Free publicity and press approach

When you realize an initiative or project, of course it is nice if people come to see it or at least know about it. That is why you put energy into promotion and publicity to bring it to people's attention. An important part of this is generating free publicity. This is because the many media have a very wide reach and many different opportunities to bring attention to something. Think of an article in the newspaper, a review via social media, an appearance on a talk show, a seat in a talk show, etc. Another big advantage is that the cost of free publicity is low. At least, it does take time and in some cases equals. Either way is good to "work the press," or in other words to let the media know about your plans.

What types of free publicity are there?

Free publicity comes in many forms. For example, you can draw attention to your initiative or project by including it in a digital calendar or diary. You can also promote it through your own network. On this page we mainly talk about inclusion in the media, i.e. newspapers, magazines or digital news sources. Make sure these parties see the news value of your initiative or project and therefore want to write about it. This is valuable because interviews and other editorial content are perceived as more reliable than, say, advertisements.

Local media

In the area where your initiative or project takes place, or where you create your work, local media can often be found. Approach those first. They often have space for in their expressions and it is also easy to build a relationship with them. This is partly because they are involved in the region and want to inform their readers about what is happening in that place. They do that either entirely digitally or in print. The door-to-door newspapers (sometimes somewhat disparagingly called suffragettes) are secretly very well read. We've listed some of the local media for you in advance .

National media

Some initiatives or projects are produced locally but are of interest to a much wider audience. Think, for example, of musicians or theater companies touring the country, work you produce that has a unique theme or ties in with a national initiative, or events featuring artists who are not playing anywhere in the Netherlands. Then it is not wrong to try to reach the national media as well. Make sure you take a good look at which channels connect with your target audience. Keep in mind that there is a lot of competition because the scale is much larger. Try to assess whether it makes sense since it takes a lot of time and you have to build a relationship with national media step by step.

Way of working

It is good to first map out which media you want to approach. To do this, you can create a so-called press list. Most media work with an editorial team, which in many cases has a home base in your region. You can email them a press release or upload it through their website. We have an example of a press release ready for you elsewhere on this website.

Keep it personal

We recommend that you try to build a relationship with editors or journalists. You often get more done that way, and besides, personal contact is often more fun. Who knows, you may also benefit from it later. Call the editors before you send them a message, so they already know about it. You can also invite journalists to stop by or offer them a scoop. In any case, always be nice and honest because they often have a lot of experience and are quick to appreciate a good story.


If your own expertise gives you knowledge that fits this topic, or if you see possibilities to improve this text, we would like to hear from you at info@cultuuracademy.nl.