WHEN IS THE LAST TIME you hosted an event at your store and were able to share that news with your local newspaper or TV station? For many small pet business owners, the idea of reaching out to your local media sounds daunting, but it doesn’t have to be if you have the right tools.
The next time you have news you want to share, you and your team can use these tools to capture the attention of your local media at no cost.
MailChimp
An email distribution platform like MailChimp is great for both customer communication and for reaching the media. Upload the names and email addresses of your local journalists and TV stations (more about this in a moment) and send them an invite to the next event you’re hosting, or simply share your company news announcements so they know what’s going on at your store. MailChimp is free if your contact list is under 2,000 email addresses. You can schedule emails, and it provides analytics so you can see who is opening your emails.
Old Fashioned Research
To find the contact information for the journalist you want to reach, start by identifying the media outlets that cover news in your area. Visit each website and look for the “contact us” or “newsroom” page. These are typically found at the bottom of the website or on a side menu. For TV stations, look for the general news desk email address. For print, you’ll want to dig a little deeper. In addition to the newsroom email, look for people who write about business news, editors and even photographers.
Google Alerts
Another great way to find journalists in your area is by using Google Alerts. Once set up, Google Alerts will send you an email when a news article mentions one of your keywords. For example, set up a Google Alert for one of your biggest local competitors. You’ll receive an email any time they are mentioned in the news, and this will give you a good idea of which journalists and publications are writing about pet-focused local topics. Add them to your email list in MailChimp and send them news and information about events. Also, set up a Google Alert for your own business so you can stay on top of what the media is saying about you.
SimilarWeb.com
Knowing the audience size of the media you’re reaching out to is key. Make sure the publications you’re pitching have a large enough audience to make it worth your time. SimilarWeb.com is a free tool that our PR agency uses regularly. It allows us to learn the audience size of almost any newspaper, online outlet or blog. Any media you’re pitching should receive at least 5,000 website unique visitors per month.
Grammarly
The last thing you want to do is spell something wrong or use the incorrect form of “their” — yikes! Journalists and TV stations receive loads of emails a day, and they write for a living, so they’re looking for emails that communicate your points clearly and quickly. Download Grammarly, which will help you compose bold, clear, mistake-free emails.