Opportunities, for free publicity might seem like a difficult and uncommon thing to stumble upon, but the truth is that those opportunities do exist. They’re all around us. There’s are many magazines, newspapers, and blogs that would write about your website. You just haven’t noticed. Once you start to look though, you might be surprised.
Last month, I helped one of my clients land a feature spot in the Los Angeles Times – and this feature gave them a link to their site. This link helped drive a lot of traffic to the clients website and the search engine benefit of having a strong link from an authority site. This is great publicity both online and off.
But this is just one example of how online public relations and search engine optimization work together. In my article, Online PR: The key to building backlinks, I discussed some of the ways that reasons that online PR results in more backlinks to your website. What I didn’t discuss was how to actually make journalists (and other influential individuals) want to write about your website.
I did some brainstorming and came up with 6 common reasons why a journalist would want to write about your website. I’ve tried to include an example of each reason in practice and some basic advice explaining how to be a contender in getting publicity through each of these journalistic needs.
1. They’re Putting A List Together
You’ve seen top 10 lists all over the Internet. You’ve seen top 100 lists in magazines. Even on regular articles regarding a specific topic, journalists will often provide a list of recommended businesses or suppliers. Lists are a common way for journalists to provide information about a certain subject and they provide small businesses with both coverage and a backlink.
When putting these lists together, journalists will often search Google or popular business directories. So be sure your business ranks well in the search engines and can be found on the pages most important to your industry. Maybe it’ll even land you on the Time Magazine’s List of Most Influential People
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2. They Need To Follow Up The Big Story
When there’s a big story, journalists love to milk it for every drop that it’s worth. Sometimes they seek a local spin on a national story. Sometimes journalists just want to know about the emotional impact a stories had on individuals. Often they want to know how business is affected by a particular event, be it the passing of a new law or a community event that’s going to bring tourists in. The journalist might just be looking for an example to illustrate a larger trend.
This current economic crisis is one that’s generated many stories. Some business sectors have used this to their advantage. As you can see, by this article about Spirit Halloween stores, the costume industry is one of them. So is the custom car industry. By learning how to piggyback off big stories, you can earn plugs and get your quotes in important publications.
3. It’s That Time Of Year Again
Every season and holiday brings predicable news coverage. In summer, newspapers talk about BBQ, picnics, and vacation spots. In the winter, you’ll see touching holiday stories, information about preparing for the cold weather, and ways to lower your heating bill.
Fire Departments for example, use the approaching cold weather as a positive public relations opportunity by urging people to heat their homes safely. By anticipating seasonal stories and holiday news you can submit relevant news to journalists well in advance. This could possibly earn some local news coverage for your organization.
4. They’re Seeking Someone Who Fits The Bill
Journalists are often looking for business stories from specific groups. They might be talking about minorities in business, female entrepreneurs, or young businessmen, for example. That’s exactly how this list from BusinessWeek was put together. It’s not just about demographics though. Sometimes journalists are looking for someone in a certain industry, from a specific area, or that are a member of a certain organization.
So how do you go about seeking this kind of media attention? Sometimes it’s all about the pitch, but often journalists look for people by approaching special interest groups. So joining those trade organizations and business associations might not be a bad idea after all.
5. They’re Talking About Your Competition
Jounalists pride themselves on their ability to be unbiased. Usually, they want to write stories that are balanced. This article in the Minneapolis St Paul Business Journal, was essentially written about Allina Hospitals and Clinics partnership with MinuteClinic, but for the purpose of balance, the author mentioned HealthPartner’s “QuickClinic” concept as well.
So you want to be sure that you appear in searches alongside your competitors. Through keyword research, you might be able to discover your competitors keywords and aim to appear next to them in the search results. That way, if your competition is the one receiving the publicity, you might get a mention too.
6. They Need An Expert Opinion
Journalists usually aren’t experts in industry. When they need to write about things they don’t understand completely, they turn to experts in the industry. They could be practicing professionals or professors. Almost always, the person they turn to has the ability to explain complex issues clearly. In this example, Citigroup is able to achieve publicity from Michael Sawyers status as a financial adviser, when discussing how to make it through the financial crisis.
You want to establish your self as an expert in your industry. You might do this through articles trade publications, broadcasts, or even writing a book. If you’re just starting out, you could demonstrate your communications abilities through video blog or podcast. A few awards and certifications couldn’t hurt either. But once you’re known for your speaking ability and excellent communication in a certain industry, journalists will often seek you out.
That’s It!
The reasons a reporter will want to write about your website, will usually fall into one or more of the categories listed here. But knowing why a reporter will want to write about your website is just one part of the formula.
To get the types of coverage described here, you need to start paying attention to the news. Not just industry news, but general news as well. You’ll start noticing that the opportunity for free publicity is everywhere and you’ll be prepared to seek it out. Hopefully, when you do seek it out you’ll get the exposure and links that come with the media attention.
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