It will come as no surprise that one of the most common questions I get as journalist (and ex-PR consultant) is "how do I get press coverage?"

Getting your startup or organisation into the media can feel like an overwhelming task – particularly if you haven’t worked with journalists before. That’s why experienced communications professionals are in such high demand! But if you’re not ready to invest in a PR consultant, don’t panic. Lots of the people I speak to aren't able to hire a PR agency or consultant. And while PR is a skill, it IS possible to have success when trying to generate press coverage for your brand by yourself. By following a few best practices, you can maximise your chances of attracting media attention even if you're not a PR professional. To help those who just need a bit of guidance, I created a guide to getting press coverage. For a sneak peek, here are a few tips from the guide.

Why now?

With so many stories to write about, a journalist will always ask “why now?”. Think about what makes your story particularly relevant right now? Is it timely or related to an upcoming event (e.g. COP26, G7 summit etc.), a significant date or popular awareness day?

Remember, journalists often work well in advance so pitching a piece about Plastic-Free July on 31 June will likely be too late.

The pub test

What makes your story unique and interesting? Do you have a light-hearted human-interest story or quirky angle that your friends might talk about down the pub?

Heartwarming human stories

Strong case studies or human-interest stories can help bring your story to life and make it relatable to readers. This can be a great way of generating coverage. Think about whether you have supporting case studies who would be happy to be interviewed by journalists about their experience with your organisation or campaign.

Data, data, data!

Journalists love strong and robust stats that they can use in their articles. So, if you have reliable data you can share as part of your story, this can be a huge asset.

Is it clear and well-written?

Journalists are very busy so including all the information they need in a clear, well-written manner saves them time when writing up the story. That's why a strong press release can be

Who will do the interviews?

Sometimes, a journalist will want to interview someone from your organisation for more details about your story. Before you issue a press announcement, decide who your spokespeople will be and make sure they set aside time for media interviews when your story goes out.

How can I help?

Hi, I'm Mel and I write about the ocean. As a marine science journalist (and ex-PR consultant) I hope you found these tips useful and feel a bit more confident about starting to contact journalists to try to drum up your own press coverage. If you still need support, I've created a couple of resources that might help:

• A handy guide with tips on getting media coverage
• An editable press release template, so you can write your own

Thanks and good luck with your media outreach!