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5 simple ways to get media coverage on a low budget



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5 simple ways to get media coverage on a low budget

So you don't have enough money to get noticed by the media?  Well, you're in the right place!  People are constantly trying to get noticed by major news syndications who talk about up and coming businesses or their products.  They're doing this because media coverage can be a springboard to success, and that success will come almost overnight due to all the syndicates that will pick up on your article.  Now, it does take a bit of work if you want to do this on a budget, but it can be done for much cheaper than hiring a company to do all of it for you.

It's no secret of where you want to get noticed, but it is a little tricky to actually get the people who are publishing this content to notice you, and that's why I'm writing up this discussion 5 simple ways to get media coverage on a low budget  I've actually done this a couple times and been successful with it, so below is a little guide on what I did to get noticed.

Enjoy!


Submit a real press release
You'll need to write up a long form article, no shorter than 2,000 words, and it needs to be top notch with amazing content and statistics in it.  People in the media don't want to hear why you think you have a great product, they want to hear why other people are already talking about you, which is what will entice them to pick up your story and push it through their platforms 5 simple ways to get media coverage on a low budget

Once you have your 2,000+ word article ready to go, you'll now need to submit a real press release, and that will likely cost you upwards of $750.  Yeah, you're probably thinking "I'm supposed to do this on a budget!  I can't afford $750!" but if you want to be serious about you're business, then $750 isn't much if you're really trying to boost up your success!

Look into big press release companies and figure out which one works best for you.  If you're an SEO company, you'll likely want to work with a service that publishes to people who are more interested in digital services and the internet.  If you're selling a physical product, you'll likely want to pay a press release company who focuses on the daily consumer and get your products in front of the media that way.  There are also platforms that focus more on social media, and they'll get you distributed that way, so be aware of what you're buying before you finalize anything!

Start reaching out to specific journalists
This isn't as easy as it sounds unless you know a little trick, and that's how to use Facebook PPC campaigns to your advantage!  All you have to do for this little trick is to put a page on your website that is essentially talking to journalists, then you'll go set up your Facebook PPC campaign, and you'll link back to your journalist page.

If you haven't figured it out, you'll be targeting anyone that has "Journalist" as their profession, which means your ad will only show to people who want to be journalists or actually are for their day job.  You can even do some remarketing to try and bring those journalists back in after they didn't act the first time they landed on your pages.  After a few weeks you should have some journalists talking to you, which is a really good thing, but what's even better is that it shouldn't cost you more than $15 or $15 a day 5 simple ways to get media coverage on a low budget

Duplicate current stories and pull in views
If you're managing your own media coverage, you'll want to try and duplicate some success stories that are already out and ranking well on the search engines.  This will likely get you ranked for some long-tailed keywords, possibly get you noticed by the journalists that posted the original story, and likely get you some sales if your article did get to page 1 for your targeted keywords 5 simple ways to get media coverage on a low budget

You can't just copy and paste what someone wrote, you need to rewrite it in order to be seen as unique by the search engines, so do this manually or bring in a writer to do it for you.

Be active on social media
A lot of people don't think about using social media to get noticed by actual media platforms, but it does work, and it works well!  All you have to do is write up a great article, post it to your website, write up a quick snippet about your article, post it to your facebook page, and tag news companies and reporters in the post to hopefully bring them in to see what you've written. 

If all goes well, they will contact you through your website or social media profile and you can begin to work with them to get more coverage on a larger scale 5 simple ways to get media coverage on a low budget


In conclusion
Getting noticed by the media while on a budget isn't the easiest thing to do, but it can be done if you follow the few tips I listed above.  It's a decent amount of work in the beginning, but once you're used to the process it should go fairly smooth, so it's better to start now and iron out all the kinks before you start to get too successful 5 simple ways to get media coverage on a low budget


Remember to follow me!
https://www.seocheckout.com/user/TommyCarey


Thanks!

Tommy Carey

Comments

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Kakashi2020
I do agree with some of your points. If you're low on budget you can use social media to reach as many people as you can. All you need is a good press release. There's a lot of media practitioners out there who would be willing to help you out for a nominal fee or even an ex deal. All you need to do is reach out and talk to them.



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Martinsx1
Exactly! One don't need to pay much in order to make use of the social media to advertise and promote one's business products and services. It requires just a data subscription and internet access, with just a few clicks, you would have your business products and services information crawling all over the social media news feeds.



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stbrians
As much as you are right in one way, on the other ine you are wrong. Social media like Facebook will advertise you widely if you pay for the services. Data or wifi alone is not enough. One needs to pay for advertisement.



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ballyhara
Agree. You don't need to spend a lot on social media, as long as you learn properly how to surf on those. You just need good internet service, and time to take care of your customers on the platform. It makes sell/buy process way much easier, it reaches so much people, and you can advertise all that you want or can.



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DenisP
It wouldn’t hurt to start small, either. A lot of people dream of getting national news coverage on big networks like CNN or BBC. While it’s alright to dream big, we have to be realistic about our goals, and being realistic often means starting small.

Many small towns have local news and radio stations, and they’re often looking for material to cover. If you can pitch them an offer that catches their interest, it is far likelier that they’ll cover your story than if you head to some major network right from the get-go.



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ajahcuizon
I agree! Partnering with media practitioners out there could really help your business to grow. You just have to approach them and offer them a friendly business proposal. You don't have to spend too much money on something you're not sure of getting an income from. You can just have a few but trusted partners who you see can really help your business to have a good advertising such as in social media platforms.



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Corzhens
I have been seeing promotional posts in social media about their video on Youtube or websites. One thing I noticed about those marketing posts is that they are needing creativity because it so bland to read about a video with the title and there was nary a good description. The same with the website, one post was showing the link plus the short caption that says, “please visit.”



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Cristian
I've managed a few PR campaigns this year and I learned a lot, especially after the first one. As you said, you need a budget. My first place release exceeded 1k and was managed and published by Business Wire which is probably the most prestigious and expensive PR distributor available for the average player.

Paying, implementing and managing the PR is the easy part. In my opinion, the most important part is preparation, if you really want the PR to have any significant effect you need to make sure that it does, and that starts at least two weeks in advance.

You need to get ready the following
  • The actual PR content;
  • Lists of influencers you are going to contact right after the PR is released;
  • Email templates (the text) for those outreach emails you are going to send;
  • Analytics and other statistics in place to track everything that happens, you can learn a lot of this data at a later date;
  • Social Media posts need to be ready and scheduled;
  • A special landing page on your own website might be in order.



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stbrians
Your information actually comes in handy. I will use this information for my PR. Cristian



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anchoreztin
Planning is really crucial in any business or getting a goal. It will serve as your foundation. A good and strong foundation has a higher chance for success. Unlike executing in haste can garner poor result. You have such a nice list on how to have a positive effect on your PR.



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Youngshark
Wow I did not know about all of the aspects that go into getting a press coverage. I am literally shocked on some of the aspects like the amount that you have to give out. The poat seema practical though and it will be of help.



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vinaya
Reaching out to journalist is one of the best options to get media coverage. If you have connections, for instance you have a journalist friend/relative, you can cash on this; even if you do not have any connection, you can sponsor to get media coverage. For instance, you can pay the journalist and ask him to review your business or even interview you.



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Zelmontero
Connections and networks can really help you to achieve your goal in this industry. It will help you to improve your image to the public hence you will attract more viewers. It is really one of the best way to quickly improve the number of your viewers.



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mark8625
Definitely correct. If you have a connections and network everything would be easier. The fastest way to become successful is that your product must have a good exposure.



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vinaya
Networking and building connections both are important when it comes to become successful in your business. However, you should also consider about the money you are going to spend on your networking and building connection campaigns. If you are just starting out, budgeting is very important. You need to spend less and think about the ways to get maximum returns.



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Youngshark
You know until you reach out to someone and they hold your hand you will have many difficulties. However if you have even the smallest definition of a mentor with you along the way then your journey might be very simple and all goals quite achievable.



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NerdIndeed
Very true. Your NETWORK is your NET WORTH. Being at the right place at the right time while having the right people in your circle are all fundamentally essential aspects to consider when it is time to start doing business. The best thing to remember is to put yourself in a position where you have the ability to get attention and exposure quickly.



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Martinsx1
As a journalist in profession, this benefit is readily available to me anytime I need it with having being done and dusted with reading mass communication, I have so many friends who are practicing journalism, so I'm just one call away getting a press conference or having my press release made public.



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Youngshark
Hahaha. A press conference is just a call a way. Nice one My friend. So I guess now that I am your friend my press conference is also just a chat away.



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stbrians
Quite a good strategy. However, I tend to think that the journalists will ask for much money. Also they may market you on a local market. Nowadays we have gone global in our work. Do yoy not think so?



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DenisP
The idea of sponsoring isn’t a bad one. It’s a strategy that’s actively utilized on YouTube right now. I know I mention YouTube a lot in my comments, but that’s because I’m simply not a fan of traditional media. In fact, my opinion on traditional journalism is that it’s incredibly bias, outdated, sensationalist, and all-around trash.

In any case, the point I was trying to make is that many people are getting into sponsoring podcasts and other shows on YouTube in order to gain the attention of millions of people. YouTube influencers often receive hundreds of thousands of views, and sponsoring some of them can result in a a lot of exposure.



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superlicca
You are right! if you have connections then getting the media coverage will be easy. You are one step ahead of your competitors. With the help of the media, you can build the credibility and image that your business wants to convey.



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ballyhara
This is actually a really good way to cover the field. Usually, when you are backed up for a journalist, or at least a well recognized one, people takes your business more serious, and will feel more attracted to check it out. If you add social media to the journalist job, that will be honestly amazing for your business.



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Zelmontero
Another great tips! This are really helpful for the beginners who are seeking success in the internet. Showing this tips especially to someone that really starting from scratch is really a good help. Having no money and tight budget really limit your choices but you are really serious in pursuing in this career you really need a lot of hard work.



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Martinsx1
You're very correct my friend with that assertion on how valuable these tips discussed in the article above with how beneficial those tips are to getting one's business the exposure it needs to get it increased sales. The media is all about publicity, so making use of them very appropriately will gain your business the attention it needs.



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stbrians
Sacrifice my friend. If you cannot sacrifice money then you sacrifice your time and hardwork. Nothing is found on a silver platter. You have to work for it. Use money to get money is the best policy.



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Zelmontero
Yes, you does not really need to sacrifice money. You just need to invest a lot of effort, strength and time. If you are not willing to spend some money you should be willing to invest your mind, time and body.



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amelia88
Social media absolutely is a way to get noticed! I know people who use their Twitter a lot and have actually been contacted by TV programs and news sources for comments, when they're not actually journalists - merely just active on social media platforms. It's absolutely a way to get noticed and get coverage on a low budget.



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Martinsx1
If you have a very close look at how effective social media is when it comes to getting one's business the exposure and publicity that would get it generally known when compared to the media house jobs, you would most likely realize that the social media seems to have a more direct impact. People currently give more attention to social media then the news stations.



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amelia88
I even think about my own news reading - I used to read print newspapers or head to news websites, but these days information comes out so much faster on Twitter and other social media sources. Twitter often breaks the news first, even before reputable news outlets. It's amazing how the world has changed so much, so rapidly.



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Martinsx1
If you managed to have any journalist as a friend, he or she would be your easiest access to getting media coverage because from my experience in the journalism profession, journalists always like to offer assistance in order to get you to owe them one and they are definitely going to come call.



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Barida
That's true and another point that always make most journalists not to turn thing down is the way that they can get better connections just by working for you which is pretty great as well. I have taken a look at things and noticed that this is one of the best form of advertising as well.



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rlpzbeermoney
Do people still watch news though? Do people still read the paper? I'm one of those who read nor watch either. Everything is online now and I tend to consume news on my own time rather than adjusting my time to consume news. I'm pretty sure a lot of people are the same way.



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jaymish2
I like the idea to re-writing an already ranking story.I agree its not as easy as copy and paste.You need skills to do this successfully the same way you need the skills to rank on any search engine. I like this trick because from the article it is easier to identify what google will rank without going through hours and hours of keyword research. But you need to be super careful because Google can refuse to rank it if it adds no additional value to the content.



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Barida
As long as you have got the skills to do this, it is something that is going to pay off at the end since news readers will be trying to get a hold of the latest news and giving them that will make everything work better for them at the end of the day.



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superlicca
I think Social media is the simplest and easiest way to get the media coverage. Everyone is connected to the web including all the people behind the media. And if you will be able to promote your business in the best possible way, the chance of getting the media's attention is high. With the presence of media, your business or company will stand out from competitors. That is why once you have their attention, do your best to build a long-term relationship to establish a sustainable media presence.



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DenisP
It’s interesting to see just how much traditional news outlets rely on social media these days. It’s definitely something that you can use to your advantage.

For example, I’ve been seeing so many snippets of news coverage that involve the use of either viral YouTube videos or Twitter posts. I’ve seen a number of small YouTube channels get huge boost in views after being featured in the news, and same goes for followers on Twitter.

That being said, it does involve a bit of luck, but properly strategizing your content and timing it with certain trends definitely helps increase your chances.



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aeon
Duplicate current stories is what the other website owners doing right now. They will make a little controversy on the headline and they will post it in the social media to attract more readers. This is what happening in our country right now and some of the websites become popular specially if they duplicate the stories related to political.



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Zelmontero
When the story is still hot there are surely be a lot of writer that will making a duplicate article. I think it also a good strategy because you can attract more readers but do it not to the point that you will exaggerate the stories. And, always be careful in duplicating other stories make also additional research about the stories before writing.



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aeon
Well, that's the problem of some website owners, They never change the whole article and it was just completely copy paste. They really don't care about the news, they just share it to get visitors for their website.



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esteban123
Social Media sites such as twitter and Facebook are one of the best alternative for those people who lack some money to have some media coverage. Having a media coverage is really expensive and would takes a lot of time. Posting great articles in some websites and social media sites can get an attraction to journalist who might be interested for your blogs or post into certain things.



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Zelmontero
In starting, Facebook can be the primary outlet where you can freely promote your blogs or site. Just spend some times surfing in Facebook to promote your blog is one of the simplest way to attract view. It will not be easy bt through hard work you can slowly increase your viewers.



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Gilgamesh
The massive expansion of social media is just like a mainstream media where you will get a lot of viewers. We can use social media as an alternative system instead of media because using social media is oftenly free even you advertise your products. It isn't that costful when we use facebook, Instagram etc. in gaining a exposure into the public to gain traffic. We can also create a website or join into forums and create valuable blogs or articles about the thing you were offering so that many people will have an idea of what it is and will it have a purpose in their lives because those are some of the factors that a customer consider before buying a product.



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Steve5
That's great. It's amazing how powerful social media has become over the past years. It's surpassed the power of TV because more people now are using their computers and accessing the internet instead of their televisions. We get to make use of free services like Facebook and potentially improve our business performance.



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rlpzbeermoney
I agree with your point on social media surpassing traditional media. It has gotten to the point where TV stations are getting Youtubers to star in their shows and mainstream actors are trying their luck on Youtube. A good example of this is Will Smith. He has started a Youtube channel and is constantly posting. It wouldn't be outrageous to even think that he has switched completely to Youtube.



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Steve5
That's funny. It's like A-list stars now have serious competition. Youtube has provided us with a platform that evens the playing field. It means we can somewhat bypass auditions and may just become modern day celebrities.

It's true that you only need a camera and good personality to get people's attention. And that's what Youtube gives its users.



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rlpzbeermoney
What really grinds my gears is these TV stations who have already monopolized the TVs in the Philippines moving clips on their show on Youtube. They realized it's potential to take over mainstream media so they moved. As a result? The largest Youtube channel in the Philippines comes from one of these TV stations. BS in my opinion.



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Steve5
I very much agree with you. Honestly, it feels dirty to take advantage of the fact that the internet has taken over modern digital media. I mean, they already have their own broadcast TV stations. Why not give chance to others?

But of course, the executives are all too knowledgeable of these facts. They have experts who monitor statistics like analytics. They've noticed TV show performance has gone down and internet coverage went up.

Their performance has significantly dropped compared to their competition. Sites like Youtube and Netflix are more prevalent in people's minds than cable TV.

So really, it's obvious what they'd do next. Like the famous saying, "If you can't beat them, join them."



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rlpzbeermoney
I really wish they'd just stay off Youtube. Just stay on the dying traditional media and let other people take the spotlight. More and more people are churning out quality content, sometime much higher quality than the TV counterparts. Here in the Philippines, the TV show quality is so bad. From the editing and acting, it just looks like they are doing a school play. It's like they know that there's no standard in their shows on purpose as there are no other competitors that they need to one up.



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overcast
I remember the time when the PR posts were hot. And it used to work on the SEO like the best. I think that is not much applicable anymore. These days you have to do this a lot. And that should often take time for getting the word out. I am sure that things have changed and now the PR post cost less. I think in future it'd be interesting to see the impact of such post on both SEO and the branding.



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Chinet23
It's true that to earn money you have to spend money. I think it has to be considered not on the actual figure or value but by the returns that you can get to say that it's really worth it. You also need to have the knowledge of what you're getting into to assess on the success of your decision o pursuit.
There are other options though which is good and that is to use social media for media coverage for the obvious reason that it's the way we can connect with the online market and to get a journalist you know to the job for you. The latter requires a good network though.



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Steve5
You're right. Others have started with basically nothing. But once they got somewhere, they knew they had to invest money in what they do. The real challenge is how to spend it wisely. That's why many individuals do tons of research first before making big decisions that involve a lot of money.



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rajput17
you can pay the journalist and ask him to review your business or even interview you.



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esteban123
Yes I agree on this, it is better to pay them if you have the money since you will really benefit from it. You will have the chance to be known by other people through this journalist that you hired to review and introduce your products at the very moment.



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Chinet23
If you don't have a relative or a friend who's a journalist then you will really need to spend money to get this done. I don't think that it's going to be cheap but it is sure way to get the exposure you need.



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rlpzbeermoney
I don't agree with the whole duplicate advice. The worst thing you could do is "milking the news dry". If say you're a blog writer and you write about President Trump's latest publicity stunt 3 times in 1 week, I'd say that viewers would most likely be turned off by it. Not everyone likes the news they read. Not everyone gets to choose what you write next. There should be variety.



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overcast
I think making use of the social media for promotion and also using the influencers can be one good idea. I have seen that influencers often get the better results on that note. They can have your brand promoted to more places. And also their connections help with getting new conversion. I have learned that low budget does not mean the roads are closed. It just means that you have to be very creative with the resources that you have.



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Corzhens
I don’t think that press release worth $750 is not palatable to most of us here so maybe the social media engagement is more like it. I think it is very important for business people to have a social media account or accounts because social media means people and people means business. Promoting your business interest in social media is free and easy although you need the time and effort to do the marketing.



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NerdIndeed
I agree. Social media is a cheaper alternative to publish news, promos, discounts, and whatnot to your customers and clients. However, if you belong in the large-scale business category, social media presence is undoubtedly not enough especially if you want to maintain your relevancy nationwide.



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romyter013
Yes you got it right. Social media these days really help. More people start their day by just checking their feeds, you can never tell when these people are looking for in a specific day if ever they had a chance to see your post, you can be a big help for them and contact you right away about what you offer to your post. Possible some will contact you just for info about what you are promoting, but that's a start, you are getting noticed and you can request them to recommend you to their friends too. That's a great step forward. Be positive.



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Chinet23
If you're just starting out on a business and you don't have good network or connections, making use of social media is the most feasible for your budget. If you have spare money to shell out then you can resort to the other options. But I guess since these options on submitting a press release and reaching out to specific journalists may not cost a hefty amount or else it won't be listed under the ways to get media coverage on a budget.



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Jeane
Duplicate current stories and pull in views

There are some websites which actually used this strategy to attract more eyeballs. I don't know if Google alerts works anymore but . . .

. . . according to those who used this strategy, it worked thusly: they'd set up Google alerts so they could be notified when content that interested them was published. When anything matching their chosen keywords was indexed by Google, they'd get an alert.

They'd then write more about the topic and they'd be one of the first people to leave a comment on the site where the original article was published. If their comment appeared on page #1 and the link to their site wasn't deleted, it would send numerous visitors to their site.

It is something I intend to try some day.



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NerdIndeed
If I may add, the best way to have mainstream media exposure with a low budget is to be friends or at least somehow be connected with specific mainstream media employees. I know someone who owns a restaurant, and he got a good deal (discount) in promoting his business just because he is a relative of the show's writer.



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beerthooyah
Social Media has become a real game changer in the field of advertising when you have a small business. You could optimize the presence of your business in the community by utilizing social networks. But the real challenge here is understanding the complexity of social media and how to get started.



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jetselle
Online networking is the most straightforward and simplest approach to get the media inclusion. Everybody is associated with the web including every one of the general population behind the media. What's more, in the event that you will have the capacity to advance your business in the most ideal way, the shot of standing out enough to be noticed is high. With the nearness of media, your business or organization will emerge from contenders. That is the reason once you have their consideration, do your best to assemble a long haul relationship to set up a feasible media nearness.



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HappyLady
I would willingly spend $750 dollars on media press releases and the like, but the reality is that I could not then afford to eat. This is probably one of the most frustrating aspects of blog, book or article writing. You can write well, but with limited funds, cannot afford the things it takes to get into the mainstream of the craft.

The difficulty for the poor writer is that it is not "just" $750 for a press release. It is also a lot of $$$ for editing and copy editing and if you self-publish, possibly for professional formatting as well. Most new writers cannot do this unless they get picked up by a professional publisher. This is not easy. To get that far, you need to have at least some basic editing done.

If I had the money, I would spend it on the editing and the cover. It begs the question, what is the most important thing to spend a very limited budget on?

One could argue the cover and the publicity, seeing as the cover is what sells the book.

Networking and befriending journalists does seem a very good idea. I will certainly do a press release for my current book I am writing and make good use of social media.. Where to put that press release is clearly an important thing to think about.

I am really starting to like this site for the things I am learning on it.



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theresajane
The use of social media is the easiest way to get media coverage. However, it is still different when you know people from the mainstream media whom you think can help you get to the spotlight. Yes, it would be best if you make friends with those people, but it's not an easy thing to do. Life is meant to be hard.



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allyn2017
Agree, social media is the best way to spread your works. If you have friends to help you share it then you'll have a lot clients in no time. However, you'll also have a lot of competitors in social medias.



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