Building your brand through local media coverage and news outlets can significantly benefit your business both online and offline. Search engines like Google value external brand mentions and links from sources they consider trustworthy. Public relations exposure in local community news and media outlets provides access to new audiences, enhancing your sales growth potential.
Knowing how to get a story featured on local news sites relevant to your business can offer you a competitive edge over local competitors. Here are four proven tips packed with actionable tactics to help you connect with and get featured in local media, building valuable links, visibility, and new business opportunities in the process.
1. Lay The Groundwork
A common mistake companies make when trying to get stories featured on local news sites is seeing it as a tactic that can be switched on or off at will. Building trust, authority, and backlinks require an ongoing focus within your marketing strategy to secure repeat placements and metric-based wins. Consider using the following framework:
- Identify key local news sites and media outlets specific to your target area.
- Engage with them on social media channels to build rapport.
- Establish automated social listening triggers to notify you when these sites need stories.
- Increase your visibility within the local community using specific tactics.
- Identify relevant contacts for content creation and editing within these outlets.
- Create unique content with standalone value pertinent to their audience.
- Reach out to contacts professionally and follow up using various channels.
- Expand your distribution list consistently.
- Utilize tools to reach broader media outlets.
- Promote successful articles on social media and business channels.
- Maintain relationships through regular check-ins and sharing newsworthy content.
2. Build Your Brand Within The Local Community
Enhance brand exposure in your local niches credibly and valuably. If you have physical locations, you already have a foundation and advantage over competitors not present in those areas. Explore tactics such as:
- Supporting local charities with company events.
- Running competitions and promoting them through your channels.
- Answering location-based questions on social media and forums.
- Showcasing expertise on industry forums.
- Participating in local business forums and networking opportunities.
- Developing value hubs on your website for the community.
- Promoting credible PR extensively.
- Actively commenting on local news sites.
- Hosting customer days to engage with your local audience.
- Collaborating with local influencers to reach new audiences.
Over time, you’ll discover other useful tactics to apply.
3. Have Something Useful To Say
It’s crucial to have unique opinions and stories worth sharing. Here’s an example of how combining personal success with company branding can work in local news. By helping local businesses improve their online sales, I crafted a feature for a significant local news site. Through ongoing collaboration, we developed a series of stories focused on supporting small businesses and a new book release. This approach built regional and national brand visibility alongside personal profiles, deepening relationships over time.
Exploring Other Mediums
The online landscape is shifting towards more dynamic content formats. Local communities and news sites appreciate businesses that present engaging content and updates. Consider simplifying complex topics through video series or infographics, and promote these to local news sites for continuous brand growth. Hosting a regular podcast that provides expert insights could attract attention from local news pages seeking fresh content.
In Conclusion
Engage actively within your local community to get your company stories featured repeatedly in local news outlets. An "always on" marketing approach, as suggested here, paired with proven techniques, can help you get started. Utilize local news stories to reach regional and national press. Be creative with the mediums used to elevate your local brand and frequently land your stories on local platforms. The more you stand out credibly, the easier brand building and story placement become.
Further resources:
- Local B2B SEO: The Complete Guide For Local Businesses
- 5 Critical SEO Considerations When Optimizing News Websites
- A Guide to Local SEO
Featured Image by Andrey_Popov/Shutterstock
