How I Got National Newspaper Coverage for FREE

Regular readers know I like to do lots of buzz and marketing experiments… a few weeks ago I thought it would be fun to see if I could get DeanHunt.com mentioned in a national newspaper….

Well the good news is that I managed to get into the biggest selling UK newspaper (900,000 copies per day), it is also has the fastest growing newspaper website in the UK.

Do you want to see my newspaper story that was published in The Telegraph Newspaper recently?

Here we go: Dean Hunt

Pretty cool hey?

So how on earth did I manage to get free media coverage from the UK’s largest newspaper?

Simple! I just asked.

Yes, it was pretty much that easy. I contacted the newspaper’s expat department and told them I had a great expat related story.

So here are my tips for getting a mention in a newspaper for free:

1) ASK – If you don’t ask you don’t get. Find the details for your local papers and start with those first, then look for relevant sections in national media. It can be done via email, so no excuses.

2) Don’t tell them your story straight away – it is best to use your first point of contact to sell yourself and your credibility, don’t use words like “amazing”, go for words like “unique”. Your goal with your first email is to get a reply and get a conversation going.

3) Have a story – This may seem obvious, but you have to have a newsworthy story. Remember, what may be interesting to you may not be interesting to anyone else, so try to make your story appeal to as many people as possible. You do NOT need to write the entire article in advance, but have a rough summary of the story prepared.

4) Add buzz to your story – there has to be a catch or a hook to your story, something that will make you stand out from every other story they receive. In my story I used the fact that I was able to make a 6 figure living as an expat purely online, from home, and with no need to learn the language. Whilst many expats were struggling and working in bars, I was sitting in my new home making good money, this was unique, and it grabs attention.

5) Do not treat it like a free advert – it may be tempting to promote your site and all your services, but if an article looks anything like an advert it will not be used. Use this media attention to gain a reputation, new contacts and credibility. Don’t use it as a free ad. I got a mention of my website, but not a live link. Remember that the real value is in the authority and credibility.

Since my article went live I have had numerous people email me with offers, deals, stories and I am meeting in Madrid over the weekend with a Biotech scientist and a fellow entrepreneur. People who wouldn’t have contacted little old me if it wasn’t for the fact I was national news that day.

For the record, the editor removed a lot of my humour from my article, and he created the article title himself, but overall I think it is a pretty good read.

So use this experiment as motivation to get your name mentioned in the national newspapers. Use my tips and let me know how you do.

Dean

PS: An added bonus is that my name will start to rank in Google for the Dean Hunt article, and therefore the 100+ people per day who search my name will treat me as more of an authority. Hence why I am linking to it numerous times with the text: Dean Hunt