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Meghann Evans | April 5, 2019   

    

As a professional pet sitter or dog walker, you’re probably looking for ways to get the word out about your business, and while there are numerous forms of advertising you can try, it’s also great to get free publicity for your business. This is where reaching out to local media comes in.

If you are quoted in a local news article—or better yet, your business is featured in an article or news segment—that helps spread the word about you and your pet-sitting business. It also helps establish you as a local pet-care expert, which will have a positive impact on your business and help build your credibility. Investing your time in public relations efforts can yield great rewards for your business.

But how do you get started? Here are five tips for reaching out to local media:

1. Have a plan.

Building relationships with your local media and getting your business mentioned in local media outlets doesn’t usually happen overnight. It takes time and requires you to be consistent with your outreach as you share timely and relevant information with reporters, so it’s great to sit down and create a media relations plan.

For example, think about who you should contact. As part of your plan, you will want to create a list of local media contacts that you will be reaching out to regularly. On your list, include journalists from TV stations, newspapers, radio stations, prominent community blogs, local magazines—any outlets that share news and stories about your area. You may also want to contact your local Chamber of Commerce to see if they already have a media list prepared, then you can modify or expand that list.

Also consider what types of information you will want to share with the media and when. It is helpful to create a schedule mapping out your planned press releases and media pitches for the quarter or the year, but be flexible. If something newsworthy happens for your business, you need to be able to adjust your schedule to make room for those news items.

If you are looking for more tips for creating a media relations plan, PSI has an ebook available for purchase in PSI’s online store, The Professional Pet Sitter’s Guide to Media Relations.

2. Build relationships.

You want to develop relationships with local journalists, so do your research so you know who you’re talking to. Read their articles; watch their news segments. You also want to make sure you are contacting the right people. Ask yourself, “Is this topic the kind of thing that this outlet or this particular journalist covers?”

Many news outlets have staff or newsroom listings on their websites where you can easily find their contact information and their particular role at the outlet or the topics they typically cover, but if they don’t or you’re still not sure who to contact, you can always call the front desk and ask who is the most appropriate person to send a press release about your particular topic.

While most reporters prefer email, that may not always be the case, so check the contact information pages on the news sites to see if any contact preferences are listed. You may also decide to initially reach out to the reporter or editor by phone to introduce yourself and let them know that you would be happy to be a resource any time.

While you will likely be reaching out to journalists with press releases or story ideas related to your business or area of expertise, that is not the only thing you should send them. You can start off by simply emailing a journalist to let them know that you enjoyed their story about a particular topic. Or if you hear a news tip in the community that you think is the kind of thing that reporter covers, feel free to send it their way. Remember, you are trying to position yourself as a resource.

If the reporter has a work-related social media account, you can always follow them, like and share their posts, comment on their stories, and compliment them for a job well done. As they start to see your name pop up, they may want to know more about you or decide to contact you if a relevant story comes up.

3. Share timely, relevant information.

When you do reach out to reporters, make sure you are sharing information that is interesting and timely. A common item you may send is a press release announcing an event, trend or other news. Perhaps your business is expanding to offer a unique service that is completely new to your area, or maybe you’re hosting an event to raise money for charity. Type up a press release about it and send it off to your local media outlets.

Some of your press releases or media pitches may be seasonal, such as pet-safety tips for pet owners ahead of the winter holidays, or they may be related to new local or national data that relates to your industry and community. Be creative—think of something that would have wide appeal to the audience of that particular TV station, magazine, newspaper, etc.

If you’re looking for an example of how to format a press release, PSI’s ebook The Professional Pet Sitter’s Guide to Media Relations has a bonus section with 10 press-release templates you can use throughout the year. Also, PSI members have access to a variety of free press-release templates in the Members area of petsit.com.

4. Be professional.

As a professional pet sitter, you have taken the time to make sure you are operating a legitimate, professional pet service, and you want that professionalism to come across in every interaction with media and the public. So be sure to return all media calls promptly, and be polite and professional no matter what. Also remember that anything you say—whether it’s on the phone, on paper, on social media, in a text or in an email—can be used by the reporter, so don’t say something you wouldn’t want to see in print.

Before an interview, try to anticipate the possible questions you may be asked. Go ahead and have two or three key message points prepared in advance, and practice saying them. These points should be relevant to the reporter’s interview topic, but they should also be relevant to your goals of being an expert in pet care, and hopefully you will be able to work them into your interview responses.

If you are preparing for a television interview, it may help to practice answering questions in front of a mirror, with a friend or on camera (a smart phone will do). That will allow you to see whether your mannerisms, body language or pace of speech need some fine tuning. And if they do, that’s okay. As they say, practice makes perfect!

When you go for the actual interview, wear clothing that makes you feel professional—perhaps branded apparel with your business logo—and talk in a way that any viewer could understand you, not using complicated jargon.

5. Don’t lose heart.

You may reach out to media with no response for a while, but that’s okay. Keep sending out interesting content and offering to be a resource. It is fine to follow up to see if a reporter received your information and if they have any questions, but don’t bombard them or beg them to run your story. They may simply not be interested this time, but that doesn’t mean they won’t respond to you the next time you send them a story idea.

The key is to make yourself available as a source, always providing factual information. And be ready when that call or email eventually comes. After a reporter reaches out to you once and you provide great information, they are more likely to contact you again in the future.

Continue to fine-tune your PR efforts and eventually you will be rewarded. It will be a great feeling to see the name of your pet-sitting business in print or online—or to hear it on TV or the radio!

Bonus: For these and other PR tips, watch this recent episode of #LivefromPSI.

What strategies have helped you garner local media mentions? Share in the comments below.