How to Make Sure Your Press Release Connects With Local Media Representatives
There are many benefits to publishing a press release and many reasons to add them to your marketing strategy. For some business owners the biggest goal for publishing a press release is to capture media attention. That all starts with your local media. Once local media captures a story, it has the potential to go national. But you have to connect with local media first.
Local Keywords
Make sure that your location is part of your press release. Sure you can put your location in the location and date bar at the beginning of your release. However, also consider local keywords that the media may use to find you.
You might be surprised but many journalists and media representatives conduct regular searches to find out what’s going on in their communities. If you have local keywords in your press release, then they’re more likely to find you. Note that while Google doesn’t index press releases, if a journalist searches with the keyword “press release” then your information will likely show up in the results.
Reach Out To Other Local Bloggers and Social Media Experts in Your Community
Another way that local media representatives and journalists find information is by regularly reading the posts of local bloggers and visiting their social media pages. Put yourself in the shoes of your local journalist. What blogs and social media accounts are they going to visit? Who is active online and lives in your community?
Reach out to these people. Connect with them both online and off and forge relationships. If they’re talking about you and sharing your press release, then you have a better chance of capturing local media’s attention.
Make Personal Connections With Local Media
Finally, learn who your local media representatives are. Who at the paper is most likely to cover a story about your business? What about on the radio or television? Begin following these people on social media. Learn what they like and what types of stories they cover.
When you do have a press release to distribute, consider sending local media representatives a pitch email. Your message should be personal – don’t send a mass email. It should also be succinct. Remember that they have an audience too. Why would their audience care about your story?
It’s okay to follow up with a phone call. But don’t harass them. Be professional. They may not respond to your first release or phone call. However, if you create a professional relationship with them, they may respond to a future press release.
Writing Your Release
In addition to keywords, make sure that your press release is actually relevant to your community. Consider what your friends, neighbors, and co-workers would be interested in. How does your release benefit them and your community?
Remember, local media needs to respond to their local readers, listeners, and watchers. Make it relevant to your community and make your release interesting.
