campaign.

It would be best if you created a public relations database that lists communication points for all parties as well as strategies. Don't be afraid to learn just how valuable relationships are in this game - there is such a thing called a "gravy train," and it comes with a small fee to ride, but if used correctly can be very effective in the long run.

3. Reaching Out To Influencers

Another extremely effective strategy to get media coverage is influencer marketing. Influencers are wonderful content creators and can contribute to online publications. Most of them are well-known and trusted by the audience, so if they're posting your content or promoting your brand online, you will surely get enough attention. All you need to do is ask them if they can mention your brand or product in the piece they're about to publish.

It is suggested that you send them a short email telling them about how you appreciate their work and how they can help you reach a vast audience. And, when they agree, you should provide them with all the information so that you don't have to work a lot on your assignment. You can also share their post on your blog as a fine gesture to return the favor.

4. Using Social Media

Social media holds the power to spread a piece of news like fire. If your story or article is related to the content posted on social media platforms, you can look up various social media pages to share. Social media is even faster than news channels and other reporting platforms in spreading a story. So, when media coverage is mentioned, you can easily expect any famous social media page to give you enough audience with just a single share of your article.

But, you have to make sure that your content holds enough capability to capture the admin's attention so that the write-up could get a free post. One more thing you can do is look for the newsworthy topics in the comment section that require some form of posts that you already have in stock.

5. Writing Guest Posts

A guest post is a post that is published on someone else's blog. It comes as a great way to get more exposure for your blog. If people like your guest post, they'll check out your blog and hopefully subscribe to your RSS feed. You can also write guest posts to build backlinks to your blog. Other bloggers will often link to your guest post, which increases your Google PageRank of your blog.

When getting media coverage for your article or some other form of content, you may face some difficulties in the beginning. Seek out other businesses and offer to post their blog on your site only if they publish your content on theirs. One advantage you get by guest posting is that you get to express your news or content in your own words. You can boost your reputation among your target audience and build authority and trust by providing value and connecting with people interested in your area of expertise.

In addition, you can attract potential new audiences to reach out and explore what you have to offer by building backlinks to your site. However, getting a guest post opportunity doesn’t mean that you’ll be using it for self-promotion. Readers will take note of the expert knowledge you've helped them access, respect the authoritative writing style that leaves readers feeling confident about their questions and turn to you for advice as they need help.

6. Applying for Awards

Search the internet, and you'll find multiple award applications there, which can be very beneficial for your online business. It would be even better if you were investing in an application and providing services through that. However, a majority of these award applications are not free of charge, but with the help of thorough research, you can find many that don't charge a single penny.

Keep an eye over the reputable publications and organizations in your industry that hold award events, and start filling out the participant form when you see it is available. We suggest that you keep a spreadsheet for all events being held or about to take place so that you don't miss the deadline.

If your company wins an award, you'll get all your needed attention. From publications to media coverage, your business will receive it all along with additional exposure. Moreover, you can mention the awards you win on your website, making your business more reputable and credible.

7. Writing An Article for A Trade Magazine

Finally, you can write an article for a trade magazine. You should know that getting your content published in a famous industry magazine is an excellent way to attract free press coverage. Make sure that you choose a trending topic but present it in a different way than other experts in the field are presenting.

It doesn't mean that you have to steer away from the topic, but providing the same story more interestingly will help you gain the attention of the audience that reads the trade magazine regularly. If you cannot manage to secure a story section for yourself, you can interview someone in the industry and get their opinion on the same trending topic. You won't be able to express your thoughts but receive credits from the magazine that will help you get free media and press coverage.

Bottom Line

So, the methods mentioned above can be beneficial if you need free press and media coverage for your brand. Once you're able to succeed in this accord, you'll see that your brand is getting additional exposure, resulting in its high visibility and awareness. Getting media exposure is very useful nowadays when every other business is seeking useful tactics to stand out from competitors.

If you can get the required media coverage for your business and are now looking forward to growing it online, you can rely on DSers. It is an AliExpress dropshipping tool through which you can easily automate your dropshipping business. In addition, you can work with as many product suppliers as you want but will never face an out-of-stock situation.

This dropshipping app tool has incredible features that can help you manage your online store, supplies, importers, and everything else needed to run an online business successfully.