● The short answer
Find a story a reporter would want even if you were not paying attention to marketing: something new, local, surprising, useful or tied to a trend. Pitch it briefly to the specific reporter who covers that beat, with facts, visuals and a person available to talk. Start with local and trade outlets, follow up once, and build relationships before you need them.
Key takeaways
- Coverage starts with a real story: new, local, human, timely, data-driven or visual.
- Pitch the specific reporter on that beat, briefly, with assets ready.
- Earned mentions build credibility and give search engines and AI independent evidence about you.
Why press still matters
Earned coverage does three jobs at once. It reaches a new audience, it lends a third party's credibility, and it creates the kind of web mention that search engines and AI assistants use to decide which businesses are notable. An Ahrefs analysis of 75,000 brands found branded web mentions were the strongest correlate of brand visibility in Google's AI Overviews, more than backlinks. Correlation is not causation, but it lines up with what we see: businesses that get written about get named.
The how is where we come in.
What we walk through with you, for your business:
- What makes something newsworthy
- How to pitch, step by step
- Other ways in
- Our take
Every business is different, so the plan is too. Tell us where you want to show up and we will show you what it takes.
Talk to usMore questions
Should I hire a PR firm or do it myself?
Many small businesses can land local and trade coverage on their own with a good story and a clear pitch. A PR firm makes sense when you have regular news, need national reach, or lack time to build relationships. Ask any firm for recent examples and avoid anyone guaranteeing placements.
Are press releases still worth sending?
A press release on a wire service rarely creates coverage by itself, and syndicated copies carry little weight. A release is still useful as a fact sheet to attach to a personal pitch or post on your own site. The personal pitch to the right reporter does the real work.
Sources
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