Why businesses should aim to appear in the media
In today’s age, when there is so much noise and competition for people’s attention, it can be difficult for businesses to stand out from the crowd.
One way to do this is to get featured in the media.
Appearing on a trusted news platform enables your name and offering to reach thousands of people who would not otherwise know about you.
Trusted news
The Ofcom 2023 report found 96% of adults say they consume news each month, while more than two thirds (68%) consume news via online sources.
Online news is very popular among the younger end of the age spectrum, Ofcom found, with use by 83% of 16–24-year-olds. The report showed 71% of this age group consumed news via social media.
Leading brands
Nationally, 37.9m people or 76% of the adult audience consume news via the BBC, 24.3m on the Sun, 23.9m through the Daily Mail and 22.7m by the Mirror.
In the West Midlands, the Birmingham Mail website had 7.07m unique users in April 2023, according to figures, with the Express & Star website reaching 802,000 users.
Benefits
Media coverage can help businesses to:
- Increase brand awareness: An appearance in the media means your business and its offering is seen by a wider audience, helping to raise awareness of your brand and what you do.
- Build credibility: Even a single appearance on a credible, trusted media outlet which has not been paid to feature you but has made an editorial choice to feature you can help to build trust and credibility with potential customers.
Impact
- Generate leads: Media coverage can generate leads for your business by driving traffic to your website or social media pages, as more people go online to find out more.
- Boost sales: Media coverage can fuel your commercial efforts, giving you visibility to boost sales by making your business get in the minds of potential customers for your goods or services.
Positivity
- Increase staff morale: A feelgood factor can be generated by colleagues seeing the place where they work represented in a positive way on a well-respected media platform, like the local newspaper or radio station.
- Attract investors: For business owners and senior managers looking to attract investors, media coverage can help to demonstrate the viability and potential of your business.
Increased standing
- Enhance your reputation: Media coverage helps to enhance your business’s profile by highlighting your positive qualities and achievements.
Getting your news releases in front of journalists and getting them featured can be challenging.
Strong experience
At award-winning Osborn we work with every client to ensure their stories reach the widest range of media platforms possible, building links on their behalf to strengthen relationships over time.
We have a track record of securing coverage for clients in regional media, national titles, industry titles, across online platforms and on TV and radio.
Client success
The clients to benefit from our support include Aspire Active Education Group, who say: “We have worked with the Osborn PR team since 2020 and have experienced an extremely professional service. Osborn have helped our business gain more exposure through written and broadcast media.”
We have also helped Aspire win a series of high profile awards for their work tackling childhood levels of inactivity.
Expert help
Of course, getting featured in the media is not always easy. It takes time, effort, and planning. However, if you are able to achieve it, the benefits can be significant. Contact Osborn if you would like to know more about how our clients benefit from our support.
Having launched during the Covid-19 lockdown of May 2020, we have grown our business to help an increasing number of companies and organisations to reach new audiences.
We have worked with large brands and not-for-profits, launched new websites for clients, raised money for charity, engaged with leading figures on behalf of good causes and won customers at the heart of the business community.
It has been a pleasure to see more than 20 clients recognised for their work with awards and to pick up a trophy ourselves. Drawing upon our media knowledge, our clients reach large audiences and build their reputations – get in touch to find more.
