4 website must-haves to help you land press and speaking opportunities

Ready to put yourself out there? Perhaps one of your goals this year is to appear on more podcasts or be featured in a publication.

But have you thought about what happens when a podcaster or journalist visits the 24/7 face of your business - your website? Will it position you as an expert, build your credibility and show them you’re the person they absolutely need to feature... or will they move on to your competitor instead?

I'm sure you'd much prefer the former so without further ado, here are 4 ways I recommend to prepare your website for press and speaking opportunities so you can position yourself as an expert and gain more exposure this year. Let’s get started!

1. A clear About page with a compelling story

Your story is what sets you apart from the competition. It’s your biggest differentiator.

If you have a great story to tell, podcasters and journalists will pay attention because they know your story will captivate their audience too - that's what matters the most to them.

A drab about page isn’t going to cut it. If you have no idea where to start or just want to polish it up, check out my blog post on how to create an About page that engages.

In order to make your About page compelling, let's start with answering the following questions:

• What’s the story behind your business? Why did you start a business, what gave you the idea?
• Why are you in business? Why does your business exist?
• What do you do differently than everyone else in your industry?

Remember that podcast hosts or conference organisers are looking for an inspiring story to share with their audience. Show them yours is worth sharing.

2. A blog that showcases your expertise

You’ve shared your story with a captivating about page. But do you have something interesting to say?

Podcast hosts and journalists want to see that you have a fresh point of view to offer on your industry. A blog showcases your expertise and is a great way to demonstrate the types of topics you can cover.

It’s also important to keep your blog up-to-date. There’s nothing more off-putting that landing on a blog page only to realise it’s been last updated 4 years ago. It might even make people wonder if you’re still in business. Publishing fresh content on a regular basis shows that you’re on top of the latest trends in your industry.

3. A media kit

I also recommend you put together a media kit. A media kit is a curated set of materials, images and content related to your business for use by the press and media.

Having a media kit is a huge time saver for journalists and anyone who wants to write about you. With a media kit, you’re providing people with assets and content you’ve already vetted.

This is crucial because it helps you keep a consistent message and set of visuals, which in return increases your brand recognition.

Your media kit can include:

• Brand assets (high res images of your logo with brand guidelines)
• Approved images
• Official biography
• Mission statement
• Pre-approved quotes
• Topic ideas

You can dedicate a page on your website for your media kit, or I suggest simply hosting the files on a Dropbox or Google Drive until you’re ready to create a web page.

4. Separate contact information for the media

If you’re currently using a generic contact form for everyone, customers and media included, then it’s time to set up a specific channel. I’m talking about a contact form or an email address dedicated to press and speaking enquiries, such as press@yourbusiness.com, or speaking@yourbusiness.com.

By doing this, you’re sending the signal that you are open and ready for these kind of opportunities. It makes you come across as more professional, and it’s also nice for people to know their requests won’t end up with any odd request you’re getting via your contact form.

If you have a team member who’s looking after your communications and PR, that’s even better. I recommend you include their name and email address on your media and contact pages. Knowing who to contact will make people much more likely to get in touch.

The bottom line

Being featured in the media can have a huge impact on your business - from positioning you as an expert in your field to attracting your dream clients. Remember that in addition to being the 24/7 face of your business, your website is your best press officer. By following including those four assets, you can become the expert people just HAVE to feature in their next podcast or virtual event.

Have you already optimised your website to attract media coverage?

Ready to be featured in more podcasts and publications?

If one of your big goals this year is to be featured in a podcast or in the media, then I'd love for you to join me on a free Assessment call: 3 easy ways to improve your website.

During this free 30-minute call we’ll:

• Review your existing website and identify what’s working and areas for improvement so you can understand where your website is holding you back
• Talk about the main mistakes people make on their website and the 3 easy ways you can improve yours to obtain more engagement and conversions
• Leave the call with 3 personalised action items you can implement immediately so you can increase your conversions, feel more confident and ultimately grow your business
  

‍Book your free Assessment call now