• The current business climate may be depressing, but this could be the best and easiest time to get media coverage
• Pitch how your business has pivoted to survive and offer tips and tricks.
• Newsjacking, product reviews and offering valuable content may get you extra media coverage.

COVID-19 may have hit many businesses hard, but the media still needs stories and they are still working - even if many are working remotely from home.

Online content is being consumed more than ever as lockdowns are enforced, which means people are watching TV, reading newspapers and magazines a lot more at home.

The media is a source of relief, entertainment and information during this uncertain time, and it is ticking over 24/7, which means you should be doing everything you can to try and get media coverage for your business during COVID-19.

PR Tips for Small Businesses During COVID-19

There are five things you can do to get PR coverage for your business during these trying times of the COVID-19 pandemic:

1. Restrategising stories
2. Covid-19 reactions
3. Newsjacking
4. Product reviews and giveaways
5. Offer valuable content

1. Restrategising stories

Has your business had to pivot at all during COVID-19? Many media outlets are looking for stories about businesses that have had to pivot their strategies.

It does not matter if you have pivoted 90 degrees, 180 degrees or 360 degrees. Pitch your story and you may just get some free coverage that is much needed during COVID-19.

2. Covid-19 reactions

Currently, a lot of PR coverage is reactive. What does this mean? It simply means that story angles are related to COVID-19, what is happening in the world, business landscape, in response to isolation, or having to pivot your business to survive or to make a profit at this specific time. 

3. Newsjacking

Newsjacking is similar to re-active PR. You will need to scour the news and see how you can spin it to your brand or business advantage. Some ways you can do this are to offer your spokesperson (yes, this can be yourself) if you are an expert in a specific area.

Alternatively, you can create content and offer this to the media as an exclusive article or pitch.

4. Product reviews and giveaways

Offer your product or service to the media for review or giveaway. This is a simple way of getting media coverage for your small business. Just because offices are closed, does not mean that the media cannot receive your product.

Most are working from home and are using home or PO Box addresses to get samples. They still have to do their job to fill up web pages and Twitter timelines, so they still need your product or services.

5. Offer valuable content

If you offer a physical service, try to think out of the box about how you can get this to the media. Can you offer a free assessment or be interviewed via Zoom or the phone about the service?

Perhaps you can write tips, hacks or an expert article and get this to the media instead. Because this pandemic is a once-in-a-century event, there will be no shortages of unique content that you create surrounding your business.

Have you managed to get more media coverage during the pandemic? Share your thoughts and tips below!