Your time and budget are limited but you need to be seen; it’s a common conundrum for SMEs. But with some know-how, a thoughtfully crafted opinion and well-timed communication, it’s possible to boost your brand visibility – and credibility – at little cost.
First, work out why you’re doing this. Are you trying to get in front of potential new clients, investors, partners or employees? Once you know the answer, you can direct your energy where it matters.
Many online publications share insights about who is reading their content. And useful tools like SparkToro can help you work out what your target audience is reading, watching and listening to, who they follow on social media and where they ‘live’ online.
Blogs are all very well but you could be ‘preaching to the converted’
Find a publication
One way to showcase your expertise in your field is to get published outside of your own domain; blogs are all very well but you could be ‘preaching to the converted’. If you’re going to pitch to a publication, you need to ensure it reaches the readers (customers) you’re after.
You also need to understand if they have a political agenda, what that is and what they’ve written about recently. In other words, you need to do some basic due diligence that you’d apply in other areas of your professional life.
Browse recent headlines, look for regular slots and, if you’re targeting an industry magazine, you may be able to locate a forward features list on its website, outlining topics they plan to cover in upcoming issues.
Do some detective work to find the best journalist to pitch to
Once you have found a suitable platform for your insights, you could do some detective work to find the best journalist on the team to pitch to rather than email a general inbox. Check their LinkedIn bio or look at their social-media presence. You can either pitch your own piece or find freelance writers to pitch and write for you.
Tell your story
There’s a common misconception that everything offered to journalists needs to be in a press-release format. In fact, editors receive so many press releases that these often get ignored. You might prefer to save them up for corporate announcements such as funding rounds or new partnerships and tie-ups.
Journalists want stories; news about your business isn’t enough
Journalists want stories; news about your business isn’t enough. You might have an interesting case study, some new research, or views and insights on an industry issue that hasn’t been much covered before.
If you don’t have a story of your own, aim to provide expertise or opinion at the right moment. For example, you could react to a breaking news story with a short comment, or submit an idea for a longer opinion piece on the story – also known as an ‘op ed’ – if you have a fresh take.
To attract attention, write the subject of your communication as a journalist would write a headline. If you’re struggling to craft an engaging headline, you may not have a strong enough story.
Many journalists issue social-media alerts when they’re researching stories, often including #journorequest for reach. You can also test paid tools such as Dot Star Media, ResponseSource and Qwoted, which send journalist requests to your inbox.
Write a ready-to-use quote that directly answers a journalist's questions
If a journalist has requested expert commentary, don’t reply and ask if they would like to hear what you have to say; they don’t have time for the back and forth. Write a ready-to-use quote that directly answers their questions and send it without delay, ideally well ahead of any specified deadline, as these can close early.
Make sure everything you send is proofed and has been sense-checked by someone else. Include your full name, pronouns, company name and short explainer, website link and Linkedin profile.
Be realistic
Bear in mind that you won’t always get a link to your website in editorial copy; it depends on house-style guidelines. And leave your sales agenda at the door; this isn’t an opportunity for a plug. If you want to appear in editorial, you need to add real value to a story. Otherwise, look at pay-to-play advertorial opportunities.
Learn to expect knockbacks and get used to being ignored
Learn to expect knockbacks and get used to being ignored. Even seasoned PR pros get far more radio silences than acceptances. It’s rare for journalists to let you know if you’ve made it into their story, so set up a Google News Alert so you don’t miss coverage.
Get social
If you’ve drafted a great comment and it doesn’t get picked up, all is not lost. You now have content you can self-publish on social media.
On LinkedIn, try to focus content on thought leadership and knowledge sharing around news, trends and developments in your industry. Manas Pratap Singh, finance editor of LinkedIn News UK, recommends asking a question at the end of your post and tagging contacts in the comments section to kick-start engagement, which will help boost visibility on the platform. He advises that you aim to do this at least once a week.
Your customers might be on Instagram and TikTok even if you’re not
For people in the UK LinkedIn’s news team looks for insights from industry professionals in Europe to feature in the news module, which sits at the top-right-hand side of the homepage. Include keywords on trending news topics or #LinkedInNewsUK or #LinkedInNewsEurope to help editors find your post. (Note that this may not work in some European countries, and in some other countries the news module isn't available at all).
Singh advises that, for LinkedIn users in the UK, they’re more likely to feature posts that showcase your professional knowledge and expertise, explain how the news specifically impacts your sector or clients, and avoid self-promotion.
And don’t underestimate channels you’re less familiar with. Your customers might be on Instagram and TikTok even if you’re not. Video platforms are much more revealing, enabling you to communicate honesty and integrity quickly.
Done right, a media presence can work wonders for a small firm looking to punch above its weight.
