6 Proven Ways to Secure Media Coverage in Your Ideal Publication

Getting your news placed in the local paper, favorite trade magazine or on a national news site can be quite perplexing, especially as there are a flood of businesses running in the same race as you. So where do you begin? How do you position yourself in front of the media and, ultimately, ensure that journalists pick your story above everyone else’s?

As PR pros, we’re able to see both sides of the coin and we have some insider intelligence we’d like to share with you.

blog pic Image courtesy of International Business Times

Who cares?

Every media outlet has its respective target audience. For example, a magazine for entrepreneurs, like Entrepreneur, targets business-oriented professionals and entrepreneurs, where as a technology focused outlet like TechCrunch, which is dedicated to profiling startups, reviewing tech products and breaking tech news, is mainly targeting tech connoisseurs. A national news publication like USA Today caters to the masses, with individual sections for specific news like life, sports, money, tech, etc. catering to those respective topics. To capitalize on your efforts to secure media coverage, target outlets that align with the message of your business. You should take extra time to research media outlets before making your selection. A word to the wise: don’t neglect the smaller, trade media outlets because they may do a better job of reaching your target audience then national publications.

What’s your story?

Only reach out to media when you have something that’s actually newsworthy. Think business news (new hires, big wins, new office, etc.), big picture trends, current events and advocacy topics. Weaving in national and industry relevant events or news when you can will help garner the interest of reporters and serve as a “hook” for your news.

Get your press kit in shape.

A press kit is portfolio of information provided to members of the press to brief them of either a product, news, service or member of the company. It’s essentially a one-stop-shop for reporters interested in writing about you or your business. The following is a list of all the possible materials you might use for your media placement:

  • Company fact sheet: the purpose of a fact sheet is to highlight key information about your business so that someone who has never heard of you before will understand what your operation is all about.
  • Bios: executive biographies serve as a way to talk about your company’s founders, CEO, investors and stakeholders.
  • Contact information: although this sounds like a no-brainer, many people often overlook including a section sharing the contact information for the media. You should list phone numbers and/or e-mail addresses for your company spokesperson, public relations person or agency who handles media requests.
  • Talking points: at the very least, you need a few talking points. These are clear, concise messages that you want to communicate to the media. Ideally, these points should convey your brand, your mission, your story, etc. Your key PR messages provide support when you are pitching or interviewing. This document is intended for internal use only.
  • Media alerts: also known as an “invitation to cover,” is aimed to attracting the interest of the media to cover an event. Its main purpose, as suggested by the name, is to alert the media about upcoming news.
  • Press release: A press release is a short, compelling news story with the goal of piquing interest of a reporter. When writing a press release, remember to consider the who, what, when, where, why and how of your story.

Pitch perfect.

A pitch is your tool for sharing your business’ news with reporters. It needs to be eye-catching, relevant, short and sweet. Reporters are busy people, often bombarded with hundreds of pitches on any given day so keeping yours to the point will help reporters determine whether or not they want to cover your news. An insider tip: the subject line is the most important part as it determines whether or not the reporter will actually open your email! For more on pitching with success, read our blog post: “Creating the Perfect Public Relations Pitch.”

Follow up.

Following up with reporters can be half the battle. Don’t be alarmed if you don’t receive a note back immediately, reporters are often too busy for that. Sending a brief follow up note or picking up the phone to call can help remind the media about your news. Following up can also give you the opportunity to pick their brain on other topics they may be covering where you can offer value.

Foster your relationships.

At the end of the day, one of the single, most important thing you can do after working with the media is maintain contact with that reporter. Public relations and media relations are all about relationships. Taking the time to reach out to reporters that you’ve worked with to say thank you for the opportunity, or let them know how great you think the article turned out, can make all the difference when it comes to securing future coverage.

Securing media coverage of your business is not an easy task. It takes time and requires a lot of effort. Remember, media relations is all about fostering relationships. If you want to stay in the public eye, focus on growing and maintaining those relationships. Furthermore, never forget that public relations is just one prong of a successful and integrated marketing strategy. You likely won’t see success in your PR efforts without implementing social media, inbound marketing and other digital marketing strategies.

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PR Assistant

San Diego, CA
Close

Our ideal candidate is a news and digital marketing junkie, who loves the thrill of pitching top-tier business media, writing a timely blog post and managing client PR & marketing campaigns. Pitching the Wall Street Journal or TechCrunch? No problem. Searching and networking for the next great speaking opportunity for a client? Of course! You live to see your clients featured in the spotlight. KCD PR is hiring a full-time Senior Associate based in San Diego or virtual (with some travel to San Diego!) to join our growing agency specializing in the financial, fintech and emerging technology industries. This position works directly on a small, collaborative team on public relations, digital marketing and social media campaigns for our diverse roster of clients across the nation in emerging categories like fintech, AI, SaaS, cybersecurity and blockchain. This position promises to offer an exciting, fast-paced work environment, access to clients and the opportunity to grow within the firm. If you enjoy rubbing elbows and supporting some of the brightest names in financial and technology with brand-building public relations and marketing campaigns, we want to hear from you. We have a caring and rewarding culture and a fun work environment – we work as hard as we play!  Expect a fast paced day and plenty of opportunity to shine and be rewarded for your hard work.

What You Will Be Doing at KCD PR:
•  Key contact for clients, supporting daily communications for 5-7 key client accounts
•  Partnering with other KCD PR team members on content creation and support of collateral materials and client events
•  Key role on agency marketing initiatives – creating company newsletter, blog content and digital PR and marketing campaigns
•  Participates in day-to-day media monitoring of client and industry news
•  Creating press releases, fact sheets and various other press materials
•  Strategizing on public relations and marketing goals and objectives
•  Pitching/conversing with national business and technology media on behalf of KCD PR clients
•  Managing social media marketing content for new clients and knowledge to use Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+, Twitter and YouTube
•  E-Marketing management, blog posts and landing page content creation
•  Utilizing social media to promote client news/events updating/creating pages for clients, web content revisions for client web sites
•  Editing web site content, uploading videos, often first draft of client work

Does This Sound Like You?
(*Must meet all criteria*) Candidates with previous experience working in related roles in the financial services and technology industry will be given priority. No recent graduates will be considered.

At least 3+ Years previous PR or marketing agency experience (with technology and/or financial services clients)
Bachelor’s Degree in related field (Communications, Marketing, Finance, Business or related field)
You have proven skills of integrating and leveraging social media programs, print and broadcast media to heighten client exposure and visibility
You have a strong knowledge of the financial and technology markets and know the trends, opportunities and challenges that face many of the agency’s clients
You’re a communication guru and have a strong portfolio of writing (creative and strategic) and possess a healthy network of media contacts that have helped garner impressive results
Experience managing multiple client accounts and collaborating with a team of internal resources
Superior, proven written and oral communication skills and an obsession with detail-oriented results
Ability to speak with clients, participate on conference calls and maintain high level of professionalism and maintain confidentiality of client information
Knowledge of WordPress, basic website editing and Hubspot marketing software systems a plus (as is Hubspot certification)

Compensation:
Competitive salary based on commensurate experience, bonus program for smart goal performance, 401 (k) retirement plan with full company match and annual company profit sharing contributions, generous group health care plan options, PTO plus paid company holiday from Christmas Day through New Year’s Day, free beer, breakfast and all sorts of goodies at our awesome co-working space in Little Italy, direct deposit, mass-transit/biking incentives.

PR Assistant 2

San Diego, CA
Close

Our ideal candidate is a news and digital marketing junkie, who loves the thrill of pitching top-tier business media, writing a timely blog post and managing client PR & marketing campaigns. Pitching the Wall Street Journal or TechCrunch? No problem. Searching and networking for the next great speaking opportunity for a client? Of course! You live to see your clients featured in the spotlight. KCD PR is hiring a full-time Senior Associate based in San Diego or virtual (with some travel to San Diego!) to join our growing agency specializing in the financial, fintech and emerging technology industries. This position works directly on a small, collaborative team on public relations, digital marketing and social media campaigns for our diverse roster of clients across the nation in emerging categories like fintech, AI, SaaS, cybersecurity and blockchain. This position promises to offer an exciting, fast-paced work environment, access to clients and the opportunity to grow within the firm. If you enjoy rubbing elbows and supporting some of the brightest names in financial and technology with brand-building public relations and marketing campaigns, we want to hear from you. We have a caring and rewarding culture and a fun work environment – we work as hard as we play!  Expect a fast paced day and plenty of opportunity to shine and be rewarded for your hard work.

What You Will Be Doing at KCD PR:
•  Key contact for clients, supporting daily communications for 5-7 key client accounts
•  Partnering with other KCD PR team members on content creation and support of collateral materials and client events
•  Key role on agency marketing initiatives – creating company newsletter, blog content and digital PR and marketing campaigns
•  Participates in day-to-day media monitoring of client and industry news
•  Creating press releases, fact sheets and various other press materials
•  Strategizing on public relations and marketing goals and objectives
•  Pitching/conversing with national business and technology media on behalf of KCD PR clients
•  Managing social media marketing content for new clients and knowledge to use Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+, Twitter and YouTube
•  E-Marketing management, blog posts and landing page content creation
•  Utilizing social media to promote client news/events updating/creating pages for clients, web content revisions for client web sites
•  Editing web site content, uploading videos, often first draft of client work

Does This Sound Like You?
(*Must meet all criteria*) Candidates with previous experience working in related roles in the financial services and technology industry will be given priority. No recent graduates will be considered.

At least 3+ Years previous PR or marketing agency experience (with technology and/or financial services clients)
Bachelor’s Degree in related field (Communications, Marketing, Finance, Business or related field)
You have proven skills of integrating and leveraging social media programs, print and broadcast media to heighten client exposure and visibility
You have a strong knowledge of the financial and technology markets and know the trends, opportunities and challenges that face many of the agency’s clients
You’re a communication guru and have a strong portfolio of writing (creative and strategic) and possess a healthy network of media contacts that have helped garner impressive results
Experience managing multiple client accounts and collaborating with a team of internal resources
Superior, proven written and oral communication skills and an obsession with detail-oriented results
Ability to speak with clients, participate on conference calls and maintain high level of professionalism and maintain confidentiality of client information
Knowledge of WordPress, basic website editing and Hubspot marketing software systems a plus (as is Hubspot certification)

Compensation:
Competitive salary based on commensurate experience, bonus program for smart goal performance, 401 (k) retirement plan with full company match and annual company profit sharing contributions, generous group health care plan options, PTO plus paid company holiday from Christmas Day through New Year’s Day, free beer, breakfast and all sorts of goodies at our awesome co-working space in Little Italy, direct deposit, mass-transit/biking incentives.

PR Assistant 3

San Diego, CA
Close

Our ideal candidate is a news and digital marketing junkie, who loves the thrill of pitching top-tier business media, writing a timely blog post and managing client PR & marketing campaigns. Pitching the Wall Street Journal or TechCrunch? No problem. Searching and networking for the next great speaking opportunity for a client? Of course! You live to see your clients featured in the spotlight. KCD PR is hiring a full-time Senior Associate based in San Diego or virtual (with some travel to San Diego!) to join our growing agency specializing in the financial, fintech and emerging technology industries. This position works directly on a small, collaborative team on public relations, digital marketing and social media campaigns for our diverse roster of clients across the nation in emerging categories like fintech, AI, SaaS, cybersecurity and blockchain. This position promises to offer an exciting, fast-paced work environment, access to clients and the opportunity to grow within the firm. If you enjoy rubbing elbows and supporting some of the brightest names in financial and technology with brand-building public relations and marketing campaigns, we want to hear from you. We have a caring and rewarding culture and a fun work environment – we work as hard as we play!  Expect a fast paced day and plenty of opportunity to shine and be rewarded for your hard work.

What You Will Be Doing at KCD PR:
•  Key contact for clients, supporting daily communications for 5-7 key client accounts
•  Partnering with other KCD PR team members on content creation and support of collateral materials and client events
•  Key role on agency marketing initiatives – creating company newsletter, blog content and digital PR and marketing campaigns
•  Participates in day-to-day media monitoring of client and industry news
•  Creating press releases, fact sheets and various other press materials
•  Strategizing on public relations and marketing goals and objectives
•  Pitching/conversing with national business and technology media on behalf of KCD PR clients
•  Managing social media marketing content for new clients and knowledge to use Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+, Twitter and YouTube
•  E-Marketing management, blog posts and landing page content creation
•  Utilizing social media to promote client news/events updating/creating pages for clients, web content revisions for client web sites
•  Editing web site content, uploading videos, often first draft of client work

Does This Sound Like You?
(*Must meet all criteria*) Candidates with previous experience working in related roles in the financial services and technology industry will be given priority. No recent graduates will be considered.

At least 3+ Years previous PR or marketing agency experience (with technology and/or financial services clients)
Bachelor’s Degree in related field (Communications, Marketing, Finance, Business or related field)
You have proven skills of integrating and leveraging social media programs, print and broadcast media to heighten client exposure and visibility
You have a strong knowledge of the financial and technology markets and know the trends, opportunities and challenges that face many of the agency’s clients
You’re a communication guru and have a strong portfolio of writing (creative and strategic) and possess a healthy network of media contacts that have helped garner impressive results
Experience managing multiple client accounts and collaborating with a team of internal resources
Superior, proven written and oral communication skills and an obsession with detail-oriented results
Ability to speak with clients, participate on conference calls and maintain high level of professionalism and maintain confidentiality of client information
Knowledge of WordPress, basic website editing and Hubspot marketing software systems a plus (as is Hubspot certification)

Compensation:
Competitive salary based on commensurate experience, bonus program for smart goal performance, 401 (k) retirement plan with full company match and annual company profit sharing contributions, generous group health care plan options, PTO plus paid company holiday from Christmas Day through New Year’s Day, free beer, breakfast and all sorts of goodies at our awesome co-working space in Little Italy, direct deposit, mass-transit/biking incentives.