We get a lot of feedback from entrepreneurs who’ve used the PR Toolkit For Small Business to generate all kinds of story ideas for their publicity efforts. One of the areas of feedback we receive addresses “where” to get press coverage. It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking your only PR opportunities are either in the local newspaper, television news station, radio station or online. While this short list serves as a good foundation for where to look, there are countless more ways to get small business public relations. For additional insight download the PR Toolkit for Small Business.
In fact, here are 41 ways to get small business public relations for your company or startup venture (examples in parenthesis):
1: Cable Station (FOX News Channel, MSNBC)
2: Cable Program (Power Lunch, FOX and Friends)
3: Cable Program Regional (Bay News 9 in Tampa Bay, New England Cable News)
4: Cable Bureau (CNN Miami, FOX News Los Angeles)
5: TV Network (CBS, ABC, NBC)
6: TV Station (WSVN, WPLG, WFOR, WTVJ)
7: TV Program (Good Day New York, Good Day Tampa Bay)
8: TV Regional Bureau (ABC News Atlanta)
9: TV Freelance (Becky Worley, Bruce Pechman)
10: Entertainment TV Shows (Ellen, Anderson Cooper)
11: Trade TV Shows (Weekend Decorating, This Old House)
12: Radio Network (ABC Radio, CBS Radio)
13: Radio Station (WIOD AM, WFLA AM)
14: Radio Program (Car Talk, Morning Edition)
15: Online News Source (MSNBC.com, WGN.com, Yahoo.com)
16: Print (Freelance writers like Scott Steinberg and Jim Dvorak)
17: Newspaper - National (New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today)
18: Newspaper - National Bureau (New York Times Dallas Bureau)
19: Newspaper Local (Denver Post, Boston Globe, Chicago Sun-Times)
20: Newspaper Weekly (Town Crier, Pelican Point)
21: Syndicated News Service (AP, Reuters, Gannett)
22: Syndicated Regional Bureau (AP Miami, Reuters San Francisco)
23: Syndicate (Knight-Ridder, Copley News Service)
24: Consumer Magazine (Esquire, Cosmopolitan, Redbook)
25: News Magazine (TIME, Newsweek)
26: Business Magazine (Fortune, Forbes)
27: National Magazine Bureau (Newsweek Washington, D.C.)
28: Vertical Trade Magazine (Builder, Electrical Contractor, Canadian Pizza)
29: Regional Magazine (Florida Trend)
30: Lifestyle Magazine (Ocean Drive, Naples Illustrated)
31: Photo Agency (Getty Images, AP Photo)
32: Industry Research/Analyst (Gartner, IDC)
33: TV News Website (WFTS.com, WTSP.com)
34: Radio News Website (WBAP.com, KLIF.com)
35: Newspaper Website (SunSentinel.com, PBPost.com)
36: Magazine Website (Newsweek.com, TIME.com)
37: Blog (HuffingtonPost.com, Engadget.com)
38: Vertical Email Newsletter (eWeek, iMedia)
39: E-Magazine (e-marketer, Marketing Sherpa)
40: Satellite Radio (Cosmo Radio, Road Dog Trucking)
41: Podcasts (Neo-Fite.tv)
There is certainly a lot of crossover between many of these formats. In many cases you may get a local television news station to do a story on your company with the story also appearing on the television station’s website. If there is a deeper partnership between local media companies (WFLA and the Tampa Tribune being a good example), then companies in the St. Petersburg/Tampa market have the chance of getting a small business public relations story on WFLA television, on the station’s website and also the Tampa Tribune. One way to find out of this is possible is to ask the camera person when they come to do the interview.
Do you have any other ways to add to this list? Please share with the rest of the community by leaving a comment.
Here are a few other topics that can also help with small business public relations:
12 Key Ingredients For Small Business PR in 2012
How To Get An Editorial in the Newspaper
How Can I Get My Small Business on CNN?
John Sternal is co-founder of Sternal Consulting, a PR and marketing consultancy helping businesses get noticed through publicity in the media. He is the author of the PR Toolkit for Small Business and currently authoring a book about DIY public relations for small business owners. For questions email John Sternal.
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DEFINITELY including in my Monday 1/16/12 NYT blog - love your work John!
Thanks, Gene. The feeling is mutual. We need to set up a time to chat so I can do a Q&A with you on the blog.