Like many new businesses, the idea for Newspage came during Lockdown One, April 2020. I was several bourbons in, watching the surreal and harrowing events unfold on TV.
I used to be a journalist and got thinking about how I could help tell the stories of at least some of the millions of small businesses and charities who were being decimated by the pandemic.
But there was a problem. Two problems, in fact.
The first problem is that traditional PR agencies charge far more than the average small business and charity can afford, especially during a global pandemic.
The second problem is many small business and charity owners do not always understand how to approach the mainstream media themselves, so a lot of great stories are never told.
It was at that moment, after countless bourbons and in a haze of thick cigar smoke, that I thought” “f**k it. All my life in PR, I’ve been trying to up my day rate, so now I’m going to give it all away for free. Seems like the sensible thing to do. And if I’ve got one thing right now, it’s some spare time.”
And so the idea for Newspage, the world’s first free PR platform, was born.
More from Media
The first iteration of Newspage back in 2020 was like something out of Blue Peter, a website made of loo rolls and fairy liquid bottles, held together with Blu Tack and powered by a hamster running frantically in a wheel.
But it worked, just. And we managed to get people to sign up. In fact, that bit was easy as it was free. And the stories came thick and fast.
I can remember getting the story of a beautician, Amy, who couldn’t afford to buy her children birthday presents because she wasn’t eligible for any financial support and had lost all her income, into the local and national papers. It was her chance to make her feelings known to the Government.
Another story I remember is of Kerry, who makes compostable sponges. When she joined Newspage, she told us she hadn’t been able to heat her home for months and was making the sponges wrapped in blankets, suffering in the freezing cold.
Within an hour or so, she was on countless TV and radio stations and managed to sell enough sponges to heat her own home for the first time in months.
Newspage, which is used by small companies in all sectors, from lawyers, estate agents and financial advisers, to retailers, psychologists and HRs, now has thousands of firms and charities signed up.
There is a premium monthly subscription now, which costs £49.99 including VAT per month, for which users get additional support, for example, their responses to media requests are edited by an experienced journalist and they receive feedback on each story they add.
The more volume and engagement, the more advertisers there are on the site, contributing to my income.
However, Newspage will always be free to join and roughly nine in 10 of the small businesses and charities on our platform have never paid us a penny. The platform works in two main ways:
Think you’ve got a story? Add it to your Newspage and we’ll tell you if it’s a story. If it is, we’ll lob it across to all relevant media for free. When people create their Newspages (just as they do a Facebook or LinkedIn page), they are asked to create “Areas of Expertise”. Then they receive media opportunities on email to relevant breaking or upcoming stories that they can comment on.
It can drive all-important traffic to their website, which can result in sales and donations. For millions of small businesses and charities, in the current economic climate, is key.
Dominic Hiatt is the founder of Newspage, the world’s first free PR platform.
How else can companies get free PR?
By Grace Gausden
There are a number of other ways people can get themselves free press.
- Highlight your team as specialists: Companies can position their team members as experts in their field. This adds value and could help your brand get mentions.
- Make connections before you pitch: Although, in some cases, you can pitch a story right away, in most scenarios, building a relationship with a journalist or team first is better and can be very beneficial for the long term.
- Set up Google alerts for your industry: Smaller firms like start-ups without dedicated communications resources can set up a Google Alert to track competitors and understand who is writing about their space. Companies can then monitor these journalists and publications to understand how they cover firms and products and why they might be interested in yours.
- Use social media: Social media is a great way to build relationships with your customers and encourage word-of-mouth publicity. If you can build a loyal following on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn, for example, followers help to spread the word about your business.
- Start an email newsletter: With the rising costs of small business marketing, it may be worth considering a platform that allows you to connect directly with customers in the long term: email.
