Landing press coverage is one of the best ways to grow your public speaking business. Not only does press coverage and publicity help you gain visibility, but it also boosts your credibility as a thought leader and speaker if you’re featured on local, regional, or national news outlets. Not sure where to start in terms of PR? Check out these tips for how to land press as a public speaker.
- Make yourself newsworthy
The best way to think about landing press coverage is to “make yourself newsworthy,” says media trainer and storytelling coach Jessica Abo. Think about an angle you can take when pitching yourself to news outlets. Is there a trending topic circulating that you specialize in? Is there a breaking news story related to your mission that you can speak on? Craft a newsworthy angle that’s connected to your specialty, and use that to pitch.
2. Think about timeliness
Many news stories and articles throughout the year are related to something seasonal or cyclical, like International Women’s Month, holidays, elections, vacations, back-to-school, etc. When thinking about your story and your message, what time of year would this story make the most sense? Check out your local or national news archives to see what kind of stories have been covered in the past, and when. Use this research as inspiration for making your story as timely as possible. Why would anyone care to listen or read about your story, and why now?
3. Pitch yourself
Do you have your angle and your timeline ready? It’s time to create an email pitch to send out to local newspaper reporters or TV news stations. Research the reporter or producer’s work beforehand. What kind of articles or segments do they create and how can you help? Don’t pitch yourself, pitch a story that will resonate with readers and viewers and will ultimately get you the coverage you’re looking for.
Remember, make your pitch as relevant and timely as possible to news outlets for the best chance of landing coverage. As you begin to land features and stories, add those accolades to your media kit and speaker website.
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