We are a few weeks into January and many New Year’s resolutions have been broken. Yet, some are still going strong. Lots of people are sticking to dry January and continue to order the popular meal-prep boxes, and that's great! During this time we tend to always see an uptick in health, wellness, and fitness stories, however, I don’t expect to see them slow down anytime soon.

If you are a health and wellness brand you have a huge opportunity to be in the media, and it’s imperative that you cut through the noise and be seen and heard. The findings fromADM's OutsideVoice research portal showed that 77% of consumers want to do more to stay healthy in the future. 




However, it’s not just about media placement. It’s a combination of social media, videos, and influencer outreach.

So how do you get noticed? I've compiled a quick list of 5 ways that YOU can get in front of your audience that you can start implementing today!

Set your Brand Apart

What makes you different? Who is your target audience? This is very important to do before you begin pitching to the media. Journalists receive hundreds of pitches a day and the only way to get them to open your email is to stand out. 

Up your Social Media Game

Social media is extremely important for health and wellness brands. Instagram is the number one platform for this industry. This social media giant has nearly 1 billion active users and it continues to grow. 

• Use beautiful imagery and videos of your product or service. You can do this as a video or through Instagram Reels or IGTV.
• You want to constantly engage with your audience on every post. Be sure to respond to comments on your feed as well as Instagram stories.
• Instagram stories are getting more views than posts, so take advantage of that.
• If a consumer tags you in their story, give them a shout out or reshare it.
• Ask your audience questions and make them part of the story. This shows your audience that you care about their voice and what’s important to them.
• Hashtags are also really important especially on specific health awareness days. 

Work with Social Media Influencers

If you want to get your product in the hands of influencers, you will most likely have to pay for them to promote your product, but it can definitely be worth it if their audience is your target market. Influencers have audiences who trust them and that is the key...trust.

BUT, oftentimes you can offer to send and share a product with micro-influencers that you reach out to, and even better if you take the time to build a relationship with them. Don’t let the word "micro-influencer" make you think that they are too small for your brand. While micro-influencers have a smaller audience, they tend to have a deeper connection with their audience and that is exactly what you want.

Establish Yourself as an Expert 

Position yourself as an expert in your field. This will get your company name out there and you will begin to establish a relationship with journalists and influencers. The media always needs sources and if you do a great job with one interview with them, I guarantee that they will keep your contact information. If there is something trending in your industry go ahead and reach out to a journalist and let them know that you can weigh in on that topic. 

Share Your Product

If you have a product that you want to let the media know about, send the editor your product. It’s one thing to send a pitch and talk about how great your brand is, but it’s another thing to actually feel it, try it, or taste it.  I have talked to many journalists and they love when they receive products. It’s just another unique way to get their attention. 

The health and wellness space is very crowded and expects to get busier. But don't let that discourage you! Use it as motivation to continue to set yourself apart and use creative ways to get the media’s attention and show your audience that your product or service is the best. 

Keep plugging away and remember, consistency is key.

You've got this!!

The holidays are upon us and while many are taking time off, the press does not. Digital media outlets need to fill their sites with stories and television stations will be, as they call it, “light” for stories.  

Reporters and editors are not getting inundated with press pitches as many are on vacation, so your pitch has a chance of getting read and potentially picked up. 

As hard news slows down, reporters need story ideas. And this is where you come in! Here’s what journalists are looking for. 

Secret #1: Feel Good Stories

I think most of us agree that after this year, we all need a feel-good story. Reporters are looking to share a special story that warms the hearts of their viewers or readers. This works great with your local media. If you have a special story that will resonate with your audience pitch away. 

Secret #2: Food. Food. Food.

Food is a big part of the season and prior to COVID television stations would have in-studio cooking segments. But that doesn’t mean that they are not looking for this type of content. Pitch a unique cooking/entertainment segment that you can do remotely. Think about what people will be doing this holiday season as it is a bit different and create a pitch from there. For example, maybe folks aren’t doing the traditional holiday dinner, so give them ideas to create fun and less stressful meals or snacks. Remember, think outside the box and what is important to the audience. 

Secret #3: Be Topical

Pitching topical newsworthy stories is always the best way to reach the media, even during the holidays. Pitch a story that connects your organization to a news topic or current trends, such as the economy, COVID, health, or other trends.

Secret #4: How To’s

The media loves to interview experts about tips. From how to stay healthy during the holidays with COVID to how to avoid gaining weight from all the amazing food and cookies...these are great ways to reach the media.
  

Secret #5: Gifts Ideas

We all struggle with coming up with unique gifts and the media loves to provide unique ideas to their readers and viewers. If you have a specific product that would make a good gift before you pitch the idea think about what sets your brand apart and why it would make a good story. It is American made, inexpensive, easy to get last minute, great for moms, dads, kids, co-workers..whats the hook?

Secret #6: Trends 

This is the time that journalists are working on 2021 predictions. The media is looking for experts in their industry to talk about what we can expect over the next year in that field. This is the case in multiple areas. From health and wellness to finance and style. The key here is to pitch this ASAP. 

A great place to see opportunities regarding these stories is HARO (Help a Reporter Out) I talk all about this and how to use it in my online course Land Your Own Media Coverage and Increase Your Brand. 

While national media exposure is the goal for many, I highly encourage you to start on the local level, especially with these holiday stories. And once they interview you, your chance to do more interviews will increase significantly. 

I’m excited to hear about your success.

Have a wonderful holiday season!!

HAMPTON ROADS, Va - A former journalist and media relations expert, Alison Maloni offers insights on how to manage your reputation on social media and in the news.

Conferences. They are great for education and fabulous for networking. Anyone who has been to a large conference has found value in them. But what are you doing to take it to the next level?

When I started my own Public Relations firm, I turned to my friend and mentor, who owns his own marketing agency. Kyle Reyes of The Silent Partner Marketing shared a ton of advice with me and continues to do so. You want to know what the best piece of advice he gave me was? He told me to start blogging. To be honest, I was Very apprehensive about that. All I could think of was: who wants to read my blog? What will I write about? Will they be any good? How will I find the time?  Well, I conquered my fears and Kyle was right. Blogging helps you and your business grow. For those of you who are nervous or questioning the power of blogging, I’ve compiled several tips on on how to blog and reasons to start writing.

Donald Trump is facing a major public relations crisis. Experts are saying that this could ruin his chance of becoming the next President of the United States.

This weekend, a taped conversation that the Republican Presidential candidate had with Billy Bush 11- years ago was leaked to the media. Conveniently, it came just hours before Wikileaks was planning on releasing emails from Hillary Clinton.

My parents once told me to choose my words wisely. It was an important piece of advice 20 years ago and it is even more relevant today. In this digital age, it is imperative that you think before you speak.

Have you ever been at work and made a Big mistake? Your initial instinct may be to hide it, ignore it, or even blame someone else. But, eventually you’ll tell your boss what happened and make a plan so it won’t happen again. The same thing applies to social media and public relations.

Your business just won an award or your company is part of a huge project in the area. You have a story to tell. A really good story. You’ve told the press about it, but you haven’t heard anything. Okay, don’t give up. You may just have to tweak a couple of things.

I’ve been really slacking on my Friday Favorites, but I’m back at it!

Today’s Friday Favorites is all about connections and courtesy. When was the last time that you received a hand written note in the mail? It’s probably been a while. But, when you find a special note in between all of your bills, how does it make you feel? I know that it makes me extremely happy! For me, it’s all about the simple things in life.

Today’s Friday Favorites is dedicated to just one topic because: A) it doesn’t go with anything else; and B) it deserves this entire blog.

Today’s Friday Favorites is all about a college program that’s shaping the best and brightest communication professionals around. When I was in high school, the top journalism and communication schools were Emerson and Syracuse. Fast forward twenty years and Western New England University’s Communications Department has made a name for itself.

Imagine this. You’re sitting in the green room at Fox News or MSNBC. You are being prepped by the producer. Your heart is racing. Your palms are sweating. You make the walk down the long hallway to the live studio. You get the cue that you are two minutes away from going on the national television news. And you’re live.

Today we’re talking about how social media and PR work together. Before twitter, facebook and snapchat, the only way to let people know that you and your company were going on to be on the 10 pm news is an email blast or a phone call.

You have probably been hearing a lot about Snapchat around work. Your kids are most likely on it and celebrities and companies around the world are snapping away.  If you haven’t jumped on board with this social media platform…it’s time. I know what some of you are thinking: “Isn’t it for sending naked pictures?” I’m sure that people still do, but businesses and social media influencers do not do that. Now that your concern is cleared up, grab your phone and download the free app.

I recently had dinner with a successful, gorgeous, and intelligent woman. Many women envy her and thousands of men would love to date her. In many people’s eyes, she has a dream job. She’s a television journalist.

Let’s face it, many business owners are Type A personalities. I’m one of them and that carries over to every aspect of my life. We all have one major problem: letting others take over our projects. But, how many of you “control freaks” are feeling overwhelmed in your job? Your responsibilities continue to grow, lists get longer and frankly there’s just not enough time do everything.