How to get press for your organization
The best marketing your organization can get is free publicity in the form of press coverage. Press coverage brings you immediate exposure and credibility and establishes your brand as an expert in your field. All it takes to get press is creating an irresistible hook and following through with creative outreach until someone bites. In this article, we’ll go over some tips on how to create an irresistible hook and how to follow through with effective press outreach strategies that will get you featured by media outlets that matter to your target audience.
Prepare your message
Before you write a single word, you have to prepare your message. This means researching who will be reading it, what their needs are, and whether they are likely to respond. You also need to consider why they might need or want publicity in general and, if so, how prepared they are for it – and why you’re best placed to help them with it. Finally, you need an angle – something that makes your message different from all others out there on the same subject.
Make an outline
This can be a great way to make sure you’re marketing is focusing on what matters. Start by asking yourself what do we want people to know about us? After answering that question, consider writing down some key points that you want potential customers or donors (if you’re working with one) or media (if you’re working with one), or influencers to know about your company.
Draft the article
You can approach a media source in two ways: either through an introduction from someone you know or by requesting a formal review of your work. The first option is best if you can pull it off; informal requests have better odds than cold pitches. If you don’t know anyone who works at that publication, ask around – it may be that one of your contacts has a contact there who will make an introduction on their behalf.
Review, revise and edit
As I mentioned above, writing isn’t about typing words onto a page in any old order. It’s about choosing words that will resonate with people and keep them coming back for more—and that’s what reviewing, revising, and editing are all about. Once you have a draft of your piece, go over it carefully to make it sparkle even brighter.
Publish it yourself
You don’t need a PR firm or a publisher to get free publicity—all you need is an idea, some free time, and something worth saying. Use your communication channels to distribute your message. Publish it on your website, social media, and use an email marketing platform like MailerLite to send it to your existing contacts.
Reach out or public relations agencies, media, and journalists
PR agencies and journalists are always looking for companies that can benefit from extra publicity. So why not reach out to a few of them and see if they’d be interested in featuring you? When you call or email, tell them what you do, how many customers you have, where you’re located, and a little bit about your company. They might want more information before agreeing to work with you. Make sure everything is in writing first, including when they expect payment.
