Having worked for PRnewswire, one of the first pioneers in wire distribution services, I am a big proponent of traditional PR and I still understand the value of media outreach. But the reality is: there are so many creative ways to reach media influencers and get the media to cover your story, product, or yourself. Here are some things small business owners should do when trying to reach influencers:

 

  1. Media contacts are living and swimming in the digital platform. It’s a good idea, besides pitching to their direct email, to follow media contacts on social media. Most of them have their social media profiles available since they are public figures.
  2. Check out the site https://famebit.com/. Famebit allows you to connect with social media influencers who average over 2.5 billion followers. You can have YouTube celebs promote your product or service for as little as $100.
  3. Create engaging video content. There are over 8 billion views a day on YouTube. Videos are a great way to give you that PR leverage and get you noticed on an exponential level. But your video needs to be creative, educational, or emotional
  4. Connect with bloggers who cross relate to your industry. There are many free sites that have a list of bloggers/influencers, but my best advice is to start local. Find out who is the most influential blogger in your town, neighborhood, or city. Sometimes geographic similarities is a starting point for a great connection or story idea.
  5. You can also create blogs and write articles. Think about what problems your target audience might be facing. Do you have solutions to that problem? Create the article keeping your audience in mind. What interest them? Do not pitch your services - you simply want to make people aware of the symptom before you prescribe the medication.

PR is not dead — Long live the king! But PR has evolved into a different kind of creative and we simply need to learn how to tame that tricky wild beast.