Whether you're promoting a product or service, media coverage is fundamental to building your brand identity, improving your reputation, and communicating your message to your target audience. But first, you need to know how to get your story on the news.

According to recent studies, over 50% of journalist consider “experts” and “industry professional contacts” as the two main sources for information.

How can your brand take advantage of this and become a reliable source for the media? Here’s some questions to ask yourself to learn how to increase brand awareness with media exposure:

What’s Your Plan?

Clarity is key to increasing your brand awareness with media exposure. Your brand needs to have its wants, needs, and goals clearly defined in order to craft the right messages.

Where’s Your Audience?

Before you can figure out how to get your story on the news, you have to research your target audience. How does your audience get their information? Knowing what media they’re consuming is crucial to deciding which outlets you select to communicate your message.

What’s Your Story?

Increasing brand awareness with media exposure is all about creating a well-outlined narrative that helps your audience identify with your brand. What makes your brand stand out from the rest? Think about your brand’s core values, your product and it’s functionality. Your story should be concise, creative, and compelling.

Is Your Network Strong Enough?

Relationships make all the difference. The best way to guarantee coverage is to know the journalist and create pitches tailored to their beat. Become a reliable source by always having detailed information readily available as this makes it easier for them to do their job.

Will Your Pitch Sell?

Forty-four percent of journalists get pitched a minimum of twenty times per day. How can you stand out from the rest? Pitching is a craft, and to get your story covered you’ll need a good hook that’s catchy enough to capture the journalist’s attention immediately.

The secret to a successful pitch is this: only pitch your idea to journalists that handle stories like yours, present relevant information, use visuals to make your pitch more appealing, and be prepared with additional materials.

Pitch as many times as needed to get your story covered. Having different stories published will help you establish your brand as an authority and a reliable source.

Once your story is on the news, take advantage of the momentum to build your brand by sharing the link on social media and adding it to your website. This is a crucial step to expand the reach of the coverage, build your reputation as an authority in your field, and allow your followers to engage with your brand.

Are you ready to see your brand thrive? Contact us today to create a winning media relations strategy.