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How to Get Media Coverage for Your Blog

One way to build awareness, brand, credibility and buzz about your blog is to appear in mainstream media (read more about the Benefits of being featured in Mainstream Media).

A lot has been written about how to get your blog featured on other blogs – but how do you get press coverage whether it be TV, Radio, newspapers or magazines?

media-coverage-blog.jpgImage by tozzer

Following are a few tips on how I’ve done it:

Develop a Unique Story

One of the best tips I can give is to really think about the story that you’re pitching to journalists before you approach them. If you simply contact the editorial staff of a mainstream media outlet and say that they should write about you without giving them a unique angle they’re unlikely to respond positively (if they respond at all).

Stories about a blog are not that exciting to write – so what angle can you give them? What have you done, experienced or achieved that is going to grab people’s attention? What relevance does your story have to the readers or viewers of the media outlet?

Note: you don’t just manufacture these stories out of nothing but if you’re on the look out for opportunities they do come up. They might emerge out of a post that you write that gets attention, causes some controversy (controversy is a great way to get media attention), gets picked up by other blogs etc – or it could even emerge out of something that someone else does that you could comment about or that you’re featured in.

For example I was featured in a ‘top Aussie bloggers’ list last year and shot a link to the list to a national newspaper – the story got picked up with me as one of the bloggers featured.

Think (inter)National AND Local

I know one blogger who complains every time that I bring up mainstream media that he’s never had any success. When I ask who he’s pitched his story to he tells me that he’s approached the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, ABC and a few other top tier news outlets.

While I commend him for thinking big – a more successful approach is likely to be to approach not only the big guns but smaller outlets. For one you’ll increase your chances of success in approaching a more local outlet – but you might also see the story picked up by larger media outlets (or you can use it to pitch to them later).

Write the Story

I’m not suggesting that you fully write an article when pitching mainstream media – but I’ve found that when I pitch a story and when I do a little extra work in showing how the story might look that journalists sometimes take what you present them with and build upon it.

So do some work on your pitch. Provide the media outlet with any facts, figures, stats or quotes that might help the journalist do their job more quickly and efficiently.

Be Approachable

Sometimes it isn’t a matter of pitching your story to mainstream media as them approaching you. This grows as your blog and profile grows but you can enhance your chances of being approached by being contactable.

An essential item for blogs should always be a way to contact the blogger. Whether this be by providing an email address, phone number and/or having a contact form – if you’re able to be contacted (and make it easy to be) you’ll drastically increase your chances of being approached.

Also useful for this is developing an about page that contains the type of information that journalists are looking for. Include information like your biographical information, links to a FAQ page and even a specifically written Press Page that shows how other press outlets have covered your story.

Press Releases

I’ve had limited experience and success with writing press releases but know at b5media that we regularly use them and that they are very useful – particularly when launching new blogs/portals.

You can learn more about the power of Press Releases here.

Build Profile

Perhaps the most important thing to do is to work hard at building a fantastic blog and having a great profile in your niche.

I’ve found that as I’ve done this that mainstream media outlets have increasingly come to me and that on the occasions that I’ve approached them that they’ve been much more open to covering me.

This of course comes with time and you can’t manufacture it over night – but I say it to give bloggers having problems getting on the radar of media a little encouragement – stick at it and build a great blog and it’ll come in time.

Keep In Touch with Journalists

If you do strike it lucky and get featured in a story – keep the contact details of the journalist that writes the story. If they’ve written one article they might be willing to do another. Also let the journalist know that if they ever need a quote for another story that they are writing that you’d be willing to take their call.

11 Tips from my Friends on Getting Media Coverage For Your Blog

I asked my Twitter followers for their tips on getting press coverage for blogs. Here’s some of what they said:

  1. “If your writing to try and get press coverage be emotive, timely and topical – demonstrate ‘special’ or ‘insider’ expertise” – keithdon
  2. “1- easy to find contact info; 2- photo of self & decent bio; 3- blog trends, hot topics” – alizasherman. She also tweeted – “My miscarriage blog was featured in More mag. I was blogging a “controversial” topic in a daring way. Got noticed & featured.”
  3. “Break the news so the press use you as the source. Has worked multiple times for me.” – michaelmeloni
  4. “Keep blogging your niche and the reporters will find you. And when they do contact, jump at the chance to help them.” – GrantGriffiths
  5. “Treat traditional media like you would want 2 B treated; don’t spam them, read their stuff 1st, be concise, give links 4 more” – CathyWebSavvyPR
  6. ” 1) write quality content 2) have clients that write quality content and reference you” – leahmac
  7. “Be bit controversial, write press release for them (they lazy) be original.” – theworstofperth
  8. “provide constructive criticism when everyone else is bitching about a problem and you’ll be noticed” – MadLid
  9. “give your blog a spit shine before press release. Check spelling, grammar and theme errors. Be prepared for a big jump in hits.” – beanfair
  10. “Start small. Offer something eg tips, advice, short column to local newspaper. See what works then go for the bigger papers.” – bussogardener
  11. “Media coverage advice for bloggers- Be honest, be brief, and find a relevant hook. I’ve had success with the press doing this. ” – BJMendelson

To be included in future lists of ‘tips from my friends’ – follow me on Twitter.

About Darren Rowse
Darren Rowse is the founder and editor of ProBlogger Blog Tips and Digital Photography School. Learn more about him here and connect with him on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
Comments
  1. Hey does anyone thing it would be a good idea to do a press release for my blog. http://www.Yellowcabnyc.com

  2. Brooklyn Mark – No one can tell you whether or not your site is worthy of a press release. It doesn’t matter what your site is. It matters only what your news is.

  3. With the same idea as your twitter follower #4 (GrantGriffiths), I just worked on good content and I was contacted directly for a radio interview on a major Spanish radio station (link with English translation) all about my blog, without me even trying.
    It was an excellent experience and I used the transcript of the interview on my blog for key words for Google searches (as a video blog there are very few words for Google to latch on to).
    But despite them having an audience of millions, and me very clearly giving the web address during the interview, according to Google Analytics my travel from Spain (where the listeners would have been) did not increase above normal that day (or that week). I’d love to know how to approach it differently next time I’m approached – it just seems that other media is a very bad way of promoting a blog. People are eager to click a link waiting for them on a different website, but not to get a pen and paper and write down a web address (or commit it to memory) while listening to the radio. Does anyone have any suggestion as to how I should have gone about it differently? :)

  4. I have also had the experience several times of having the media use or refer to my stuff without getting a mention. That’s very annoying. If they think it’s worth using they should attribute it.

  5. I like your tips though I totally do not agree to the point of Indian Press scenario. Even though you develop a unique story, send press releases – it may end to dumps! If the journalist has powers, fine, otherwise even if he’s impressed he gets helpless.

    Build Profile and Keep in touch with Journalist – gr8 points and works – Yet, You need a great Profile. All journalists are not Internet savvy and if you are able to convince, you are through and once you are in, it’s a repeat appearance as they call you again related to various other stories and interviews! In my city, the top most Times of India – the most widely read has repeated interviews of the same old influential faces (even I used to be one) but now, as the staff changes, the old faces go away and the influenced faces appear with repeats…Influence plays a big role with a great personal Bio.

    Mainly, Impressing and being influential with journalists works alongwith quality content and inputs. Why, even the politicians have to pester journalist so that they get coverage…

    – ilaxi patel
    VA (Official Blogger)
    http://www.mjakbar.org
    Journalist & Editor
    http://www.kidsfreesouls.com

  6. The story is the most important ticket to stardome in internet blogging. Should you have very rare story to tell and even involves supernatural, it’s a million dollar story!

  7. A lot has been written about how to get your blog featured on other blogs – but how do you get press coverage whether it be TV, Radio, newspapers or magazines? Read the tips on how Darren s done it.

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