Getting free publicity for your pet business doesn’t have to be difficult as I shared this week on the Bella Vasta podcast.

Have you seen other people featuring in articles in newspapers and magazines and thought you’d like to do the same?

In every town and city you will find lots of newspapers, magazines, radio and TV shows and websites covering news in their area every single day.

They need content and if you have an interesting story to tell, there is nothing stopping you pitching to them.

I did an interview for the Bella In Your Business podcast for the pet industry where I talked about easy ways to get free publicity.

Host Bella is an American pet business marketing expert and she has listeners all over the world.

A pet business owner herself, she’s also a keynote speaker specialising in sales, marketing and social media.

It came about after I watched a webinar where she talked about Facebook groups – one of her areas of expertise.

I messaged her and she invited me to speak about how to get publicity for your pet business.

If you’d rather listen than read, you can tune in here: Bella Vasta Podcast 

These were the 10 tips on getting publicity that we covered

1. You don’t need to pay to get in newspapers, blogs or magazines

If you start a new business you might think you need to take out an advert if you want to appear in a local newspaper or magazine.

Instead, think about a story you can create about your business.

Listen to the podcast to learn how a new dog groomer won fantastic publicity with a story about helping out a local rescue centre.

2. Media coverage can make your pet business stand out

Think about what happens when someone recommends your business. The person will most likely check you out on Google.

If you’ve had media coverage, when they put your name into a search engine, it will show up and help you stand out from the competition.

It elevates your brand and builds trust and credibility. People are impressed by seeing you in the media.

3. How to work out the kind of stories journalists like

Journalists need stories that are going to entertain their readers, and often pet stories can evoke an emotional response.

One example was a story I did about how trainer Dominic Hodgson went on a ‘Tour De Rescue’ visiting animal shelters to raise awareness of pets in need of homes.

This was a lovely, heartwarming story, was covered by lots of newspapers, TV and radio stations on the route and is exactly the kind of thing journalists look for.

4. Everyone has a story

Often people assume that everyone knows everything they do in their business and what led them to become petpreneurs.

But often it’s only your close friends and family and inner circle and your journey could be interesting and inspiring to others.

Think about the stories you tell that captivate people when you meet them – these are the kind of things that can work for the media.

What is the real compelling reason behind what you do?

5. If you can get to meet a journalist, do it

Journalists are nosey people and if you’re able to chat to one, whether it’s via an introduction from a friend or at an event, take it.

Be interesting, think about what you can give that’s of value to their readers and try to give them something to remember you by.

6. Do your research

Start by finding out the different publications, radio stations, TV shows and blogs that cover your area.

Have a good read of them and see where you might fit in.

Bella shared a great idea too. Pitch a pet column to your local lifestyle magazine and give them content.

And keep an eye out for publications when you pick up the mail. She said: “I used to find out about publications that I didn’t even know about because I didn’t live in the community.

“You can flick through them to get ideas.”

7. Don’t be nervous

Bella pointed out: “If there’s one thing that journalists love it’s health, kids and pets.”

As a petpreneur you are already way ahead of many business owners because you do something that journalists like writing about.

8. Be prepared but also try to relax

If you get a ‘yes’ when you send a pitch, don’t freak out. Prepare a few sentences to keep you on track to cover the key points you want to make.

This is something I’ve been working on during my PR coaching programme and once you’ve done this a few times, it does get easier.

But the key thing is to just relax and be yourself. The journalist isn’t out to make you look bad or trip you up.

9. Keep things simple

Always talk like you would do to the man on the street. Don’t bamboozle people with jargon or tech stuff.

Explain things in clear, simple terms.

10. Have photos that tell the story

Who doesn’t love a photo of a pet? Make sure you have the right photos to go with your story.

When Dominic did the Tour De Rescue it was key he had photos of him on his bike and with his rescue dog Derek.

Try to think of telling your story through photos too.

Conclusion

It was awesome chatting to Bella about how to work with the media especially as she’s in Arizona so she was able to share with me how things work over there.

She also came out with so many helpful examples on ways pet business can promote their services too as she has YEARS of experience in the industry.

If you haven’t already listened to her podcast, you’ll pick up so much valuable information and tips on how to market your pet business.

Here’s the link to the episode: How to get your pet business in the media

You can find out more at https://bellavasta.com/

If you’d like to work on this, my Pets Get Visible membership is just £30 a month and you get my tailored support on approaching the press.