Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Here’s a simple truth: Companies like yours have incredible stories and expertise to share — and that’s also what makes them so primed for press coverage. In turn, press coverage is incredibly valuable for your SEO, brand awareness, marketing collateral and overall credibility.
Here’s how to get more visibility for your organization so you can multiply your impact and help more people.
Related: Yes, You Can Still Get Organic Media Coverage — and Here’s Why You Should
1. Hone in on your specific expertise
This can be fairly straightforward in some cases: A financial institute will cover all things money-related, while a gym franchise might be the go-to for fitness tips.
However, sometimes a little more creativity is needed. For instance, we work with a Tai Chi expert who covers everything from fundamental internal martial arts to stress management tips, productivity at work (the principles of Tai Chi can help with this!) and balanced walking.
Getting creative with the expertise you offer can provide you with more verticals to reach. Typically, a company’s mission can be translated into several different pillars of serviceable content for the media.
2. Get credentialed spokespeople for your company
First and foremost, journalists will look for certain letters behind experts’ names. They may be PhD, MD, CPT, CCWS, RDN or a wide range of other credentials.
If you’re the CEO of a company but don’t have specific credentials for a certain area of expertise, pass the media baton onto someone in your company who does — or hire a spokesperson for that purpose. For instance, many fruit and vegetable companies hire RDNs to comment on healthy eating topics.
Make sure your spokesperson is well-versed in how to translate complicated science into easy-to-understand terms for everyday media consumers. A journalist won’t come back to a source for more interviews if that source’s quotes are stuffed with jargon and clunky terms.
Try to strike a balance between conversational and detailed quotes. You want your spokesperson’s soundbites to have personality but also to get the core of a topic in a meaningful way. Vagueness makes for weak quotes that are less likely to be published.
Related: This is the Biggest Factor Holding Companies Back From Media Coverage — and 3 Ways to Fix It
3. Have research to back up your claims
When your company’s spokesperson makes a claim like “pine nuts help to improve heart health,” the journalist will likely look for a specific study to back that up. You can help by providing that research for them.
However, ideally, the research should not have any conflicts of interest — meaning it wasn’t funded by, say, a pine nut company. It’s fantastic that private companies can fund research to contribute to scientific literature, but journalists are generally encouraged not to cover studies sponsored by parties that may have a conflict of interest (or, at the very least, they need to disclose the affiliation in their coverage).
You may also find it helpful to invest in infographics to translate key information your company wants to share. Infographics help translate complex data and give the media a valuable asset to publish, benefiting their readers. At the very least, they’ll help a journalist easily understand your key data points so they can relay them in an article.
4. Tell your story in vivid color
Many companies have incredible stories about why they launched, usually rooted in a passion for helping others. These can make beautiful long-form features that go beyond expert quotes (a blend of both is great for your company’s media portfolio).
Your product or service is what a target consumer will purchase, but it’s your story that will attract them in the first place — or encourage them to stay a loyal customer.
Make sure your PR efforts demonstrate why you set out to make an impact and how many people you’ve helped as a result.
Related: 5 Key Things You Need Before Launching a PR Campaign
5. Give journalists a first-hand experience
Journalists are offered everything from free DNA test kits to press trips around the world. This industry typically has many opportunities to sample out services or products.
However, connect with the journalist to build a relationship with them first (or hire a PR team to do this for you). Not only can it be expensive to send out samples of certain products blindly, but some may take a bit of trust-building with the journalist before they try it.
For instance, if you’re offering biological age testing to a journalist, they may not feel comfortable participating unless they know you and your team well already.
Get lunch with them or hop on a video call where you can chat face to face. Public relations is built around relationships, and when you can combine strong ones with your incredible story and expertise, you’ll be primed for success in the media.
