How does your PR firm generate earned news media coverage for companies?

News lead generation isn't as confusing as it sounds.

Prospective clients ask us on a regular basis, “How do you get to know our company, and how do you use that information to generate earned media coverage?”

We love educating business people about the power of PR and how we help companies earn media coverage.

First, let’s answer the question: What is earned media coverage? The short answer is news articles. News articles are an outstanding way to build a strong brand and great reputation for your company. You can also see the PESO model, which demonstrates the differences between paid, earned, shared and owned media.

So, how do we go about obtaining the information we need to generate earned media coverage for your company?

When we first bring you on as a new client, we’ll go through a discovery phase, where we research, plan and strategize. We’ll spend up to the first 30 days learning your company. We’ll note the differentiators that make your company stand out against competitors. We’ll listen for your company’s history, your mission and your values.

We have established relationships in the news industry, and reporters look to us as a resource. We work alongside newsrooms, constantly monitoring for trending topics. We listen to the buzz and react when there’s a relevant topic we can tie to your company’s expertise. We’ll ask you for your expert insight, perspective and forecasting. Then, we pull the newsworthy elements from your company executives’ responses and share with our contacts in newsrooms.

Here’s an example, using a client in the insurance industry:

1. Trending topic: The World Economic Forum (WEF) Global Risks Report shows that 59 percent of people think this year is going to be the most “dangerous” year yet.

2. We ask our client’s point of contact, “How does ‘the most dangerous year yet’ affect business insurance? What do executives need to know to prepare for the year?”

3. We use our client’s responses to craft an interesting pitch for media contacts.

4. We reach out to our established contacts working in newsrooms with our client’s subject-matter expert’s perspective and offer a fresh story idea with an available source.

5. We also reach out to new contacts from our international media database who we know may want to cover this topic too.

6. Hopefully, we earn media coverage that features, sources or quotes the insurance company as an expert.

7. The media coverage builds awareness, trust and consideration for the company among buyers, influencers and decision-makers.

Timeliness is a key component here. You must be quick. The news business never sleeps – pumping out stories 24/7, so a quick response is critical. And often a reporter is only looking for a few sources and is on a tight deadline.

That’s where a PR firm comes in to facilitate your organization’s media relations. We handle it all and come to you with any interview requests or opportunities that align with your overall strategy.

We’ve heard the stories: You send out a news release and there are no responses. Most likely your news release is irrelevant, boring and nothing notable to cover. Check out our 5 tips for getting more media coverage for some fresh ideas.

Once you hire Axia Public Relations, you can contribute to our media relations efforts by sharing company updates, changes, new hires, expansions, new products or any other cool things you’re doing. We’ll find the newsworthy elements and turn your concept and/or content into a media pitch for journalists. We can also look at the content you’re publishing (like blogs, case studies, white papers, presentations, etc.) and pull pieces or statistics that are interesting for your news article.

Download Axia’s complimentary e-book “Learn Media Relations from the Media” so you can improve your media relations skills and get the coverage you desire.

Clients love Katie’s energy and enthusiasm. She works with local, regional and national clients coordinating their PR campaigns. Katie has worked with Axia Public Relations since September 2015. Learn more about Katie.