How To Generate Press For Your Self Employed Business

Good press can bring a lot of traffic and income to your business. It is generally an efficient form of business marketing and advertising. Still, not all companies may have the capacity to pay PR agencies to promote their business or pay to get featured in newspapers, television, and radio. If you are in the category of business owners who need to promote their business without paying anyone, this article is definitely for you.

There are different ways to generate press for your business. One of the free and easy ways is to reach out to press publishers or websites that suit your desired project work and business plan to make your pitch. For example, a photographer can pitch his project with websites like Pexels.com and Fiverr for content creators to help publish the project at no cost while attracting potential customers.

Another easy way to generate good press for your business is by connecting with journalists with well-known sources. An example of such a platform is Help A Reporter (HAPO). This platform is quite popular in the United States, and it is also free to use.

Creative Ways To Generate Press For Your Business

To make your business grow in the way you expect, a lot of work needs to be put into it. Below are some of the creative ways you can use to generate the necessary press for your business.

1. Create a press-worthy project/story

This is usually the first step into getting good press coverage for your business. Since it is another form of marketing, it is advisable to try and sell your business and pitch your idea as much as you can by creating a story or project that can attract the views and patronage expected for the company's growth. A unique and creative story would go a long way in grabbing the attention of journalists and even readers who are the potential customers when it is eventually published.

2. Have a target audience

Your reason for using press coverage for your business doesn't matter, but it is fundamental to decide your target audience before even creating a business pitch. Your business plan or project may want to target getting new leads, attract customers or investment and recruit people to work on your team. A good pitch focused on the target audience would stand a better chance of getting noticed.

3. Engage on social media

Social media is a potent powerhouse and has given many the necessary and desired platform and audience to showcase their talent or sell their business. Social media platforms such as Twitter, Linked In, Facebook, and others are great places to pitch your business ideas or story to grab the attention of both publishers and customers for your business.

4. Identify the right journalists

Endeavor to pitch your project or business plan to publishers of websites or companies that have some similarities with your work. There is very little chance for your pitch to getting rejected when pitched right to the appropriate person. For instance, a pharmaceutical company or even a hospital would consider a business pitch on the selling of drugs.

5. Reach out to the publishers or website

You can reach out to the intended publisher or website, ask for professional advice, and get familiar with the publishers before you pitch your project. It's not so advisable to immediately submit your pitch without some form of familiarity with the publisher, either by phone call or via social media. Some people get lucky and submit their pitch first hand, and they can get the desired attention, but often, straight submission of a project pitch without prior notice of some sort can get the work discarded.

6. Create time to follow up

If your story or pitch is interesting or attracts the journalist to the publisher, they will get back to you soon enough. Still, sometimes the publisher may forget due to busy work schedules and even misplace your story. This is why a constant follow-up is necessary, either by phone calls or emails to the appropriate persons. 

7. Be persistent

Getting press for your business may not be easy and requires you to be persistent and not relent in your actions. Be prepared to take no for an answer because not all the publishers or websites you submit your project work to would give a favorable response, and that is why it is essential to do a lot of research before submitting your pitch. 

Generating press for your business is one of the simplest and free ways to market and sell your business to your desired audience, but it requires much work and research. Make sure to use the social media platforms as often as possible for your business and be persistent.