WNY Holdings LLC

7 Ways Your S mall Business C an Inspire Press C overage

G etting attention as a small business
or startup can be an incredibly
stressful ordeal. There is so much the
average news outlet or blog covers
that it can be hard to get their
attention. While nothing can guarantee
coverage, there are things you can do to
inspire it as much as possible.
Here, WNY Holdings, a New York-based
digital marketing company, shares 7 of
them.
1. Host an Event
The best way to get coverage is to create
something that demands coverage. Events and
the like can get people to pay attention to you,
at the very least out of curiosity. An exclusive
event where you invite news folk and
influencers can yield massive dividends. Even if
they do not end up covering whatever you
announce at the event, the encounter should
provide you with ample excuse to start a
business relationship with the attendees.
 2. Participate in Your Area
Nothing gets people to pay attention quite like charitable work. O ffering discounts
or even free services or products to your local area can get you a lot of positive
coverage and publicity. If your community is in need, but your service cannot help
directly, you can instead donate to a charity or volunteer. Those acts will have a
similar impact, and as a bonus, will make you feel good inside.
3. Be a Consultant
on Current Events
S howing off your expertise and knowledge is not
just fantastic for your brand; it's also great for
getting publicity for your small business. An
excellent opportunity to show it off is to look for
upcoming events or newsworthy items that are
not necessarily accessible to the public. Then,
figure out which outlets or influencers are going to
cover that topic. S end them a quick email offering
to serve as a professional consultant. Don't forget
to let them know what your qualifications are to
make your offer more tempting.
4. Be More Proactive
You likely have documents and responses ready to send
out to outlets in case they show an interest. That is a
good thing, but it's a reactive approach. Instead of
waiting for them to find your newsworthy acts, you can
let them know directly.
The most common way you can go proactive is to send
pitches to local news outlets and influencers. Those
pitches must refer to some upcoming or recently finished
event your company had a part in, like a new product or
a charitable contribution. You should also focus on
contacting people whose beat or coverage includes your
industry or target market. That will increase the odds of
them responding positively to your pitch.
5. Utilize Social
Media
S ocial media marketing is a powerful tool for a
reason: reach. It is unlike anything in history.
Anyone or anything can reach around the world
in the blink of an eye. It's also great for
inspiring coverage of your small business or
product.
Utilizing social media is often a matter of
forming an on-platform relationship with
influencers and news outlets. O ffering your
take on current events by commenting on their
posts, for example, can get them to notice and
remember your name. From there, you can
build a relationship with them.
6. Make a S plash
If you want to make the news, you have to
make a splash. The good news is that it is a lot
easier than it sounds. You should have to put a
spin on something you are doing. For example,
if you're running a baby product business and
are attending an expo, you can invite local
celebrities who are parents to serve as special
guests. Alternatively, you can have some
season-appropriate trick or a style for your
booths that gets people talking. Even a few
jokes or costumes here or there can leave a
lasting impact on influencers and news outlets.

7. Make It Personal
S ometimes, it's less about your business and more
about you, as well as your brand. C onsider Elon Musk
and how he is essentially Tesla personified. Half the
news about Tesla and his other endeavors do not
come from the business entities. They come from
things Musk personally said or jokes that he made.
You can take a similar approach when it
comes to attracting coverage - and the
great news is, what gets attention does
not necessarily have to be directly related
to your company. The fact that you own a
company and have a product will likely
come up as the influencer or reporter is
researching you. “Think of yourself as bait,”
says Melissa Williams, co-founder of WNY
Holdings. “When someone snaps up your
news, you bring out your company.”
G etting news coverage isn't easy, but if
you want your small business to succeed,
you need to get it. Merely having a good
product won't get people to buy it.
People need to hear about it, to know that
it exists, before they have a shot at
becoming loyal consumers.
 About WNY Holdings LLC
WNY Holdings LLC is a customer-focused digital marketing company that was started
in 2018 to provide tailored marketing strategies for small businesses. WNY
Holdings LLC helps restaurants, coffee shops, and retailers with all their digital
marketing needs, from content marketing, web and graphic design, media
creation, S EO , all the way to Facebook advertising.