Should I try to get local press coverage?
Short answer
Worth a shot a few times a year, low expectations. Real news pegs work, vanity press releases don't. A story about a real customer outcome beats a story about you.
What gets covered
A unique service in town. Free work for someone in need. A new location opening. A milestone (10-year anniversary). Local reporters are starved for warm-blooded stories that aren't crime.
How to pitch
Email a specific reporter, not a generic newsroom address. Three sentences: who you are, what the story is, why their readers care. Photos attached. Most ignore you, the occasional yes is worth it.
Ask your version of this question
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