How to Get Free Media Coverage for Your Business

How to get free media coverage: give journalists a genuine story their audience cares about, send it to the right person at the right time, and make it easy to cover with a clear media release, a good photo and someone available for interview. Free media coverage, often called earned media, can't be bought or promised, but local and industry media are constantly looking for good stories, and a well-prepared business has a real chance.

What is media coverage?

Media coverage is any mention of your business, people or event in the news: a newspaper story, a radio interview, a TV segment, an online article or a podcast. Earned media coverage is coverage you didn't pay for, because a journalist decided your story was worth telling. That's what makes it more trusted than an ad.

Why is media coverage important?

• Credibility: people trust a journalist's story more than an advertisement
• Reach: local news reaches people who don't follow your social media
• Search: online coverage can bring links and mentions that support your SEO
• Reuse: you can share coverage on your website, social media and in proposals

How do you get media coverage for your business?

1. Find a real news angle

Journalists want stories, not promotions. Good angles include new jobs, an opening or expansion, a local first, an award, a milestone, community support, a human story behind the business, or expert comment on a current issue.

2. Target the right outlets and people

Read, watch and listen to the outlets you want to be in. Find the journalist who covers your area, such as business, community or agriculture, rather than sending to a general inbox only.

3. Write a clear media release

Put the news in the first paragraph and keep it to one page. Our guide on how to write a press release walks through it.

4. Pitch it personally

Send a short, personal email explaining why the story suits that journalist's audience, with the release pasted below. Our guide on how to pitch to journalists covers the email.

5. Make it easy

Have good photos ready, a spokesperson available that day, and answers to the obvious questions. Respond quickly when a journalist calls.

How do you get media coverage for an event?

For an event, send a media release a week or two ahead, then a short reminder the day before. Say clearly when the main photo opportunity is and who will be there to interview. To request media coverage for an event, invite specific journalists and photographers directly, offer to send photos afterwards if they can't attend, and follow up with results, such as funds raised or attendance, the next day.

What stories do local media want?

Regional media cover their own community. Stories with a strong local connection tend to do better:

• Local people doing interesting things
• Jobs, investment and new buildings in town
• Community fundraising and volunteering
• Local responses to national issues, such as costs, weather or new laws
• Milestones for long-standing local businesses

How do you measure and monitor media coverage?

To monitor media coverage, set up Google Alerts for your business name, check local outlets after a release goes out, and ask journalists for a link when the story runs. Larger organisations use a media monitoring service to track print, broadcast and online coverage.

To measure media coverage, track how many stories ran, where, whether your key message was included, and what happened next: website visits, enquiries or event attendance in the following days.

What we see when regional businesses seek media coverage

The businesses we work with in Mildura and across the region often have better stories than they realise: a family business reaching a milestone, staff volunteering, or a new service that fills a local gap. What holds them back is usually the approach: a release that reads like an ad, sent to a general inbox the day before, with no photo.

Our PR team includes people with decades of experience in public relations and journalism. Through our media relations work we help businesses find the angle, prepare the release and reach the right journalists. We can't promise coverage, because editors decide what runs, but a well-prepared story gives you a real chance.

Frequently asked questions

What does media coverage mean?

Media coverage means your business, people or event appearing in news media: print, radio, TV, online news or podcasts.

What is earned media coverage?

Earned media coverage is publicity you didn't pay for, such as a news story or interview, as opposed to paid advertising or your own channels like your website and social media.

Can you pay for media coverage?

You can pay for advertising or sponsored content, which must be labelled as such. Genuine news coverage can't be bought, which is why it's more trusted.

How long does it take to get media coverage?

For a timely local story, coverage can happen within days. Magazines and features work months ahead. Building relationships with journalists takes time and pays off over many stories.

What if my media release isn't picked up?

Ask yourself whether the angle was strong enough for that outlet. Share the news on your own website and social media anyway, and try a different angle or outlet next time.

Have a story worth telling? Contact Rock Solid Marketing to talk to our PR team.