One of my business buds recently said to me, “I’m not ‘big enough’ to land media attention”.

“I’ll try and get my brand into the media when I’m a bigger deal.”

I’ve heard it all before.

“…when I have more experience.”

“…when I’m a success story.”

“…when I’ve done something extraordinary.”

Newsflash: you don’t need a bigger business to land media attention, you need more courage to put yourself out there.

Because here’s the thing: my friend has a unique business and an interesting story to tell.

Yet she’s scrolling articles on businesschicks.com.au or huffingtonpost.com.au thinking, “one day that will be me” and she’s doing diddly squat about it.

She’s 50 shades of holding herself back.

She’s waiting for some mythical light at the end of the business tunnel when Sunrise calls and says, “we’d love you to come on the show as a guest”.

Spoiler alert: That rarely happens.

You have to light the tunnel up yourself and put yourself out there.

Business Chicks queen Emma Isaacs hits the nail on the head in her new book Winging It.

She says, “Too often, we wait to be approached instead of actively and bullishly seeking out opportunities…”

Can I get an amen?

Meanwhile, the media is a hungry beast with an insatiable appetite for content.  

Newspapers have column inches to fill, TV stations are looking for a unique story that will keep people glued to the nightly news, and online editors are hungry for the latest go-to expert to write something interesting and generate a frenzy of clicks and comments.

YOU could be the answer.

The good news is: you can learn how to do this yourself without having to spend a small fortune with a PR agency.

As a PR Manager-turned PR coach, I help women uncover their unique story and help them develop pitch ideas which make editors and producers say, “omg, yes”.  

If you’re ready to take PR off your “one day” list and start growing your brand through the media, grab a cup of tea and let’s get started right now.

Sign up for a free online service that connects journalists with sources

You know how journalists are busy and time poor?

Well, they often don’t have time to spend a whole day looking for the perfect source, so they use what’s called ‘media enquiry services’.

The best part? Anyone can sign up to be a source!

Simply visit www.sourcebottle.com and sign up as a source.

You’ll receive a daily email with a list of media opportunities which you can either delete if they’re not relevant or reply, “yes, I’m your girl”.

And before you know it, there could be an email from a journalist in your inbox wanting to organise an interview with you. You’re welcome 😉

What’s more, with the media looking for a broad range of sources every day, so there’s usually something for everyone!

From online editors wanting to interview “people who’ve started a business in the last 12 months”, to a kids’ mag wanting to interview “someone who sells baby bath products”, a journalist is probably looking for a source like you right now.

Whatcha waiting for? Go forth, sign up and connect with journos.

Identify blogs or podcasts in your industry

Next, make a list of blogs or podcasts in your industry that accept guest content.

The easy way to work this out is by searching their website for ‘submissions’ or by reading their latest blogs and sussing out whether they publish guest writers.

Make sure you’ve been reading their content for a while, so you can get a sense of the types of articles that they run and what usually performs well with their audience (hint: attracts the most comments on social media!).

Once you’ve developed some ideas, pitch them via email or fill out a form on their website.

Remember, it’s not about you and your business. Do you think Business Chicks would have published this article if it was all about my business? No way, Jose!

It’s about giving value to the audience.

Once you’ve got one guest post in the bag, you’ll be able to approach other publications and say “I write for [insert publication] and I’d love to write some magic for your audience too!”

Amy Chandler is a Premium member and Public Relations Manager-turned entrepreneur who helps women grow their brand through public relations and social media.

Connect with Amy here.