Not getting the press coverage you want? Try these tips for success...

There are a few traps you might want to avoid, so don't start sending until you've asked yourself the following questions: 

If you've already sent out hundreds of emails to unsuspecting journalists, all is not lost. Give them a short, polite phone call to check whether your email was received and ask if it might be something they would be interested in publishing. 

Keep track of whom you contacted and their response, particularly if they give you some favourable coverage. Always follow your email up with a brief phone call and make a note of what was said.

Find out the deadlines at your target publications, and give the journalists as much notice as possible. Don't contact them very close to this time, as they're likely to be finishing up old stories and not chasing any new leads. Ask the journalists when they would like to receive your stories, and stick to their guidance as far as you can. 

While a well-written press release with excellent quotes and plenty of editors' notes is likely to be the best way to present your information - is sending it as an email attachment the most effective method of communicating this? 

Think about your target publication's audience and use social media outlets to attract their attention, try sending your cover email to journalists with an enticing bullet list of the most relevant points to their readers. 

Generally speaking, the editor of a national newspaper is not the best person to contact with your press release - their team of reporters will select what they write about, so pick up the phone before hitting send and make sure you have the correct email address and contact name. 

What's more, knowing your target publication well, researching its regular topics and journalists is likely to yield better results than sending your press release about your hairdressing salon to a property magazine, for example. 

You already know your business and industry inside out, but do you know what your competitors are doing? Has there been any similar press recently? A business journalist knows what's going on in the world, so make sure you do too before contacting them, don't waste their time, or your own. 

 

We've said it before, journalists receive hundreds of press releases every week - so make sure yours doesn't end up in the trash folder by checking every fact for accuracy and proof reading the document, at least three times! Don't rely on spell check and never provide false information or quotes, your business integrity relies on it. 

Have you had previous communication with this particular publication or journalist? Mention it when you call or email. 

Everyone loves to feel like they've been remembered and their hard work hasn't gone unnoticed. Reference an article you've recently enjoyed or communicate with them on social networks to grab their attention on a different platform. 

There is a lot to consider before sending out your press release, it must also be engaging, targeted and informative. But with some careful consideration, your story could be picked up by numerous outlets both in print, and online. 

Contact us if you would like assistance with writing or distributing your story to the press, our in-house copywriters have a journalistic background and can use their expertise to help gain the coverage you want. 

Adapted from Hubspot Hubspot