Seven social media tips to get PR coverage
1. Set intention through your bio
First things first: your bio matters. You need it to clearly and concisely share what you do, who you exist for and how people can learn more about you. A winning formula:
- What you do
- How you help people
- A call-to-action for people to find out more about you
A few examples that work wonders:
2. Connect with journalists via Instagram
Journalists are the new influencers. The trick is to connect with journalists as people before the publications they write for. In practicality, this looks like following them, engaging with their content and keeping tabs on when they call-out for products like yours.
To start your own must-follow list, actively search for journalists who have written about products or services in your category and follow them on Instagram.
Pro tip:
Following freelance journalists who write for several publications can often be more fruitful than following in-house journalists. Why? Because freelance journalists often have greater reach and more opportunities to feature your brand. Your brand can grow with their freelance career.
3. Don’t be afraid to direct message journalists
A closed mouth doesn’t get fed. If you want coverage, you need to raise your profile organically and directly through direct messages to the journalists that matter. The rules: keep it brief, keep it to the point, keep it human.
We’re all busy – make your ask clear and your gratitude evident, and you can’t go wrong. After all, journalists are becoming increasingly stretched. Make it your mission to make their jobs easier by connecting them with content that will help.
Marketing with Love challenge
Build your confidence by sending a few initial outreach messages on Instagram to 4-5 journalists. Sending short messages helps your pitching skills and refines how you talk about yourself.
4. Be seen, be heard, be visible
You know the expression ‘dress for the job you want, not the one you have’? The same logic applies to your social media.
Create your social media for the audience you want, not the one you currently have. Optics matter when engaging with journalists. The way you show up online is your storefront. Give journalists confidence that your Instagram is alive, consistent and well-maintained and they’ll be more likely to feature you.
First impressions matter. Make it count.
5. Listen to your customers through social
We’re big believers in understanding your customers to better understand your brand. Listening doesn’t mean simply responding to customer service queries, but actively playing a part in their lives.
Consider creating a branded hashtag and inviting your customers to share their stories. Create a giveaway and allow your customers to enter in a creative way. Actively ask for their feedback on product decisions you’re making and watch how your engagement increases.
These everyday interactions go a long way in preparing your brand for PR. Community is your greatest asset when securing coverage.
6. Experiment with TikTok and other platforms
With social media channels, it pays to be selective. Creating good content helps secure PR coverage, and the secret to good content is finding the right place for it to thrive. Long gone are the days of being on every social media channel. Today, you just need to be active on the right ones – 2-3 max.
TikTok is a growing social media platform that currently works in the favour of small creators and businesses. Right now, unlike Instagram, big businesses aren’t currently dominating the app which means it’s possible to get incredibly good engagement without an existing follower base. If your products or services are relevant to Gen Z, try and make a TikTok. See what happens.
7. Follow #journorequest on Twitter regularly
Twitter may seem like an older platform, but its value lies in the #journorequest hashtag. Think of this as a free, ever-updated resource for you to find PR opportunities for your brand.
How it works is simple: go to Twitter, search #journorequest, and you’ll soon see many journalists, bloggers and influencers searching for stories.
Pro tip:
Check-in regularly with #journorequest (calendar reminders help!) and specify your search by your industry. An example for the fashion industry:
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