How To Get Media Mentions: A Step-By-Step Guide

Being featured by media agencies or professionals on outlets like television, radio, newspapers, and websites is still one of the best ways for brands to garner exposure. It helps you build credibility and increase your reach. 

Media attention isn’t just for the big players either. It’s within reach for all ventures (even startups), adding an exciting challenge to the mix.

In this guide, we’ll discuss essential information about media coverage. Learn about the different types of media coverage and their benefits. Plus, we’ll provide all the best practices for attracting journalists, bloggers, media agencies, and other similar parties.

Understanding Media Coverage

Media coverage or mention is a practice when media outlets or professionals feature a person, company, or organization in a story. These come in various forms, including news articles, reviews, and recommendations on different offline and online platforms. 

Getting media attention and coverage is vital because they help shape public opinion. People often turn to media entities for relevant stories, whether positive or negative. Gaining more positive mentions could boost your brand awareness and build credibility, among other benefits.

Today, various media coverage types are available to help brands in many ways. These are the following. 

Earned media

Earned media is a type of free press an individual or organization receives from journalists, bloggers, and media agencies. Brands consider this the best media coverage because they earn it organically, meaning media professionals see a potential story within the business they want to cover. 

It’s worth noting that this type of media doesn’t come from a partnership or sponsorship. As the name suggests, brands earn them because they possess something compelling that the audience must know about. When that happens to a company, its credibility and reputation elevate, helping them convert more people. 

The best example of earned media is when journalists make a feature article about how a company provides game-changing solutions to the market. Another example is when a blogger provides an in-depth product review of a brand on their platform. 

Owned media

Owned media is any content an organization or individual develops and controls. These include blogs, social media posts, and press releases. 

Generally, owned media refers to digital outlets like company websites, social media accounts, and mobile apps because most businesses today have them. Through these outlets, brands can publish any stories without editorial guidelines or restrictions media agencies have. 

If done correctly, they can create relatable content and showcase themselves as industry leaders, increasing their chances of attracting media professionals. 

Moreover, owned media provides long-term value to brands in all industries. Companies regularly producing quality content can boost their search engine performance, making it easier for potential customers and media partners to find them. 

The best part is that, like earned media, this type of coverage is cost-effective. For instance, brands can launch a social media page and publish content for free. 

Paid media

Paid media is any advertising or promotional content displayed in a media outlet paid by an organization or individual. Various traditional and digital marketing channels allow brands to invest in ad placements or sponsored content to reach their target audience. The most famous examples are TV and radio ads, social media ads, and website banner ads. 

While paid media doesn’t have the same organic effect as earned media, it still has many benefits. To start, it allows brands to reach a broad and specific audience, significantly boosting brand awareness and visibility. These targeted ads, especially those conducted online, also provide detailed analytics and reporting, helping marketers track and measure their performance based on concrete data. 

It’s also worth noting that paid media ads on traditional outlets like broadcast and print help elevate a brand’s credibility. For instance, people still view TV ads as one of the best signs of a company’s success compared to website banner ads. Many online users are even reluctant to trust the latter because they often associate it with malware attacks. 

Benefits of Gaining Media Coverage

As briefly discussed above, getting media coverage or mentions benefits brands in many ways. We’re diving deeper into the most notable advantages of gaining media attention and leveraging other types of coverage below. 

Boost brand awareness

Gaining media mentions online and offline is an excellent way to increase your visibility in various channels. When media outlets or professionals feature your business on their platforms, they expose it to a larger, potentially untapped market.

Many brands, especially small businesses, don’t have access to all media outlets. Being mentioned on channels without prior exposure will help them expand their reach and convert potential customers.

Aside from that, media coverage can open doors for new opportunities like collaborations, partnerships, and sponsorships. By improving exposure in various media outlets, brands can increase their chances of tapping potential investors and suppliers, helping them expand their network immensely.

Build credibility and trust

As discussed, gaining media mentions from trusted journalists and similar entities is an excellent way to elevate brand image and reputation. Being featured by reputable third-party individuals or organizations is always better than talking about yourself on your own platforms. 

However, it’s not to say that owned and paid media can’t boost credibility and trust. Publishing quality content online through owned media helps showcase a brand’s expertise, making it a reliable source of information in the industry. 

When that happens, they increase their chances of boosting their search engine optimization (SEO) ranking and getting recognized or featured by various media outlets. 

As mentioned above, using paid media also helps elevate brand credibility because people often associate ads, particularly on broadcast and print outlets, as a sign of a successful company. When you invest in these channels, you position yourself as the better option in your industry, providing you with a competitive advantage in your field. 

Generate more conversion

Lastly, the best thing about having positive media coverage or mentions is that it helps brands generate more leads and sales for their business. Media appearances will allow you to tell compelling stories that attract your audience.

Combine that with all the benefits mentioned above, and you significantly retain your existing customers and convert new ones.

Types of Media Channels

Today, brands can acquire media mentions from online and offline outlets. The following are all the media types where you can get effective coverage.

Broadcast media

Broadcast media refers to video or audio content transmitted to a mass audience through electronic mediums, particularly television and radio. Generally, these outlets help simultaneously communicate a message to the public at a given time, ranging from insightful, promotional, or entertaining. 

Despite the emergence of streaming platforms and various digital marketing channels, broadcast media still has a powerful influence on people, primarily because of its unparalleled capability to reach a broad audience. 

Millions of people worldwide still rely on broadcast media for news, entertainment, and information on current events. It’s why people find brands featured on these channels appealing and trustworthy. 

Unfortunately, effective as they are, broadcast media remains a costly option for brands. Unless your company gets featured organically by a news outlet or similar agencies, paying for an ad placement will be expensive. Plus, exposure doesn’t always guarantee the best results. To benefit from a TV and radio ad, you must create a campaign that will resonate well with the target audience. 

It’s also worth noting that broadcast media is a one-way communication. That means brands can send a message through these channels but can’t receive one from their audience.

Print media

Contrary to what many think, print remains an important medium in today’s highly digital world. For instance, many studies confirm that the younger generation, particularly the phone-obsessed Gen Z, is surprisingly becoming more invested in printed books than online ones. 

Print media outlets like newspapers, magazines, billboards, and flyers are popular and effective brand advertising channels. Aside from its broad reach, many consider these outlets more credible than broadcast and digital because print media publications often conduct rigorous fact-checking and quality control before green-lighting a project.

Print media allows brands to reach people depending on geographic location, interest, or language. For example, if your brand wants to attract interior designers or architects overseas, you can buy ad placements in home decor magazines abroad to reach them. 

Meanwhile, like broadcast media, print provides one-way communication only. They could help boost brand reputation and increase reach but will not guarantee better engagement. Plus, ad placements in newspapers, magazines, and billboards are expensive. The best option to benefit from print media without costing too much is to get featured in newspapers and magazines. 

Digital media

Digital media are the most popular option for businesses of all sizes today. Channels like websites, social media, and email provide brands with incredible reach, inexpensive solutions, and, most importantly, engagement with potential customers. 

With digital media, the target audience can leave comments and send feedback to a brand’s online campaign. Through these channels, brands can attain a high engagement rate, which can help increase their conversion. 

The best part is that many outlets offer concise targeting, allowing brands to reach their target audience based on demographics, interests, and behaviours. Plus, these channels provide valuable metrics that brands can use to boost their campaigns.

Digital media also allows brands to launch campaigns easily and to scale them depending on your budget or any significant changes. Unfortunately, with so many accessible tools and platforms, falling behind on high-performing campaigns is easy. To stand out in your field, you must regularly produce relatable and authoritative content relevant to the target audience.

Moreover, finding success in various digital media outlets might take time. Ads on broadcast or print media immediately appeal to the target audience. With digital media, brands need continuous efforts to boost their visibility and reputation in the industry.

Key Steps To Gaining Media Coverage or Mentions

As mentioned above, utilizing all media coverage benefits brands of all sizes. The following are the best ways to use or gain media coverage for your brand. 

1. Establish your goals

Before conducting media outreach or the steps mentioned below, having a goal is best to ensure you effectively attract journalists or media agencies. This step requires intensive research because it involves various factors to create a concrete objective. 

First, you must develop a story idea you want to pursue and want media professionals to notice. You must be able to share who you are, what you do, and your brand’s values. At the same time, your story must provide a solution to your field for it to stand out. 

Next, identify your desired journalists or similar entities. Note that not all media outlets fit your target audience, meaning you must look for media contacts that are relevant to your field. Start by looking at industry publications to create a media list. Then, narrow this list by looking at your competitors and see which ones they’re targeting or using. 

Finally, you must craft a timeline for the subsequent steps in this list. 

2. Create compelling press releases

A press release is an authorized statement or communication piece issued by a company, organization, or individual to any media outlet. This content often aims to publicize newsworthy information, including new products, mergers and acquisitions, events, grand openings, rebranding, and special offers.

Publishing a press release is an excellent way to improve brand awareness by sharing company news, achievements, and developments. Because of these updates, existing and potential customers will understand your brand better and become more inclined to trust it. 

Aside from that, a press release is an effective way to communicate with investors, shareholders, and ideal partners, like journalists and media agencies. 

When drafting a press release, you should consider various factors to ensure success. For one, you should write it in a news-style format. It must have a concise headline, dateline, introductory paragraph summarizing the whole piece, and supporting paragraphs for added information. 

It’s also worth noting that a press release must be concise and packed with all the essential information relevant to the story. 

There are many ways to deliver a press release. Generally, brands send it to journalists, news outlets, and other media agencies. However, brands can also publish it on their websites. Third-party platforms allow brands to distribute press releases on news sites and similar platforms.

3. Build rapport with journalists and bloggers

Creating a solid rapport with journalists, media outlets, and other similar entities is crucial in getting regular press coverage. It’s also an excellent way to enhance brand credibility, especially if you build relationships with reputable journalists and media agencies.  

Moreover, building an excellent connection with these professionals is a perfect way to ensure better storytelling for your business. Creating a relationship helps them understand your brand better, allowing them to craft stories that best represent your company and its products and services. 

There are many ways to build relationships with relevant journalists, bloggers, or media agencies for your brand. First, follow their work online and show appreciation by sharing or promoting them on different platforms. 

Another way is to stay in touch by engaging with them regularly online and in person. It’s also ideal to send them tokens of appreciation, like gift baskets, discounts, and other valuable items.  

4. Develop a creative media kit

A media or press kit is an official package or collection of various promotional and informational materials a company provides to journalists, media outlets, and other similar parties. These materials boost media coverage or public relations efforts by providing relevant information, resources, and assets. 

In addition, these materials are often provided in an organized manner. Typically, these items are arranged in a digital folder and sent to media entities. Brands also have the option to send physical copies of their media kits, but they’re often limited to vital documents and other printed information. 

Media kits consist of various components. Some of the most crucial ones are company background, press releases, key facts and statistics, product and service details, and contact information. It’s also essential to include high-resolution images, logos, and graphics that media outlets can use when covering your brand’s story. You can also add some awards and recognitions to boost your company’s image.

Lastly, there are many reasons for brands to send out media kits. They can send them before announcing a new product or service, responding to media inquiries, participating in events, and organizing a press conference. 

5. Use your social media pages

Building an incredible social media presence is an excellent way to stand out and get noticed by journalists, media outlets, and other similar entities. Popular channels like Facebook, LinkedIn, and X (formerly Twitter) are some of the best platforms for brands to showcase authority by sharing valuable content relevant to your industry and target audience. 

Use these social media channels to offer insights and solutions backed by relevant research and data through various content forms. Doing so provides additional sources or potential story ideas to help journalists, media outlets, and other similar entities. 

If they turn to your social networks for valuable information, you increase your chances of being featured on different channels, ultimately elevating your brand’s credibility in the industry. 

Social media also allows brands to follow and engage with such professionals. You can use various platforms to communicate with them and share their work with your audience. Doing so will help you build an excellent relationship with media entities.

6. Publish authoritative content

As discussed earlier, becoming a thought leader is an excellent way to gain media attention. The best way to do that is to publish authoritative content relevant to your industry. Doing so will help increase your chances of being noticed by media professionals looking for helpful industry sources and story ideas.

Brands can leverage various content forms to showcase their expertise. Aside from blog posts, they can publish creative visuals, videos, and podcasts. The key is to utilize relevant data, conduct thorough research, and provide in-depth content that’s easy to understand to avoid alienating people who have yet to learn about the industry.

7. Participate in industry events

Joining, hosting, or presenting at events provides an excellent opportunity for brands to attract journalists and media agencies. For one, launching an event or giving a presentation in one allows you to share your insights, knowledge, and solutions. When you do that, you position your company as an industry expert, increasing your chances of getting more media coverage.

Being present at relevant industry events is also an excellent way to get media mentions. Even if you aren’t giving lectures or demonstrations, attending these gatherings will help journalists and media outlets see you as an aspiring industry leader, fostering a humble and relatable image. 

Moreover, attending networking events allows you to build your network of journalists, bloggers, influencers, and media agencies. You can engage with them at an event, appreciate their work, and pitch stories for their platforms. 

8. Leverage search engine optimization

SEO remains one of the most significant players in digital marketing. Online users continue using search engines like Google and Bing to acquire information. That includes journalists and media outlets looking for additional sources or story ideas online. 

Aiming for an excellent SEO ranking is a perfect way to be a top choice in the search engine results pages (SERPs). Doing so will allow you to attract potential customers, journalists, and media agencies. Today, SEO encompasses various practices to ensure excellent ranking, including keywords, content, responsiveness, and site speed. It’s crucial to know that SEO is an aggressive and evolving process. To stand out in this channel, brands must watch out for various SEO trends and optimize their websites accordingly.

Get More Media Attention

Whether you’re aiming for broadcast, print, or online exposure, getting media coverage or mentions is a powerful tool for brands wanting to build their reputation, increase reach, and drive growth more effectively. 

The key to gaining media attention for your brand is to develop intriguing stories, build relationships with journalists and bloggers, publish authoritative content across various online platforms, and more. It might be a stretch today, but if you make such a good impression and create excellent pitches, you could attract more prominent outlets like Forbes and the Wall Street Journal. 

One of the many online platforms that can help brands elevate their credibility is Searcheye.

Through Searcheye’s various services, brands can craft authoritative content and reach many online publishers, allowing them to stand out and gain media attention. Visit Searcheye today and see how we can help out. 

Searcheye offers a wide range of SEO and digital PR services that can elevate your brand’s brand awareness and authority. Visit us for more information.

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