One of the most significant hoops you’ll have to jump when planning a public event is deciding how to get media attention.
Media attention refers to the coverage and promotion of an event by various forms of media, such as newspapers, television, radio, magazines, online publications and social media platforms.
The goal of gaining media attention is often to increase visibility and awareness of the event or organisation and to build both credibility and reputation.
Media attention can be beneficial for events in several ways:
- Increased visibility:
Media coverage can increase awareness of your event and attract more attendees. This can lead to higher ticket sales and revenue for your event.
- Credibility:
Media coverage can lend credibility to your event and make it seem more reputable and professional. This can help attract sponsors and partners.
- Brand awareness:
Media coverage can help promote your brand or organisation and increase recognition among your target audience.
- Networking opportunities:
Media coverage can provide opportunities to network with industry influencers and other organisations.
- Long-term benefits:
Media coverage can provide long-term benefits, such as increased website traffic and social media engagement, leading to future event attendance and revenue.
Media attention can also help attract sponsorships, as companies may be more likely to invest if the media covers it.
There are a few ways you can make it possible for your event to have good media attention:
- Reach out to local media outlets and pitch your event to them. Include all relevant details, such as date, time, location, and what makes your event unique.
- Utilise social media platforms to promote your event and engage with potential attendees. Use hashtags and create event pages to make it easy for people to find and share information about your event.
- Create a press release and distribute it to local and industry-specific media outlets. This can help increase the visibility and credibility of your event (MCO writes press releases often, so it may be worthwhile to ask the team for some help when writing yours!)
- Contact influencers and bloggers in your industry and ask them to cover or promote your event.
- Partner with other organisations, event companies or brands to add more value to your event and make it newsworthy.
- Involve celebrities, politicians or well-known figures in your event to increase media attention.
Media attention can be a powerful tool for bringing attention to important issues and causes, but it can also have negative effects if not handled properly. Therefore, it’s essential to be aware of potential downsides and approach media attention cautiously. However, it’s also important to remember that media attention is not the only way to create change and that grassroots organising and community-based efforts can also be effective.