If you really want your brand to cut through the noise, then you need to get your business more exposure. And the best way to do so is through digital media! But why should you even bother doing this? Well, getting featured on digital media can be a great way to increase your visibility and reach a wider audience. It can be a powerful tool to promote your brand across several popular digital media outlets if you utilize it in the right way. In this article, we will discuss exactly how you can get your business featured on digital media and the benefits of doing so!
Benefits Of Getting Featured On Digital Media Platforms
There are several benefits of being featured in a popular digital media publication or platform. Below we have outlined some of the key advantages your brand can leverage.
Increased Visibility and Brand Awareness
Being featured in a reputable digital media outlet can help increase the visibility and awareness of your brand, product, or service among a wider audience. This can help attract new customers and increase sales.
Credibility and Authority
Being featured in a digital media outlet can lend credibility and authority to your brand. This is because it is seen as a stamp of approval from the outlet, which can help build trust with potential customers. It is particularly valuable for businesses that are just starting out and are looking to establish themselves as a brand that people can rely on.
Increased Website Traffic
If your business gets featured on a digital media platform, then it can drive more traffic to your website. This is because readers will follow links to learn more about your brand, product, or service, which can help increase the number of people visiting your website. This, in turn, can help increase the chances of converting visitors into customers.
Media Exposure
One of the most prominent advantages of being featured on digital media is the amount of exposure your brand will get. Being featured in digital media can help expose you and your business to a wider audience and potential customers. This can be particularly valuable for businesses that are looking to expand into new markets, or reach new audiences.
Networking Opportunities
Digital media platforms can open up networking opportunities and can lead to future collaborations with other companies and industry leaders. This can help businesses build relationships with other organizations and gain valuable insights into their industries.
Increased Sales
A well-put-together post on a trusted digital media site can lead to increased sales as more people will get to learn about your product or service, which will lead them to become interested in purchasing it. This can be particularly valuable for businesses that are looking to grow their customer base and increase revenue.
How To Get Featured In Digital Media Platforms
Brands can employ a variety of tactics that can get their businesses on the front page of a digital media publication. They are:
Do Something Notable
We know that it is easier said than done, but the first criterion that you must meet to get featured is to do something that people will want to know about. If your story is boring or is something that your rivals are also doing, then it is highly unlikely that it will get featured.
Identify Publications that You Can Pitch To
If it is not possible to get direct media attention, then you should try pitching a story to them. However, if you simply approach all of the most renowned digital publications around the globe, then it is highly likely that they may turn it down. Hence, make a list of all the publications that will likely put your story on their platform. For this step, do some research and find out what kind of content the publisher usually posts.
Build A Relationship With The Platform Holders
How would you feel if a random stranger came up to you and asked for a favor? It would be quite awkward right? That is exactly how publishers and journalists feel when they are messaged out of the blue by someone they don’t know asking to be featured on their website. Rather, take the time to build a relationship with them. Follow them on social media, comment on their posts, share their content, and if possible, try to talk to them directly. That way, when you do decide to mail them about getting your brand featured, it won’t be so awkward.
Check Out The Published Content
Before sending out a sample to your potential publisher, first check out the type of content on their website. A few things to note is that you need to check the style of writing, the type of information being presented, and the structure of the piece. That way you will get a clear idea about what type of content will appeal to the publishers, which you can implement in your own post when asking to get featured. Moreover, this also improves your chances of getting your post approved since you already followed the structure.
Email The Publisher
Once you have completed the previous steps, it is time to email the publisher directly. To get the contact information, you can either check the website itself or the publisher’s social media handles. In most cases, you are more than likely to get an email address. As for the email itself, keep it short and to the point. If you were able to personally talk to them then you can give them a heads up about the mail. But if not, then you should wait at least a week for the media publisher to get back to you. In the chance that you don’t hear back from them, then you can email them once more after waiting for an appropriate period of time.
Optimize Your Content
Let’s say that your efforts of trying to contact a reputable publisher were futile, so what then? Well, you can still get featured on digital media using other means. For instance, the first thing that you should do is optimize your content for search engines. Use relevant keywords in your titles, descriptions, and tags, and make sure your website is mobile-friendly and easy to navigate. This will allow you to improve your organic reach across the internet.
Share Your Content
Next, share your content on all of your social media platforms and encourage others to share it as well. Make sure to include social sharing buttons on your website and blog, so that it’s easy for others to share your content. This is a very effective way to get featured on digital media, as other platforms may end up picking up your story to publish it on their own. Hence, it is important to share your story as much as you can, so that publishers take note of you.
Close The Deal
Once you have generated some leads, i.e. got your desired responses, then coordinate with the platform holder to have your content published. However, do keep in mind that you are bound to be rejected as well. Don’t let this discourage you from trying to connect with other publishers. The best thing you can do here is to take the rejections as an opportunity to improve yourself. Also, do not be pushy when you do receive a confirmation mail. Communicate your requirements and give them some time to reach out to you.
Tips On How To Get Featured On Digital Media
Here are some additional tips on how you can get featured on digital media.
- Write a story about something other than yourself: Sometimes the best way to get featured on digital media is to highlight a story that is about something other than yourself. For instance, you could tell the story of a charity and how it came to be rather than of how you donated to the charity.
- Hire a digital media platform to feature you: There are several digital media outlets that will publish your content for you if you pay them. This is a great way to gain some initial exposure for your business or brand as it will help you make a stronger case for yourself when trying to get yourself featured on more prominent digital platforms.
- Host an event: Hosting events is a great way to gain exposure for your brand and what it does. Media outlets love to talk about events, especially if it involves the attendance of influential people and industry veterans.
- Hire influencers: Influencer marketing is a great way to get featured on your preferred digital media outlet. If you can partner up with a notable influencer, then they can help you get more exposure in the digital space.
- Start small: Don’t just directly take your content to, i.e. The New York Times, with the hopes of getting it published. Because it is likely that it won’t happen. Rather, start small with local digital media outlets. Pitch to them and then gradually make your way up.
- Onboard a publicist: Reputed publicists have strong connections within the media industry. So, you can try onboarding them or partnering with them if you want to get featured.
- Create an intriguing subject line: When emailing publishers, make sure to include an intriguing, eye-catching subject line so that they are compelled to open your mail.
- Correct the feedbacks that are given: Though in most cases you are likely to just get rejected outright, if you do end up getting some feedback on your piece, make sure to correct it and take a mental note of what you can do better in the future.
- Be consistent: Don’t become disheartened if your piece is not accepted on the first go. Keep trying! Get in touch with other publishers and see if they would be interested in featuring you. But don’t overdo it as it can become quite annoying to the publisher.
Concluding Thoughts
By now, you should have a pretty clear idea about how you can get your content or business featured in a notable digital media outlet. While it may not be easy, or you might not get your desired response on your very first try, you should not let that discourage you from keep trying. Be professional, courteous, and most of all, be understanding of the fact that they are also humans. Once you have all these qualities in place, more digital media platform holders will want to work you!
