Getting Media Coverage for your Personal Concierge Business
Getting regular media coverage for your business is a fantastic to way to build your brand and to keep your business top of mind for your ideal clients. It also demonstrates credibility and trustworthiness. However, it isn’t always easy to get noticed by journalists, and the process for securing coverage can be somewhat daunting.
Would you like to know how I got media coverage like this, and this, and also this? Here are my top 3 tips.
1. Respond to Directly Media Requests – One of my favourite PR tools is SourceBottle. They are an Australian based media connection website but also cover the US, UK, Republic of Ireland, New Zealand and Canada. They connect expert sources (you!) with journalists and bloggers. Other websites that provide similar opportunities are Help a Reporter Out, Muck Rack, Just Reach Out and Media Kitty. You need to be quick and respond to a lot of requests to get the ball rolling. Patience and persistence is key but things should start to happen. I suggest you have a very good media centre on your website and/or a great PDF profile you can include with all of your submissions. Ensure you answer the request exactly as outlined by the journalist or they will inevitably ignore you.
2. Build Relationships – The number one way I have gained media coverage is to cultivate relationships with journalists, freelancers and radio producers. Then, when they ask you for a comment or an interview – say yes! Once they know you can provide timely and quality commentary on certain topics, and that you are very flexible to work with their short deadlines, they will start to call or email you! I also ensure they are on my media contact list to send out media releases and newsletters to them. Please note that the majority of the freelancers and journalists I work with were found via SourceBottle. The media features listed below with * next to them all came about because someone approached me due to an existing relationship.
3. Say Thanks – Always, always send a thank you to the journalist or producer. For me this is generally a simple email showing my appreciation, but if you can, a thank you card is even better! It is always much appreciated and sometimes they will mention possible future collaborations in their reply.
Bonus Tip – always say yes! – Putting yourself out there in the media can be daunting. You are sure there must be someone much more qualified than you to help them. Even if there is, don’t let this stop you! They have approached you! If they don’t like what you have to offer, they simply won’t include it. Keep in mind that journalists and producers have very tough jobs, having to deliver constant, regular content, often with very short deadlines. They are looking for a lot of different people to help them achieve this. Why shouldn’t you be one of them? If you can make the life of a journalist easier, they will appreciate it and come back for more.
Here are some of my favourite pieces, just to show you the types of articles I am regularly featured in. I ensure that each of these are listing in a media page on my website, show feature articles on my home page, and ensure they are shared via social media and my newsletter to ensure maximum coverage.
7 top tips on how to prepare for house guests
InsideOut Magazine
December 2015
Work, Life, Family And All That
Sunday Mail, Sunday Magazine*
July 8 2012
Australian working mums spending just 15 hours with their children
The Advertiser, March 29 2011*
Hired Help Eases the Work Strain
The Advertiser, December 28 2010
New Job Options In The Works
The Advertiser, CareerOne, November 13 2010*
Are We More Stressed Than In The 60s? PDF
More Stressed Than Ever Body + Soul Website*
Body + Soul, March 2010
What A Balanced Life Looks Like
Cosmopolitan Magazine, August 2009*
Have you had any media successes? What works best for you? Please share below!
Members of The Concierge Secret Society have access to my Media Release Template and an additional tips & resources page on our Members Only Resources Page. To access these immediately log in or join The Concierge Secret Society today!
Abbie Allen is the founder of The Concierge Society, as well as Lifestyle Elements and le Porter. She started Lifestyle Elements in 2004 at the age of 23 and now operates internationally from her head office in Adelaide, South Australia. She was the 2014 Institute of Concierge and Lifestyle Managers Association Golden Key Award winner, as well as a finalist in the South Australia Telstra Business Women’s Awards in 2012. She works with her husband Tim, and they have three daughters. If you handed Abbie a brand new book, a glass of red wine and some chocolate, plus the time to enjoy it, you would have made her day! Have you joined our free private community? Click here now!