Make the headline to make the sale
The news media is one of the most effective ways to gain publicity for your business. Most people turn to newspapers or the evening news for information, so getting your story in the news is a surefire way to reach your target audience. It’s also good for your company’s reputation because appearing in editorial content is far more credible than appearing in a commercial or print ad.
Breaking news can be an even more effective tool because it spreads around fast – sometimes within minutes – and it’s available in all mediums (TV, radio, internet, print) at once. But using breaking news for publicity can make you appear intrusive and aggressive, which can turn away potential clients. Here are some tips on using breaking news effectively to promote your business:
- Share the front page – The front page of a newspaper is naturally the first thing people see. It’s not as recent as the TV news, but it’s more detailed, and people turn to the newspaper to read more about what was on TV. If your article or press release is on the front page, more people are likely to see and read it – even passersby can notice your article. If possible, position your piece close to the banner (where the breaking news usually is) on the upper fold, because this is where people tend to look first.
- Create sidebar content – Major news events often prompt a series of supplementary articles to feed the public’s need for information. You often see articles on safety and security after a crime or natural disaster, or prevention and medication guides during an epidemic outbreak. If your product or service is relevant to the breaking news, you can write a guide or how-to article briefly mentioning your product and submit it to print and online publications. Some publications may even let you coordinate with a writer so you can provide a sidebar for a bigger story. This tactic positions you as an expert in your field, which gives you credibility and makes your readers more willing to buy your product.
- Use news search engines – Studies show that journalists are becoming more dependent on news search engines for news leads and press releases. You can take advantage of this trend by making sure your press release shows up in the search pages and gets picked up by the journalists. Submit relevant stories online, providing keyword tags to improve your ranking. Include links to your company website within the article. There are several sites that accept online press releases (including PRfriend) for free.
- Paid search – Paid search is another way of using The Internet to direct readers to your product and gain revenue. In paid search, you bid for keywords on a search engine so that your links turn up when someone searches that keyword. By buying the keywords relevant to the breaking news, you promote your site or product to anyone who looks it up. However, your position on the search page depends on how high your bid is, so you may have to spend more for the popular keywords.
Reminder
Breaking news spreads fast, but it can burn you if you do not use it properly. Make sure that your plan does not look too aggressive or worse, intrusive. It may put off potential clients and give your company a bad reputation in the long run.