How to Get Media Coverage For Your Blog
One way to build awareness, brand, credibility and buzz about your blog is appear in mainstream media.
A lot has been written about how to get your blog featured on other blogs, but how do you get the mainstream media to take notice of your work -- be it TV, radio, magazines or newspapers? Following are some tips that I've put together for how it's done.
Develop a Unique Story One of the best tips that I can give is to plan out your story that you're going to be pitching to journalists before you approach them.
Simply contacting the editorial staff of mainstream media outlets and asking to have something written about you without giving them a unique and interesting angle will result in less than the desired results.
Stories about a blog are not that interesting to write in comparison to what else is going on in the world today.
So, what can you offer them that is going to pique their interest? What have you done, experienced or achieved that is going to grab the attention of their readers? What relevance does your story have to the readers or viewers of the media outlet? Note: don't just come up with these stories out of nothing, but if you are on the lookout for opportunities, they do make themselves available.
Some of these opportunities can come from a post that you write that gets attention, causes some controversy, gets picked up by other blogs, etc -- or it could even come from something that someone else has done that you have commented on or that you're featured in.
For example: If you get an award for blogging from an award site, forward that link showing your award to the editorial staff at the media outlets.
They may even feature you as part of their story.
Think (inter)National AND Local Don't forget that there are many avenues for attaining media coverage -- don't overlook the small local community based publications.
Simply targeting the top-tier media networks like CNN, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, etc.
will not be as fruitful.
You will increase your chances by starting small.
As your credibility and notariety are built up, the larger media outlets will start to notice you on their own.
The large media outlets pay attention to what is going on in the local media.
If something there catches their eye, they will surely run it on their networks (or you can pitch it to them later pointing out the local coverage that you have already received).
Write the Story It's not necessary to write the full article before pitching the story to the mainstream media -- but I've found that when pitching a story doing some extra work to show how the story will present that journalists will sometimes take the story that you have written and build on it.
So, do your lead-in work on your pitch.
Provide the media outlet with any facts, figures, stats or quotes that will help the journalist do their job quickly and efficiently.
Be Approachable Sometimes it isn't a matter of pitching your story to the mainstream media.
Sometimes they will come to you.
As your blog and profile grows, you can increase your chances of being approached by being contactable.
An essential part of any blog should always be a way to contact the blogger.
Whether this be by providing an email address, phone number or a contact form -- if you're able to be contacted (and make it easy to be contacted) you'll drastically increase your chances of being approached.
Also useful for this is developing an "About" page containing the type of information that journalists are looking for.
Include information like your biography, links to a FAQ page and even a page outlining your previous Press Coverage.
Press Releases Press Releases are a used regularly by many organizations to announce their happenings and accomplishments.
They can be a great way to chronicle all the accomplishments and launches that you work on -- ie.
blogs, portals, awards, etc.
Build Profile The most important part of getting recognition from mainstream media is to work hard at building an amazing blog and having a great profile in your niche.
You will find that as you build your profile major mainstream media outlets will increasingly come to you and when you contact them, they will be much more receptive to covering your stories.
Of course, this comes with time and you cannot rush this.
Stick with it and build a great blog with great unique content and it will come with time.
Do not get discouraged.
Keep In Touch with Journalists Once you do get lucky enough to get featured in a story, keep the contact details of the journalist that writes the story.
If they've written one article they may be willing to do another.
Also let them know that if they require a quote for another article that you are always willing to take their call.
More Information on Getting Media Coverage For Your Blog: Benefits [http://myfreeblogonline.
com/tips-and-tricks/benefits-of-having-your-blog-featured-in-mainstream-media.
htm] of Having Your Blog Listed in Mainstream Media
A lot has been written about how to get your blog featured on other blogs, but how do you get the mainstream media to take notice of your work -- be it TV, radio, magazines or newspapers? Following are some tips that I've put together for how it's done.
Develop a Unique Story One of the best tips that I can give is to plan out your story that you're going to be pitching to journalists before you approach them.
Simply contacting the editorial staff of mainstream media outlets and asking to have something written about you without giving them a unique and interesting angle will result in less than the desired results.
Stories about a blog are not that interesting to write in comparison to what else is going on in the world today.
So, what can you offer them that is going to pique their interest? What have you done, experienced or achieved that is going to grab the attention of their readers? What relevance does your story have to the readers or viewers of the media outlet? Note: don't just come up with these stories out of nothing, but if you are on the lookout for opportunities, they do make themselves available.
Some of these opportunities can come from a post that you write that gets attention, causes some controversy, gets picked up by other blogs, etc -- or it could even come from something that someone else has done that you have commented on or that you're featured in.
For example: If you get an award for blogging from an award site, forward that link showing your award to the editorial staff at the media outlets.
They may even feature you as part of their story.
Think (inter)National AND Local Don't forget that there are many avenues for attaining media coverage -- don't overlook the small local community based publications.
Simply targeting the top-tier media networks like CNN, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, etc.
will not be as fruitful.
You will increase your chances by starting small.
As your credibility and notariety are built up, the larger media outlets will start to notice you on their own.
The large media outlets pay attention to what is going on in the local media.
If something there catches their eye, they will surely run it on their networks (or you can pitch it to them later pointing out the local coverage that you have already received).
Write the Story It's not necessary to write the full article before pitching the story to the mainstream media -- but I've found that when pitching a story doing some extra work to show how the story will present that journalists will sometimes take the story that you have written and build on it.
So, do your lead-in work on your pitch.
Provide the media outlet with any facts, figures, stats or quotes that will help the journalist do their job quickly and efficiently.
Be Approachable Sometimes it isn't a matter of pitching your story to the mainstream media.
Sometimes they will come to you.
As your blog and profile grows, you can increase your chances of being approached by being contactable.
An essential part of any blog should always be a way to contact the blogger.
Whether this be by providing an email address, phone number or a contact form -- if you're able to be contacted (and make it easy to be contacted) you'll drastically increase your chances of being approached.
Also useful for this is developing an "About" page containing the type of information that journalists are looking for.
Include information like your biography, links to a FAQ page and even a page outlining your previous Press Coverage.
Press Releases Press Releases are a used regularly by many organizations to announce their happenings and accomplishments.
They can be a great way to chronicle all the accomplishments and launches that you work on -- ie.
blogs, portals, awards, etc.
Build Profile The most important part of getting recognition from mainstream media is to work hard at building an amazing blog and having a great profile in your niche.
You will find that as you build your profile major mainstream media outlets will increasingly come to you and when you contact them, they will be much more receptive to covering your stories.
Of course, this comes with time and you cannot rush this.
Stick with it and build a great blog with great unique content and it will come with time.
Do not get discouraged.
Keep In Touch with Journalists Once you do get lucky enough to get featured in a story, keep the contact details of the journalist that writes the story.
If they've written one article they may be willing to do another.
Also let them know that if they require a quote for another article that you are always willing to take their call.
More Information on Getting Media Coverage For Your Blog: Benefits [http://myfreeblogonline.
com/tips-and-tricks/benefits-of-having-your-blog-featured-in-mainstream-media.
htm] of Having Your Blog Listed in Mainstream Media
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