How to get on the local news - 3 tips for business owners

Transcript

that photo was not an accurate photo of what's going on it wasn't a fact it was a feeling that this photo gives us and social media is trying to give us a feeling not always the facts oh that's right my channel was featured on the news twice in the last two weeks which not only exposed my channel and my brand to millions of new people but being fea... Read More

Key Insights

• 🌍 Local news outlets seek relevancy to both local events and major national events.
• 🙈 Being seen as an expert in your field can help you get featured on the news.
• 💆 Creating an expert page on your website and covering news-related topics on your channel can increase your chances of getting featured.
• 🏛️ Building relationships with local news outlets and sharing your content with them can enhance the likelihood of being featured.
• 🫵 Leveraging trending topics and news events can give your channel a boost in views and exposure.
• 👨‍🔬 Researching and preparing for interviews can help you confidently communicate your expertise on different subjects.
• 🥺 Spoon-feeding a relevant story to journalists can increase their interest and potentially lead to future collaborations.

Questions & Answers

Q: How can business owners get on the local news?

Create a location-specific expert page on your website, cover timely news-related topics, and share relevant story ideas with local outlets. Connect each story to your expertise and the outlet’s local audience so reporters have a clear reason to interview you.

Q: What should an expert page include?

Build the page like a professional biography that emphasizes what you know and the subjects you can discuss. Do not use it as a sales page, because its purpose is to help news or radio professionals assess you as a potential expert guest.

Q: How should I name an expert page for local news searches?

Combine your specialty with your location in the page title. Examples from the transcript include “YouTube Expert San Diego,” “Online Gaming Expert Boulder Colorado,” and “Real Estate Expert Cincinnati Ohio.”

Q: Should I create more than one expert page?

Yes, the speaker recommends creating a few pages around distinct areas of expertise. His examples include pages for a YouTube expert, social media expert, livestream expert, and SEO expert in San Diego.

Q: What kinds of stories do local news outlets cover?

Reporters and station managers first look for events happening in their local area. For major stories involving subjects such as war, the economy, or politicians, they also seek a local person or business that can explain the story’s local relevance.

Q: Can I comment on a news story outside my main field?

Yes, if the story has a meaningful connection to your actual expertise. Owen Video was not a Middle Eastern policy expert, but Channel 10 interviewed him about how social media was being used during the Syrian Missile Crisis.

Q: How should I prepare for a local news interview?

Research the broader event and the issues that connect it to your expertise before going on air. Owen Video studied the Arab Spring, the Middle East, and social-media-related issues before his interview, which helped him communicate confidently and earn a follow-up invitation.

Q: How can news-related content improve my chances of being featured?

Covering timely topics on your channel demonstrates that you can explain current events through your area of expertise. Sharing that relevant content with local outlets can build relationships and make it easier for journalists to see a ready-made local angle.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The local news looks for news events happening in your area and relevant to national events to cover.

• You can leverage your expertise to comment on events that may not seem directly related to your field.

• Creating an expert page on your website and covering news-related topics on your channel can increase your chances of getting featured.