Most insurance brokers spend money on Google Ads or LinkedIn without realising their local paper reaches the exact people they need to attract. A feature in your regional business section, or even a quote in a community newsletter, does something paid advertising rarely achieves: it builds genuine credibility. Readers see your name attached to genuine editorial content, not a paid message. That difference matters.
Local journalists covering personal finance, mortgages, and protection products need expert voices. They're not trying to sell insurance. They're trying to explain complex topics to their readers. If you can help them do that job well, you get exposure in return. Simple as that.
Understand What Journalists Actually Need
Here's what stops most brokers from getting press coverage: they think like salespeople, not like reporters. A journalist writing about mortgage protection doesn't need to hear about your brokerage's awards or 25 years in business. They need clarity, data, and a human angle.
When The Manchester Evening News ran a piece about rising life insurance claims in 2022, they quoted brokers who could explain the trend in plain language. Not sales speak. Actual explanation. If you can do that, you've got a shot at coverage.
Start by reading what's already being published locally. What topics do journalists write about regularly? Protection gaps? First-time buyer insurance costs? Business owner liability trends? These are conversations already happening. Your job is to become the person they call when they need expert input on those topics.
Build a Media List That Actually Works
Creating a proper media list takes time, but it's not complicated. Start with your local daily and weekly papers. Include the business sections specifically. Add regional business magazines if they exist in your area. Then think wider: BBC Local, ITV regional news, local commercial radio. These outlets all need expert commentary.
Don't forget community organisations and hyperlocal newsletters. Many towns now have active community interest companies, business improvement districts, and chamber of commerce operations. These groups publish newsletters, run events, and host web content. A financial advice column in a BID newsletter might reach 5,000 local business owners. That's valuable.
Get the actual names and email addresses of journalists and editors. Not generic newsdesk addresses. Real people. A personal pitch to Sarah Khan, personal finance reporter at the Leicester Mercury, will always outperform a message to "news@leicestermercury.co.uk".
Create Angles Journalists Can't Refuse
The mistake brokers make is pitching coverage about themselves. "We've expanded our team" or "We've won an industry award." Most editors delete these instantly. Instead, pitch actual stories that happen to involve you.
Here are real angles that work:
- Seasonal protection gaps. Before spring, pitch a story about Easter holidays and travel insurance oversights. Before October, pitch critical illness awareness angles.
- Regulatory changes. When pension reform, mortgage regulation, or insurance law shifts, local business owners want to understand what it means. You can explain that.
- Trends you're seeing. Are your clients increasingly concerned about cyber liability? Are more sole traders asking about income protection? That's a story.
- Local economic data. If unemployment figures drop or major employers relocate, there's a business protection angle hiding in that news.
A pitch to a journalist should take 30 seconds to read. "Hi Sarah, we're seeing a spike in first-time buyers who don't understand buildings insurance requirements. Happy to explain the issue and solutions for your readers if you're covering this." Done. Professional. Useful to them.
Get Involved in Community Conversations
Press coverage isn't your only avenue. Local business networks, chambers of commerce, rotary clubs, and community organisations need speakers and contributors constantly. These groups publish newsletters, host events, and run social media channels.
Offer to speak at a local business breakfast about protecting a business in economic downturns. Contribute a short article to your chamber's newsletter about landlord insurance changes. Sponsor a local youth award and get mentioned in the coverage. These aren't direct sales plays. They're visibility moves that position you as a serious, involved operator in your community.
When you do get involved, make sure local newspapers know about it. If you're sponsoring a school's new building fund or speaking at a business networking event, mention it in your media pitches. Journalists covering community news often pick up these stories if they're tied to a person they've already heard of.
Follow Up Without Being Annoying
Journalists receive hundreds of emails. Your pitch might genuinely get lost. That's not rejection. That's volume. One follow-up email a week later is professional. Two more follow-ups after that is harassing. Know the difference.
When you do get coverage, say thank you. Email the journalist. Keep it brief and genuine. Next time you have a relevant story angle, they might remember you as someone easy to work with. That builds relationships. Over two years, strong journalist relationships can result in multiple features and regular quotes in your local paper.
Make Coverage Work Harder
When you do get featured in local press or community publications, extract every bit of value from it. Feature the article on your website. Share it with your existing client base. Link to it from your social media. Mention it in your newsletters. Some brokers get one article published and never use it again. That's wasted effort.
The real return on press coverage isn't always immediate client calls. It's accumulated credibility. When someone searches your business name online, they see you quoted in the local paper discussing financial protection. When a prospect looks you up after a referral, they find evidence that you know your field. That's what shifts clients' confidence from neutral to positive.
Start building your media list this week. Pitch one journalist with a real story angle. It won't cost you money. It will take time. But unlike most marketing, it will actually build something lasting.
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