There are many people who claim that press coverage is worthless and that it doesn’t bring more leads and sales but in most cases, they’re wrong and only say that because they haven’t experienced the benefits of press coverage for themselves.
Being featured in the media offers numerous advantages for businesses because it provides social proof, links, website traffic, and credibility. It can also lead to more publicity, clients, and partnerships. Without further ado, here are 10 ways that you can get more press coverage for your company and promote your website.
1. Determine what your USP is
If you want to get the media’s attention, you have to determine what makes you stand out and use it to your advantage. Your unique selling proposition, or USP, is what differentiates you and makes you better than your competitors, so it’s what you’ll want to focus on when trying to get the attention of the press.
2. Build relationships with key reporters
Want to get quoted in stories about your industry? Then build relationships with reporters. When a reporter you’re following writes a good piece, send him a quick congratulatory note about it. Make sure the title of your email is catchy, so it stands out in a crowded inbox. If you get a response, keep the relationship alive by sending them your thoughts anytime breaking news happens in your industry. He just might quote you in his next story!
3. Stay on top of what’s hot in your industry
This is related to #2 because in order to provide smart, timely quotes about what’s happening in your industry, you need to know what’s going on.
4. Say unusual, unexpected things
Reporters like to quote people who say unusual, unexpected things in their stories because it makes for entertainment, so don’t be afraid to stray from the norm, as long as whatever you say won’t damage your reputation or hurt your bottom line.
5. Be active on LinkedIn Answers
By providing solid answers to people’s questions that are related to your industry on LinkedIn Answers, you can position yourself as an expert and increase the chances that journalists will contact you.
6. Conduct market research
Conduct market research on trends in your industry and then write articles about your most interesting findings. Journalists love referring to solid market research.
7. Set up your Google authorship profile
Ever noticed how Google results sometimes include a photo of the author and provide information about the author’s Google+ account? Well, that’s a new feature that Google recently rolled out called Google authorship. By setting up your Google authorship profile, you can boost your credibility, stand out in the search engine results pages (SERPs), and attract more clicks.
8. Grow your following on social networks
Spend a little time growing your following on social networks by joining conversations and sharing great content. Journalists that need an authority on a topic are likely to look at the size of your following to gauge your level of expertise.
9. Seek out guest blogging opportunities
Guest blogging in your industry will not only help you gain visibility and build your authority, it’ll also enable you to build links back to your website and attract the attention of reporters.
10. Display signs of social proof on your website
Social sharing buttons that display the number of tweets, likes, and shares your content has gotten are good to have because they increase visitors’ confidence in your website and make you look like a credible source to reporters.