Promoting an event isn’t always an easy task. However, journalists and news outlets can help spread the word to the public, encouraging higher attendance while making your events more successful in the process. Here are some simple and effective ways to attract more media coverage for your events.
Send Media Kits to News Agencies
One of the easiest ways to attract media attention for an upcoming event is to send media kits to local news agencies. Also known as a press kit, this all-inclusive package is used to assist news agencies in telling your story. A typical media kit should contain a few basic components, including a letter of introduction, overview of your company, overview of the event, awards and achievements, mission goals, bios on keynote speakers and other important figures, photos and contact information. Check out this article from MarketingProfs for more information on how to create a media kit for an event.
Create a Press Release
Another essential step in generating media coverage for an event is creating a press release. It should provide journalists with a source of detailed information about your event (who, what, when, where, how and why). After creating your press release, submit it to some of the leading press release distribution networks. As long as it contains “buzzworthy” information, it will have a positive impact on your event’s media coverage.
Don’t limit yourself to writing just a single press release, however, but instead write two: one before the event and another after the event. The post-event press release can include more detailed information about what happened during the event, such as keynote speeches, attendance rates, special guest appearances, etc.
Associate Your Event with a Good Cause
Tying your event to a good cause can also prove useful in attracting media coverage. For instance, you could donate a portion of the ticket sales to a charity, informing journalists of this in your press release and media kits. Some of the news outlets may then spread the message to the public, letting the world know that your event is directly engaged with charitable activities.
Connect with Journalists on Social Media
Of course, you can always reach out to journalists directly to see if they are interested in covering your event. Read through some of the local newspapers, taking note of the journalists’ names who wrote the stories. You can then search on Google, social media, and the newspapers’ official website for the journalists’ email addresses, contacting them to pitch your event. Granted, not everyone is going to respond back, but even if just two or three agree to cover your event, then it was success.