Securing media coverage offers the fantastic advantage of introducing your event to fresh and diverse audiences, creating a ripple effect that extends your event’s influence far beyond your usual crowd. Not only does media coverage capture the public’s attention and improve your brand’s reputation, but it can actually be more valuable than a typical advertisement.
Creating an effective media outreach strategy will take some time and patience, and to help you with the journey we’ve compiled our best advice for gaining media coverage.
Define Your Event & Understand Your Audience
Start by getting the basics out of the way: define its purpose, lay out your goals and zero in on the audience you’re trying to target. How old are they? Where do they live? How do they get their news? These are just a few of the questions you’ll want to answer. Don’t forget to consider the unique selling points (USPs) that set your fair or festival apart. Do you have the tallest ferris wheel in the South West United States? Or a 300-pound sculpture of your governor carved from butter? This is what the people want to hear about!
Create Captivating Collateral
Next up is creating two key pieces of key content: a press release and a media kit. Craft a compelling event announcement press release that is concise and includes the who, what, where and why in a punchy manner. The press release should also include a quote from the event’s organizers and contact information for media inquiries. Journalists should be able to find your organization’s media kit and access it easily. Include high-quality images, logos, branding assets, event background information, press releases, a detailed schedule and other relevant information (like statistics).
Get to Know Media Outlets & Journalists
Now you need to know who to pitch to. Oftentimes, the relationships you’ve built with media outlets and journalists will determine the media coverage your event gets. You’ll want to research both local and regional outlets (press, radio and television) as well as outlets that cover similar events to yours. Forge genuine connections with journalists by personalizing outreach and tailoring messages to their interests or unique perspectives.
Offer an Exclusive
Unfortunately, the inboxes of journalists and outlets are constantly barraged with press releases, pitches and story ideas, so it’s important to stand out from the crowd. To increase your chances of landing media coverage, provide outlets and journalists with exclusive opportunities. Behind-the-scenes access, interviews with performers or a personal invite to a first-hand experience are good places to start. By offering a unique perspective you’re more likely to catch their attention!
Tap Into Your Network
Reaching out to industry publications and familiar faces amplifies your event’s reach beyond the ordinary scope. As your network converges with media opportunities, a harmonious relationship emerges, propelling your event’s story into the spotlight and nurturing a cycle of growth that’s both meaningful and mutually beneficial.
In the realm of event promotion, securing media coverage can help you reach new audiences and launch your brand to the next level. From defining your event’s purpose to crafting collateral and from cultivating relationships with journalists to offering exclusive glimpses, every step is important in mastering media coverage.