There is ONE BIG MISTAKE everyone makes when trying to get into the newspaper.
They try to sell.
They think they must talk about their classes or their new facility or their new website and basically pitch.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
In fact, if you do this you will be BLACKLISTED quickly and told to take out an advert instead.
So how do you get in the paper if you are not going to talk about YOU and what YOU DO?
Easy.
You make your clients the stars of the story and talk about the amazing things they do in turning their lives around.
Or
You become the go-to authority on all things health and fitness in your town and provide amazing knowledge to all their readers – things that can help them in their everyday lives.
There are TWO genius ways to do this.
One is to “ride” a national story so what I mean by that is if a big health story breaks then call up your local paper and offer a local expert’s opinion. For example, if the government release the latest stats about obesity or maybe there’s a new report saying people aren’t active enough.
That’s your cue to dive in and talk about exercise and nutrition – again you are not pitching your own services, you may even be telling them about other facilities in the town like local swimming baths or football clubs.
The whole point is that YOU position yourself as the expert and when you are seen as the expert you ATTRACT a crowd.
It is the easiest and fastest way to build up your client base. It’s also the easiest way to make sure you keep your existing clients and so your classes will soon be full.
The other way to become the go-to authority is to get in the paper regularly with health stories and the best way to do that is using a “hook”.
Every story has to have a reason to be there.
Helping someone cure themselves of Type 2 Diabetes is a good story but it turns into a GREAT story on National Diabetes Week because it is relevant.
Relevance is the key to getting published.
For more great tips on how to get featured in the press and the simplest way to get press why not check out Press Club
