Get Press in ’26: Marketing Visibility Tactics

Understanding how press visibility helps businesses and individuals understand the nuances of marketing is paramount in 2026. It’s not just about getting your name out there; it’s about shaping perception and driving tangible results. How can you actually do it? Let’s walk through a tactical guide to building your press presence using a combination of readily available tools.

Step 1: Monitoring Your Brand Mentions with Google Alerts

The first step in understanding your current press visibility is knowing where you’re already being mentioned. For this, Google Alerts is your free and easy starting point.

Setting Up Your Alerts

1. Go to Google Alerts.
2. In the “Create an alert about…” field, enter your brand name. For example, if your company is “Acme Corp,” type that in.
3. Click “Show options.” Here’s where you refine your alert:
   • Frequency: Choose “As-it-happens” for immediate notifications.
   • Sources: Select “Automatic” initially. Later, you can refine this to “News,” “Blogs,” or “Web” if you’re getting too much irrelevant noise.
   • Region: Specify your target region. If you’re a local Atlanta business, select “United States” and then drill down to “Georgia.”
   • How many: Choose “All results.” You don’t want to miss anything initially.
   • Deliver to: Make sure this is an email address you actually check!
4. Click “Create Alert.”

Pro Tip: Set up alerts not just for your brand name, but also for the names of key personnel (CEO, founders, etc.) and relevant industry keywords. For example, if you’re a cybersecurity firm, set up alerts for “data breach,” “ransomware,” and “cybersecurity threats.”

Common Mistake: Forgetting to specify the region. I had a client last year who was getting alerts for a company with the same name in Australia! Specifying “United States” immediately solved the problem.

Expected Outcome: You’ll start receiving email notifications whenever your brand or keywords are mentioned online. This gives you a pulse on your current press visibility and opportunities for engagement.

Step 2: Identifying Competitor Mentions with Ahrefs

Now that you’re monitoring your own mentions, let’s see where your competitors are getting press. Ahrefs is a powerful SEO tool that can help with this.

Using Ahrefs’ Site Explorer

1. Log in to your Ahrefs account.
2. In the top navigation, click “Site Explorer.”
3. Enter your competitor’s website URL (e.g., “competitor.com”) into the search bar.
4. In the left-hand menu, click “Backlinks.” This shows you all the websites linking to your competitor.
5. Filter the backlinks to find news articles and blog posts. Look for backlinks with “news” or “blog” in the anchor text or surrounding content.
6. Analyze the referring domains. Which websites are consistently mentioning your competitors? These are potential targets for your own press outreach.

Pro Tip: Use Ahrefs’ “Content Explorer” to search for articles related to your industry. See which websites are writing about these topics and who they’re quoting. This helps you identify journalists and publications interested in your niche.

Common Mistake: Getting overwhelmed by the sheer volume of backlinks. Focus on high-authority websites and those that are directly relevant to your industry. A backlink from a local Atlanta news site like the Atlanta Journal-Constitution is far more valuable than one from a random forum.

Expected Outcome: You’ll compile a list of websites and journalists who have covered your competitors. This provides a targeted list for your press outreach efforts.

Step 3: Crafting and Distributing Press Releases with PR Newswire

Now that you have a list of potential press outlets, it’s time to craft a compelling press release. PR Newswire is a leading press release distribution service.

To truly win PR’s news edge, you need to craft a release that stands out.

Writing Your Press Release

1. Log in to your PR Newswire account.
2. Click “Create Release.”
3. Follow the prompts to fill in the details of your press release:
   • Headline: Make it concise and attention-grabbing. Include keywords. For example, “Acme Corp Launches New AI-Powered Cybersecurity Solution.”
   • Dateline: Include the city and state (e.g., “Atlanta, GA – [Date]”).
   • Summary: A brief, 1-2 sentence overview of the news.
   • Body: Expand on the news with details, quotes, and supporting information. Keep it concise and factual.
   • About Acme Corp: A brief company description.
   • Contact Information: Include the name, email, and phone number of your media contact.
4. Optimize your press release for search engines by including relevant keywords.

Distributing Your Press Release

1. In PR Newswire, select your distribution options. You can target specific industries, regions, and media outlets.
2. Choose your distribution date and time. Consider the time zones of your target audience.
3. Review your press release and distribution settings.
4. Submit your press release for approval.

Pro Tip: Don’t just blast your press release to everyone. Research specific journalists who cover your industry and personalize your outreach. Find their email addresses and send them a brief, tailored message highlighting why your news is relevant to their audience. I recently helped a client land a feature in TechCrunch by doing just that.

Common Mistake: Writing a boring press release. Make it newsworthy! Highlight the impact of your announcement and why it matters to the public. Nobody cares about internal company updates unless they’re framed in a way that’s relevant to a broader audience.

Expected Outcome: Your press release will be distributed to your target media outlets, increasing your chances of getting press coverage. You’ll also receive a report from PR Newswire showing where your press release was published.

Step 4: Engaging with Journalists on Social Media

Building relationships with journalists is crucial for long-term press visibility. Social media, particularly LinkedIn and industry-specific forums, offers a direct line of communication.

Finding Journalists on LinkedIn

1. Use LinkedIn’s search function to find journalists who cover your industry. Search for keywords like “cybersecurity journalist” or “tech reporter.”
2. Review their profiles to see their past articles and areas of expertise.
3. Follow them and engage with their content. Share their articles, comment on their posts, and participate in relevant discussions.
4. Send them a personalized connection request. Mention that you’re in the same industry and admire their work.

For small businesses, media savvy is essential to connect with journalists.

Direct Messaging

1. Once connected, avoid immediately pitching them your story. Instead, build a relationship.
2. Share relevant industry news and insights. Offer to be a source for their articles.
3. When you have a story to pitch, send them a brief, personalized message highlighting why it’s relevant to their audience.

Pro Tip: Offer exclusive content or early access to journalists who have shown interest in your company. This gives them a unique angle and increases your chances of getting coverage.

Common Mistake: Being too pushy. Journalists are busy people. Respect their time and avoid bombarding them with unsolicited pitches. Remember, building relationships takes time.

Expected Outcome: You’ll build relationships with journalists who are interested in your industry, increasing your chances of getting press coverage in the future. This is a long-term strategy that requires consistent effort.

Step 5: Tracking Your Results and Adjusting Your Strategy

Finally, it’s essential to track your results and adjust your strategy accordingly. Which press outlets are giving you the most visibility? Which topics are resonating with journalists? Use this data to refine your approach.

Monitoring Your Mentions

1. Continue to monitor your brand mentions using Google Alerts.
2. Track the traffic to your website from press articles. Use Google Analytics to see which articles are driving the most traffic.
3. Monitor your social media mentions and engagement. Are people talking about your company after you’ve been featured in the press?

Remember that actionable marketing boosts ROI, so focus on data-driven insights.

Analyzing Your Data

1. Analyze your data to identify trends and patterns. Which press outlets are giving you the most visibility? Which topics are resonating with journalists?
2. Adjust your strategy accordingly. Focus on the press outlets and topics that are working best.
3. Experiment with different approaches. Try different headlines, distribution strategies, and outreach methods.

Pro Tip: Don’t be afraid to ask for feedback. Reach out to journalists after they’ve covered your company and ask for their thoughts. What could you have done better? What information were they looking for?

Common Mistake: Not tracking your results. You can’t improve what you don’t measure. Make sure you have a system in place for tracking your press visibility and analyzing your data.

Expected Outcome: You’ll gain a better understanding of what’s working and what’s not, allowing you to refine your strategy and improve your press visibility over time.

Press visibility isn’t a one-time effort; it’s an ongoing process. By consistently monitoring your mentions, building relationships with journalists, and tracking your results, you can build a strong press presence and drive tangible results for your business. Here’s what nobody tells you: it takes time and persistence. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t see results immediately.

Ultimately, media relations is still vital in the digital age.

Building a strong press presence requires a proactive and strategic approach. It’s about more than just sending out press releases; it’s about cultivating relationships and understanding the media landscape. Start small, be consistent, and track your progress. The results will speak for themselves.