Getting free products and PR packages from brands is a great way for micro-influencers to elevate their content, save money, and build relationships that can lead to future paid partnerships. By crafting a strong online presence, strategically pitching to brands, and maintaining transparency with your audience, you can catch the eye of companies looking to collaborate with authentic creators in your niche. This guide will walk you through the most effective tactics influencers use to secure product gifts, share pitching tips and templates, and provide essential advice for maintaining trust and adhering to sponsorship disclosure requirements when showcasing gifted items in your content.
PR.com - Free submissions include distribution and allow links. Press releases can be tagged by industry and location for better visibility.
PRLog - Offers free press release submissions with proactive advertisement of releases. Releases stay online permanently.
OpenPR - Allows free submissions that are reviewed and posted during business hours. The site also has a German version to reach international audiences.
Craft an attention-grabbing headline. Your headline should be concise, compelling and clearly convey the key point of your press release. Make it intriguing enough to make journalists want to read on.
Get to the point in your lead paragraph. The opening paragraph should cover the who, what, where, when and why of your news. Keep it short and punchy, ideally under 25 words, to quickly engage the reader.
Provide meaningful quotes from key stakeholders. Include quotes from executives, partners or customers that add credibility and an engaging human voice to your story. Ensure the quotes say something substantive rather than just fluff.
Make it easy to skim for key details. Use short paragraphs, subheadings and bullet points to break up the text and allow reporters to quickly scan for pertinent information. Avoid dense blocks of text.
Include relevant contact information. Make it easy for journalists to follow up by providing contact details for your public relations team or spokesperson. Include an email address and phone number so they can quickly get in touch for more details or interviews.
Start by building a database of journalists who cover your industry or niche. Search for articles related to your topic on Google News and make note of the journalists and publications. Follow them on X and LinkedIn to get a sense of the types of stories they typically cover.
Next, segment your list by areas of focus, such as tech reporters, lifestyle writers, or local news journalists. Pitching a highly relevant story to the right person greatly increases your chances of coverage. X lists can be a handy tool to organize journalists by beat.
Once you have a targeted list, read through the journalists' recent articles to understand exactly what they write about and their unique angles. Look for opportunities to offer a fresh perspective or hook that would grab their interest. The more tailored your pitch, the better.
Finally, before sending your pitch, see if you have any mutual connections who could provide a warm introduction. Journalists are more likely to read a pitch that comes through someone they know and trust. If you don't have an "in," a concise, compelling pitch can still do the trick.
Getting a journalist's attention can be challenging in today's crowded media landscape. However, a well-crafted pitch email can break through the noise and secure valuable coverage for your brand. Follow these steps to write a compelling media pitch:
Research the journalist and publication. Familiarize yourself with the topics and angles the journalist typically covers. Ensure your story idea aligns with their beat and the publication's audience. Personalized pitches resonate much more than generic mass emails.
Craft an enticing subject line. Your email subject is your first opportunity to grab the journalist's interest. Keep it concise and compelling, clearly conveying the essence of your pitch. Aim for around 6-10 words that communicate why your story is newsworthy.
Get to the point. Journalists are inundated with pitches, so make yours easy to scan and digest. Start with a brief, one to two sentence introduction on why you're reaching out. Then concisely summarize your story idea and why it's relevant to their readers in one or two short paragraphs.
Highlight the story's unique angle and timeliness. Explain how your pitch offers a fresh perspective or ties into current events or trends. Timeliness is key as journalists prioritize stories that are happening now and impacting people today. Proactively answer the question: "Why should I cover this now?"
Include a clear call-to-action. Close your pitch by reiterating your story's value and stating your specific request. Are you hoping to schedule an interview? Provide an exclusive? Offer access to a report? Spell it out directly and make it easy for them to say yes.
Here's a template to structure your email:
Subject Line: [Timely Hook] + [Unique Angle]
Hi [Name],
I'm reaching out because I have a story idea that I believe [Publication's] readers would find valuable: [1-2 sentence pitch summary]
[1-2 paragraph story overview highlighting the newsworthy elements, unique perspective, relevant data/research, and potential interview subjects.]
Please let me know if you're interested in learning more about [Story Idea]. I'd be happy to provide additional details and schedule an interview with [Proposed Spokesperson].
Thank you for your consideration,
[Your Name]
By researching your media contacts, crafting a concise yet compelling pitch, and clearly communicating your story's value, you'll be well on your way to landing the media coverage your brand deserves. Building relationships with journalists through timely, relevant pitches can lead to mutually beneficial partnerships for future stories as well.
Nurturing ongoing relationships with journalists is key to securing consistent media coverage for your brand:
Stay in regular contact, even just to check in or share relevant news, so you remain top of mind. Become a valuable resource by proactively providing helpful information and expert sources.
Always respect their deadlines, respond promptly to requests, and be easy to work with. Show genuine interest in their work by reading, sharing and thoughtfully commenting on their articles.
When possible, strengthen connections with occasional in-person meetings or at industry events. And always express appreciation and thanks when a journalist covers your company. Consistent effort to maintain relationships, rather than only reaching out when you need something, will make journalists more receptive to covering your news.
When hosting company events aimed at generating media coverage, consider these types of newsworthy gatherings:
Product launches: Invite journalists to an exclusive first look at your latest product. Provide hands-on demonstrations, Q&A sessions with your product team, and unique photo/video opportunities.
Thought leadership conferences: Bring together industry experts, including your own executives, to discuss trends and challenges in your field. Compelling panels, keynotes and networking sessions can draw media interest.
Community service initiatives: Showcase your company's values by organizing a high-profile volunteer event or fundraiser for a cause you support. Media outlets often highlight businesses giving back to their communities.
Exclusive behind-the-scenes tours: Give reporters a rare insider's view of your operations, whether it's a factory tour, a peek inside your innovation lab or a day shadowing your CEO. Offering access and transparency can lead to rich storytelling opportunities.
To maximize media attendance and coverage, focus on these best practices:
Carefully curate your guest list to include journalists who have covered your company, industry or event theme. Personalize invitations to underscore why this event is relevant to their beat.
Choose a unique, visually interesting venue that aligns with your brand and event goals. The right setting can substantially enhance the media appeal.
Prepare your spokespeople with key talking points and media training to deliver clear, compelling soundbites. Have them readily available for on-site interviews.
Provide press kits with informative, easy-to-reference materials such as fact sheets, executive bios, product specs, and high-res images/video. Make these resources available digitally for easy access and sharing.
By offering meaningful news hooks, visual storytelling potential, and seamless logistics, you'll boost your chances of earning the quantity and quality of event coverage you seek.
Creating content that media outlets want to cover requires thinking like a journalist. What makes a story newsworthy and compelling? Studies, surveys and infographics that uncover new insights or challenge assumptions can capture media interest.
Focus on timely, relevant topics in your industry. Conduct an original study and package up the key findings in an engaging report. Design an eye-catching infographic that distills complex data into easily digestible visuals. The key is providing new, valuable information in a format that is quick and easy for journalists to grasp and share with their audience.
Monitor the news and social media for trending stories related to your industry or expertise. Set up Google Alerts for relevant keywords and follow journalists and publications on Twitter to stay on top of the latest headlines.
When a relevant story breaks, act fast to offer a unique perspective or valuable insights. Journalists are always looking for fresh angles and expert commentary. Speed is key, as trends move quickly.
Craft a concise, compelling pitch that ties your expertise to the trending topic. Explain how you can add depth to the story or provide an interesting viewpoint. Use attention-grabbing email subject lines.
If you secure an interview, prepare succinct, quotable talking points. Offer statistics, anecdotes, or analogies to make your insights memorable and media-friendly. Avoid jargon and keep responses punchy.
For example, when a story broke about a major data breach, a cybersecurity startup quickly offered to brief journalists on the technical aspects of how the hack occurred and what companies can do to protect customer data. Their timely, informative outreach resulted in wide coverage and established them as an expert source on a hot topic.
By newsjacking effectively, you can inject your brand into the conversation around trending news items, boosting visibility and credibility with media coverage you might not otherwise receive.
Create a HARO account. Go to helpareporter.com and sign up for a free source account using your email address. You'll start receiving source requests via email three times per day.
Set up email filters. HARO emails can quickly overwhelm your inbox. Create filters to automatically sort the emails into folders based on your areas of expertise. This will help you quickly identify relevant requests to respond to.
Craft a compelling bio. When you create your HARO profile, write a concise, impactful bio positioning you as an expert in your field. Journalists will see this when you respond to their queries. Establish your credibility and make them want to learn more.
Monitor queries closely. The sooner you respond to a query after it's sent out, the better your chances of being selected. Set aside time to review queries shortly after the emails go out at 5:35 a.m., 12:35 p.m. and 5:35 p.m. ET on weekdays.
Respond thoughtfully to relevant requests. When you see a query that's a fit, craft a helpful, detailed response that directly answers the journalist's question. Include your full name, title, company and contact info. Feel free to paste your bio at the end.
Track your responses and follow up. Keep a spreadsheet of the queries you've replied to, when, and if you've heard back. If a story you contributed to goes live, politely reach out and thank the journalist. This lays the groundwork for an ongoing relationship.
Consistency is key. Respond to queries regularly to stay on journalists' radar and build your credibility over time. The more you put into HARO, the more press mentions you'll receive in return.
Responding to HARO queries is an effective way to gain media coverage and build your brand's credibility. To increase your chances of getting quoted, keep your responses concise and on-topic. Journalists are looking for succinct, insightful answers that directly address their question.
However, brevity alone won't make your pitch stand out. Tell a compelling story or share a unique perspective to capture the reporter's interest. Backing up your points with relevant data, examples, or anecdotes will further boost your credibility.
The key is striking a balance between being concise and providing value. Aim for responses around 200 words that offer a fresh angle or actionable advice. Close with a one-line bio positioning you as an expert in your field. By crafting informative, quotable responses tailored to each query, you'll be well on your way to landing coveted media mentions.
To find blogs and publications in your niche that accept guest posts, start by searching for phrases like "write for us", "guest post guidelines", or "become a contributor" along with keywords related to your industry. Browse the results to identify sites that seem relevant and have engaged audiences.
Next, evaluate each site more closely. Look at the quality of the existing content, the domain authority, and social media following to gauge their reach and influence. The best opportunities will be with reputable sites that have strict editorial standards.
Appearing as a guest on podcasts in your niche is an excellent way to expand your reach and establish your thought leadership. Start by identifying podcasts that align with your expertise and have an engaged audience that would find value in your insights.
Crafting an effective pitch is key to catching the host's attention. Keep it concise, highlighting your unique perspective and the takeaways you can provide their listeners. Include a brief bio establishing your credentials.
Once booked, prepare thoughtfully for your appearance. Have engaging stories and examples ready to illustrate your points. Promote the episode to your network to drive listens. After, thank the host and stay in touch to nurture the relationship for future opportunities.
To make your website appealing to journalists, consider including these key elements:
Media Page: Dedicate a page specifically for media that includes press releases, media kits, press coverage, and contact information for your PR team. Make it easy for journalists to find all the resources they need in one place.
Newsroom: Feature your latest company news, product launches, awards, and other noteworthy updates. Regularly refresh this section to keep media informed of what's new and newsworthy.
Executive Bios: Provide professional biographies and headshots of your key executives and spokespeople. Journalists often need this background information for stories and interviews.
Image & Video Gallery: Offer high-resolution, downloadable images and video clips that media can use to enhance their coverage. Include product shots, logos, event photos, and other visual assets.
Fact Sheets: Create succinct one-pagers with key facts, statistics, and milestones about your company, products, or industry. These quick reference guides help journalists get up to speed efficiently.
By organizing these elements in an easy-to-navigate press center, you'll make your website much more media-friendly and increase your chances of securing valuable press coverage.
X and LinkedIn provide powerful platforms for PR professionals to directly connect with journalists and build mutually beneficial relationships. By following reporters who cover your industry, engaging thoughtfully with their content, and providing valuable information and story ideas, you can get on their radar as a go-to source.
However, simply blasting journalists with pitches on social media is more likely to annoy than entice. The key is to first build genuine rapport by consistently interacting in an authentic, non-transactional way. Comment on their articles, share their work, and demonstrate your industry expertise and unique perspective through your own posts.
Once you've established a connection, you can then tactfully propose timely, well-tailored story ideas via DM or email. Keep pitches concise and make clear what's in it for them and their audience. By strategically leveraging social media to nurture relationships and position yourself as a valuable resource, you'll greatly increase your chances of earning media coverage when the timing is right.
Consistently publishing high-quality, valuable content is a powerful way to establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry. By regularly sharing your unique insights and expertise, you demonstrate your knowledge and credibility on the topics that matter most to your target audience.
However, simply churning out content is not enough. To truly capture media attention, your content must be exceptional - well-researched, engaging, and highly relevant to the current conversations happening in your field. This level of quality requires significant time and effort to produce.
The key is finding the right balance - publishing frequently enough to stay top of mind, but not sacrificing quality for quantity. By strategically creating content that showcases your thought leadership and adds genuine value, you greatly increase your chances of catching the eye of journalists and securing valuable media opportunities to further grow your influence and authority.
Getting free PR for your business is possible with the right strategies. By leveraging press release distribution services, pitching stories to journalists, creating newsworthy content and events, using media query services, and becoming a guest author or podcast guest, you can gain valuable media coverage without spending a fortune. The key is to optimize your online presence to make it easy for journalists to discover and connect with you. With a strategic approach and consistent effort, you can build media relationships and secure the PR your brand deserves to reach new audiences and grow your business.