How To Get Free Publicity (Free Advertising!)
Posts on this site may have been archived since 2021. This post may contain affiliate links. View our privacy statement HERE.
In this post, you’ll get 6 quick tips that really work to get free publicity!
Have you ever gone to someone’s website and seen all those fancy media logos from Forbes, Huffington Post, Business Insider, etc. and wondered,
“Why isn’t that me?” or “How the heck did they make that happen?”
Did you know that those logos aren’t just logos?
They’re badges of expertise that give instant credibility. Which, as you know from what I teach, is super important!
After all, if you tell someone at your family reunion, “I had 500 people sign up for my webinar!” They’ll probably say, “Cool. What’s a webinar?”
Or, I’m nominated for a LIKEtoKNOW.it ‘Best In Fashion’ award, the chances of them saying, “What’s that?” are pretty inevitable.
But if you say, “I was featured in Forbes”
or “A top-10 iTunes podcast interviewed me.”
Or “I won an Emmy for my Youtube video” (queue in my friend and fellow blogger, Yvette Marquez of Muy Bueno Cooking).
*Now* people are paying attention— and so is your audience!
Here are six easy and practical ways that work to get in front of the right people in the press right now.
Six easy ways to rack up 25+ media features with no media connections:
1. Twitter– Search the hashtag, #JournoRequest. It’s a freelance PR pro’s best-kept secret! Type this in on Twitter to discover what stories journalists are looking for and where you can fill in.
You can also level up this search by using keywords alongside the hashtag that’s relevant to your niche. (i.e., #JournoRequestVegan). Once you’ve uncovered the relevant opportunity, make contact with the journalist requesting the lead!
2. Help A Reporter Out– Better known in the publicity industry as HARO— and also known as one of my FAVORITE media queries.
HARO’s mission is to provide reporters with a source for every story that they have to fulfill. This valuable media search database gives journalists sources for upcoming stories. And sources (that’s you) have a chance to secure valuable media coverage.
You can use HARO for free, or upgrade to one of their monthly subscriptions to narrow your search query by keywords and include a source bio for yourself.
3. Thrive Global– An easy way to get featured right away is to start a column on a major media site like Arianna Huffington’s behavior change platform for healthier habits and peak performance, Thrive.com.
The contributor’s link is a few years old, and not so easy to find anymore. HERE it is again.
Thrive is a leading site that allows you to share your own stories and posts within the site’s theme of wellness and avoiding burnout.
For an example of contributor posts, my Thrive column is HERE.
You can post as little or as often as you like, alongside Thrive editors’ guest articles with celebrity features like Katy Perry, Hota Kotb and Stedman Graham, just to name a few!
Here’s a humblebrag I’ve shared when pitching to editors— Arianna Huffington, herself (founder of Thrive and Huffington Post) has reached out to me on Instagram, (twice!) praising my Thrive articles!
It’s funny how I earned this praise from the media mogul, herself, with little to no effort at all!
I shared an article on Thrive. It appeared first on my blog— so I didn’t have to re-write much. Then I shared my Thrive post on Instagram (another light lift).
I was rewarded with a personal note from the one and only, Arianna Huffington, for something I do on a regular (posting and sharing)!
4. Guest post- Contribute to well-known publications like Inc., Medium, MindBodyGreen, Positively Positive and more.
I have an article about Beyoncé that was presented timely and published on Positively Positive as a Mother’s Day feature! You can check out my article about Bey HERE.
Use this free curated list of 19 media sites that accept guest contributors. There are some big-name media outlets on this list— happy pitching!
19 popular online media outlets that accept guest contributors
4. Fast Company
5. Forbes
7. Inc.com
10. Tiny Buddha
11. GrowthLab
12. Scary Mommy
13. Elite Daily
14. Hubspot
15. Good Men Project
16. Greatist
17. Medium & Authority Magazine
18. Blavity
You may also like THIS POST on how to how to get publicity & free high-quality backlinks when no one knows your name?
5. Podcast guest- Instagram is a great resource to find the latest in new and up and coming podcasts looking for guests to feature and interview. Start a quick search using the keyword ‘podcast.’
I met the marvelous Dori DeCarlo when she interviewed me on her Word Of Mom Radio podcast. I’d encourage you to pitch Dori for a guest feature and check out her show, starting with my episode HERE.
You can also use this curated list of 91 podcasts that feature entrepreneurs and creatives as guests:
1. 2 Dope Queens
2. 99% Invisible
3. All Up in Your Lady Business
4. Another Round
5. Being Boss
6. BeYOUtifully Bold in Business
7. Biz Women Rock
8. Black Entrepreneur Experience
9. Blazing Creative
10. Blogging Betties Podcast
11. Blogging Your Passion Project
12. Boss Mom
13. Bosses & Booze
14. Brilliant Business Moms
15. Business wih Purpose
16. Chalene Johnson’s Build Your Tribe
17. Coffee Break Blogging
18. Coffee With Tracey
19. Conversations with Creatives
20. Courage and Clarity
21. Create Lounge
22. Creative Biz Rebellion
23. Creative Empire
24. Diva Tech Talk
25. EOFire
26. Every Day is Saturday
27. Fearless Launching
28. Friends Like Us
29. Getting Grown
30. Goal Digger Podcast
31. Grammar Girl
32. Grit & Glitter Co
33. Heart Soul + Hustle
34. Influencer Podcast
35. Jess Creatives
36. Journeys in Business
37. Journey to Launch
38. Mixergy
39. Naptime Empires
40. Office Talk
41. Oh So Pinteresting
42. Online Marketing Made Easy
43. Pivot
44. Power Profit Pursuit
45. ProBlogger Podcast
46. Productivity Paradox
47. Profit-ology Podcast
48. School of Greatness
49. Sell Like a Woman
50. She + Company
52. She Did It Her Way
53. She Means Business
54. She Ventures Now
55. Side Hustle Gal
56. Side Hustle Nation
57. Side Hustle Pro
58. Smart Passive Income
59. Social Media Marketing Podcast
60. Soulful PR Podcast
61. Standout with Cheryl Tan
62. Start with Why
63. Strategy Hour
64. Strengths Empowered Entrepreneur
65. Story Brand
66. Suckerpunched
67. The Accidental Creative
68. The Art of Paid Traffic
69. The Biz Chix Podcast
70. The Business Mindset Podcast
71. The Creative Millennial
72. The Femme Boss Podcast
73. The Femtrepreneur Show
74. The Flipped Lifestyle Podcast
75. The Impact Driven Entrepreneur
76. The Kingdom Mogul
77. The Mindful Kind
78. The New Business Podcast
79. The Pitch Podcast
80. The Real Female Entrepreneur
81. The Scrap Gals Podcast
82. The Talent Grow Show
83. The Type A Creative
84. The Young Entrepreneur Lifestyle
85. Unleashed Entrepreneur Podcast
86. Unstoppable Coach
87. Visibility Vixen
88. Wedding Business Empire
89. Word Of Mom
90. Women Who MisBehave
91. Young Female Entrepreneurs
6. Impacting Millions- Enroll in the online course.
Last year, just three months into 2019, I knew I needed to level-up my influence (aka my money) beyond Instagram and into mainstream media.
To make this happen, I needed the secrets to getting press and publicity— and those fancy media logos on my site (and in a hurry)!
So it was a no-brainer when I was introduced to Selena Soo and joined in for her live webinar where I signed up and purchased her genius course, Impacting Millions.
While HARO (listed above) is one of my favorite sources for media features— and to add a new media logo to my site, I learned the essentials about how to pitch stories to journalists, reporters, editors, and even TV producers when I enrolled in Impacting Millions.
Impacting Millions *teaches* you *how to* effectively reach out to the media, starting with guest blog posts to podcasts, and even how to reach out to TV producers!
Using the skills I learned from Selena Soo, my mentor and the award-winning publicity and media strategist behind this online mastermind course, Impacting Millions, I quickly garnered over 25 media features in less than six months!
Forbes, Fast Company, Better Homes & Gardens— I’ve been a featured expert for all of them! My first prominent feature was on Cosmopolitan, and I didn’t even know about it for months! (Sometimes nobody tells you!)
My name was out there so much that TV producers were emailing me!
Pro tip: time to set up Google Alerts
Even if the editor, the author, their assistant, or no-one else tells you, Google will alert you with an email when your name is *out there*! You can set up Google alerts HERE.
What alerts should you set up? I have alerts set up for my name (Shaunda Necole), my first name only because it’s an uncommon name (Shaunda), and my business brand name (Get Your Name Out There Magic Marketing).
Impacting Millions changed my entrepreneurial path!
Here’s what happened at a glance from March 2019 when I enrolled in Impacting Millions to the end of the year, December 2019:
1. My first major media feature was on Cosmopolitan, and I didn’t even know it!
I Googled my name and found “Shaunda Necole” (that’s me!) cited on Cosmo for influencer tips on how to take the best selfies and picture-perfect poses.
Something that I do almost every day (post on Instagram) was of interest to a Cosmo editor! Crazy, right?
2. I garnered over 25 features in the media.
I was on a roll for at least one media feature a week— #Goals! From interviews about me to articles where I was quoted or featured for my expertise.
I learned that we all have an “expert opinion” about something, and editors are seeking opinions like yours and mine to fulfill their article assignments.
I got a feature in Better Homes & Gardens as an expert about shampoo! Humblebrag— In the article, I’m quoted alongside Hollywood celebrity hairstylists!
3. I made my podcast debut just months after enrolling in Impacting Millions— hello 21st-century media!
I learned so much from these interview experiences; I started my own IGTV series interviewing “Socialpreneurs” and business owners like myself!
4. I met and interviewed iTune’s number one entrepreneur podcast host.
John Lee Dumas of Entrepreneurs On Fire. The published interview is HERE.
Impacting Millions taught me how to leverage what I do best— socialize, and I used this natural skillset to make more intentional and deliberate, meaningful connections online!
You should know that Impacting Millions is also designed for introverts, by an introvert. The introvert turned publicity and media strategist is none other than the course creator, Selena Soo!
(Obviously, Impacting Millions is for extroverts like me, too!)
5. One of the best parts of Impacting Millions is the live masterclass group calls.
There are live weekly calls that you can participate in (or watch the replay later). Plus, once a month, the program includes a media-intensive coaching call with a senior media editor.
I had the pleasure of working with Lynya Floyd, an award-winning journalist and editor for many big newsstand magazines including Glamour, Essence, Seventeen, and Parenting. Lynya is nowa senior media coach to people like me and you that are ready for publicity and media attention!
One-on-one coaching with Lynya as part of Impacting Millions is the reason
I was able to sign with a talent management agency after only *one* email introducing myself!
(Yes— only one message sent!)
Probably not known to people outside of the wild Wild West of influencer marketing, butinfluencer talent managers are like *unicorns*— there are very few of them, and it’s tough to stand out and get their attention.
6. I was booked for a speaking engagement by my first international client group.
In the words of the fabulous influencer, Rickey Thompson, “I’m booked and busy, baby.”— Thank you, Impacting Millions!
Enough about me— although this is the story of thousands of other entrepreneurs and influencers who *like me* signed up for Impacting Millions.
(I have an ‘About Me page’ if you wanna hear me talk about myself more— in the third person, though, so it doesn’t sound all conceited and stuff.)
If you’re an entrepreneur, blogger, influencer, business owner or side-hustler ready to level-up— Impacting Millions is for you!
Those fancy media logos are a game-changer for credibility and to be seen as an expert in your industry.
(Translation- expert = better opportunities + more money!)
These credibility badges take your influence from social media to mainstream media!
[maxbutton id=”9″ ]
Already added yourself onto the Impacting Millions waitlist?
You’re just hangin’ round here to refresh yourself on these rich media and publicity tips?
Well, aren’t you a smarty— I like that!
Read on for more sweet stuff!
And stay tuned to your inbox for more to come about Impacting Millions starting in March!
Similar Nordstrom black jumpsuit | SheIn graffiti cape | Steve Madden white boots | Amazon beaded earrings | Free People similar ring |
Not on the waitlist yet? Still need convincing?
Here you go— check out my ‘Press Page’ HERE.
I created my press page *after* I enrolled in Impacting Millions when I needed a place to keep track and show off all my features in the media!
Pro tip: editors often want to see your press page
Just like how brands want to see an influencer’s media kit, a press page is your PR resume. I’d suggest having a high-resolution headshot and short bio that reporters can quickly grab from this page.
You’ll learn the fundamentals for a press page in the Impacting Millions course. Also, as part of the program, professional copywriters will teach you how to create the perfect PR-worthy short and long bios.
These copywriters even edit your bio to make sure what you’ve written is destined for success!
Want to know the secrets to getting those fancy media logos for yourself?
Want people to take one glance at your site and say, “Wow— she’s kind of a big deal!”?
[maxbutton id=”9″ url=”https://shaundanecole.com/publicity-e-book/” text=”Sign Up Here!” ]
Don’t miss out! Impacting Millions opens just once a year. But all 365 days, we get notes like “This program TRANSFORMED my business, my influence and my brand!”
Like this post? Pin an image below to your Pinterest Publicity board so we can all learn & grow!
This is awesome for any business owner!
Glad you agree, Sheila! This list was definitely a game-changer for my business!
Listening to some of the suggested podcasts
Awesome idea!
Omg, this whole article is GOLD!!!
I have an awesome product and I’ve been struggling trying to do my own PR. Thank you for soooo many amazing tips!!!
I’m so happy this article is helpful for you, Mercedes! Best wishes with your new product!!