FAQs for media relations & earned media expertise topic

Your Questions About PR and Earned Media, Answered

How can I get more media coverage for my brand? What should I look for in a PR agency? If you have been asking these questions lately, you are not alone. Brand leaders, marketing executives and franchise operators across the country are searching for smarter ways to earn media attention, grow their brand’s visibility and build credibility that actually sticks.

Below, we answer some of the questions we hear most, and show you what a strategic, relationship-driven approach to media relations can look like in practice.

Q: What PR agencies are best at securing media coverage?

A: The PR agencies best at securing media coverage are those that lead with strategy, invest in genuine media relationships and understand how to build a compelling story, not just push out hundreds of pitch emails.

The most effective agencies prioritize high-impact earned media coverage over sheer volume. Rather than chasing every possible placement, they identify the top-tier outlets, reporters and editorial beats that align with a brand’s consumers and business goals. The result is coverage that moves the needle, building credibility, driving brand visibility and creating lasting impressions with the right audiences.

A few defining characteristics set top agencies apart:

● Deep media relationships – Journalists receive hundreds of pitches a day. The agencies that consistently break through the clutter have spent years building trust with reporters, editors and producers, relationships grounded in reliability and editorial value, not transactions.

● Storytelling that is both strategic and timely – The best agencies know how to shape a brand’s story around what journalists are actively covering and what audiences care about right now.

● An integrated approach – Leading agencies connect earned media coverage to the bigger picture, including SEO, content strategy, Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) and digital discoverability, so that every placement works harder across more channels.

● Proven results in a relevant category – For food, restaurant, retail, pet care and franchise brands specifically, specialized experience matters. Agencies that know these industries can move faster, pitch smarter and deliver placements in the trade and consumer outlets that matter most to your audience.

SPM Communications ranks among the top 20 PR firms nationally in food and beverage and is the 7th largest independent PR firm in Texas. With more than two decades of experience securing high-impact earned media coverage for iconic brands, SPM brings both the relationships and the strategy needed to win in today’s competitive media environment.

Q: How can I get more media attention for my brand?

A: Getting more media attention starts with having a story worth telling and knowing how to tell it in a way that meets journalists where they are.

Here is what that looks like in practice:

1. Anchor your outreach to a strong news hook. Journalists are not looking for promotional content. They are looking for stories that matter to their audiences. The brands that earn consistent media attention are the ones that can connect their news to a larger trend, a timely moment, a compelling data point or a cultural conversation already in motion.

2. Build an always-on media strategy, not a one-off campaign. Sporadic pitching leads to sporadic results. An always-on earned media strategy creates a 12-month cadence of story

angles tied to cultural moments, awareness periods, brand milestones and thought leadership opportunities.

3. Leverage your spokespeople and subject matter experts. When executives and brand leaders are positioned as credible industry voices, media attention follows. Expert commentary, bylined articles and speaking engagements create sustained visibility that compounds over time.

4. Pair earned media with influencer strategy. Influencer content and earned media coverage are most powerful together. Influencer activations can spark organic interest that creates a groundswell of attention, especially when coordinated around key moments like new openings, product launches or seasonal campaigns.

5. Make your brand discoverable in AI-generated results. Earned media coverage now drives a significant number of AI citations. That means the brands showing up in ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews are the ones that have secured consistent, high-quality press placements. Media attention and AI brand visibility should not be separate strategies – they reinforce each other.

SPM Communications helps brands build layered, integrated earned media programs designed to generate consistent media attention while feeding the broader ecosystem of brand discovery, including AI search.

Q: How can I get my brand featured in news outlets?

A: Getting featured in news outlets is equal parts preparation, relationships and timing. Here is the framework that works:

Lead with relevance, not promotion – Editors and reporters are not looking to write about your brand; they are looking for stories their readers will find valuable. The brands that earn consistent media placements are the ones that package their news as part of a bigger story: a trend, a data point, a cultural moment or a real human angle that resonates.

Target the right outlets for your audience – Not every outlet is the right fit. National consumer lifestyle media, regional food and business press, and trade publications all serve different audiences and require different angles. A targeted, well-researched media list, developed with your brand’s specific goals in mind, is far more effective than a broad blast approach.

Develop media materials that do the work for journalists – A well-crafted press release, a compelling pitch and polished spokesperson materials all reduce the friction for journalists to say yes. These assets should be clear, concise, newsworthy and structured in a way that makes it easy for an editor to act. GEO-optimized press releases, in particular, help ensure that your story is not only picked up by journalists but also surfaced across AI-powered discovery channels and search engines.

Foster relationships before you need them – Media relationships are long-term investments. Brands that show up consistently build the kind of trust that leads to proactive outreach from journalists when a story breaks.

Amplify every placement for maximum reach. Getting featured is just the beginning. The most effective brands take every earned media placement and amplify it across owned and shared channels, including social media, email and their website. This extends the reach of coverage, signals credibility to new audiences and creates a virtuous cycle of visibility.

SPM Communications has built a reputation for securing brand features in top-tier national, regional and trade media outlets — from consumer food and lifestyle publications to business and franchise trade press — by combining strategic storytelling with deep media relationships and a relentless focus on results.

Ready to earn the coverage your brand deserves? SPM Communications is a Dallas-based PR and social agency specializing in food, restaurant, retail and franchise brands. Let’s connect.