The media has become increasingly dependent on advertising dollars, and this creates a catch-22 for brands: if you don’t advertise, outlets may give more prominent spots to your competitors that do; but if you do advertise, how many people actually pay attention to commercials anymore? This is why you see the larger brands using celebrity endorsements like Patrick Mahomes, Peyton Manning, and Snoop Dogg in their commercials to grab consumers’ attention. If you have a smaller brand, and can’t afford to hire those big names, how do you navigate the current media landscape and promote your business? Use these top 3 tips from The Cyphers Agency.
1. Make Sure Your Press Releases and Pitches Don’t Sound Like Advertisements
When reporters and editors look through all the pitch emails that come their way (and its hundreds a day), they are trained and instructed to avoid anything that’s overly promotional that they might see as a free ad. This is because publications need all the advertising money they can get, and don’t want to lose any potential money. It’s also because they don’t want any of their current advertisers to see a story and ask why a competitor received free press while they had to pay. If your press release or pitch is too promotional in its tone, the reporter will tell you they will only run it if you pay them for the ad space.
The easiest way to avoid this is to make sure your headline, email subject line, and opening paragraph strike a tone of announcing rather than promoting. Instead of telling them how great your product is, tell them how newsworthy your announcement is.
2. Show Reporters That You are Valuable To Them
The media may need advertisers, but they also need sources. The job of a reporter is to write about what is going on in the world. You happen to be a part of that world. Instead of reaching out to reporters all the time, make them want to reach out to you. That can mean offering commentary on current events, a term many refer to as news-jacking. It can also mean tying your announcements and pitches to current trends in your field and showing that you are the expert in that field.
Reporters need to know that you will respond right away when they need a source and that you are a human and not a robot. They need to know that you will provide them with accurate information that won’t get them in trouble. The best way to do that is to have a designated media contact whose job it is to manage media relationships, that way the press will know who to contact and be confident that person will provide them with what they need.
3. If You Pay For an Ad, Be Deliberate In Who You Are Targeting
Gone are the days when everyone paid for cable or satellite, and a commercial on your local station would be seen by everybody in town. In the era of streaming platforms, social media, Tik Tok and YouTube, you need to do your research on who you target. Who is your target audience, how old are they, do they spend more time watching TV, viewing social media, or watching videos? And if they watch TV, do they watch cable, satellite, or stream? Those are questions you need to ask before deciding where to place an advertisement for your brand. With TV viewership on the decline and so many different avenues in which to advertise, it’s harder to guarantee a return on your investment for the advertising dollars you set aside. Make sure you are putting your ads in a place where your target audience is likely to view them.
Promoting your brand is harder than ever in today’s media landscape. Most brands aren’t big enough to afford a Super Bowl commercial or pay a celebrity to do an ad for them, so it’s crucial for them to make sure they send the right message to the right target audience.
If you would like help with marketing, advertising, or public relations, feel free to contact us. We offer a variety of services like digital marketing & analytics, marketing & brand strategy, and more to small and large companies.
