It’s J of the #AtoZChallenge and today I’m exploring how you can help Journalists to find you and your business via your social media.
Social media isn’t just about improving the SEO of your website, engaging with potential customers, driving traffic, increasing brand awareness and increasing sales. Social media also offers you the potential of getting free press coverage for your business as journalists will use social media to find stories – they don’t necessarily rely just on press releases for their features.
I knew that my blog was going to work well for getting press coverage once it secured my first feature for me – within two months of starting my blog, a journalist had found me via my blog and I was featured in a national newspaper. Admittedly there are more blogs out there now so it can be harder to stand out but on the plus side, most journalists are actively using social media now.
Journalists use the search engines if looking for a particular source to complete a story – if your blog is well optimised and it is suitable, they can then check out your blog / Linked in profile / twitter account / facebook page to determine if you are the right person / product for their feature
To maximise your chances:
1. Ensure your contact details are easily accessible on your blog / website / facebook page / twitter bio.
2. Use good images. Journalists often require photographs and if they can see that you have good images (either your own or from a supplier), they are more inclined to contact you.
3. Be newsworthy – comment on the latest fashions, be one of the first to report from the design or trade shows or in your particular area. Demonstrate your knowledge so you are viewed as a good source of information.
4. Have a high-res good photograph available of yourself should the journalist require it.
5. Create a story – see what is ‘trending’ or a popular line in the media, can your story fit into it. For example, self published authors getting good publishing deals (particularly if they were stay at home mums when writing the book) are popular stories at the moment – if that fits you, make the most of it.
We will shortly be launching a new course at We Teach Social entitled – How To Get Free Press Coverage Via Your Social Media. Do sign up for the newsletter to get updates.
