Ever wondered why your competitor is always in the media being interviewed as the expert in your field? It’s time you made DIY PR a habit, says PR expert Sue Papadoulis.

Businesses aren’t static. Your business either tracks upwards or heads downwards. It is very important to make consistent improvements to your business. Whether you run a one-person business or have 100 employees, improving your business is always important. You must also choose the right area of business that will make the biggest impact.

Follow these five simple rules to ensure DIY PR becomes a habit and get results.

1. Hit an on-trend story angle

Come up with a story idea that will interest journalists about a new trend happening in your business or tie in with a particular time of year.

A florist might predict the most popular flowers this Valentine’s Day or psychologists might talk about the best ways for children starting school to cope with anxiety.

Don’t make the story about your business. Make it about what’s happening in your area of expertise.

2. Target the right media

Think about the media you would like to appear in and if it will reach your target audience.

Look at mainstream media (digital, newspapers, magazines, radio and television programs) as well as social media (bloggers and influencers).

Target media whose audience are interested in your product or service. Your story is their story.

3. Nail your media release

Here’s where good DIY PR habits really come into play. You should aim to write just one media release a month. Keep the length to an A4 page and ensure you use quotes from “the expert” in your field – you!

Often a journalist will use your direct quotes in their story, so it’s important your media release is set out correctly in the third person. Make it as easy as possible for a journo to write about you.

Include your website near the end of the release, so both the journalist and the audience know where go for more information. Also include your contact details at the end of the media release so the journalist can contact you for an interview. 

4. Research your target journalists

Spend time researching a list of journalists you intend to send your media release to. So personalising your release matters.

Always email in the first instance as they will most likely be working to deadline. Follow up 24 hours later with a phone call to ensure they received your media release. Remember, many inboxes are overflowing, so don’t be disappointed if they didn’t see it. Many journalists receive more than 10 media releases every day.

Talk them through your idea for a story and email the media release again if needed. If your story idea is what the journalist is after, you’ll be interviewed and appear in the media.

5. Pay attention to the news

Be aware of what’s happening in the news, in particular in your business field.

With social media it’s easy to follow journalists on twitter to keep up to date on the stories they are writing about. It saves you from approaching them with an idea for a story that they’ve recently done.

You might also be able to offer a different point of view about a story that’s already in the media. This is because journalists look for new angles for big news stories so pay attention. Being timely and topical could lead to a media interview in the press or on TV.

Follow up quickly as the news moves fast and you want to jump on every opportunity.

This article was originally published in 2016 and has been updated for 2022.

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