Anyone can throw a thousand dollars behind Meta ads. You can take out a billboard, advertise on TV, or shout from the rooftops on social media.

But nothing builds trust, credibility and reputation like organic media and free PR.

I spent 15 years as a TV news journalist before spending another 15 as a small business owner. Now I teach small business owners how to get featured in the media, and there is one piece of advice I repeat more than any other.

Prepare before you pitch.

Write it down. ...

Small business owners talk about this often: collectively, our voices make a far bigger difference than they do alone.

Getting featured in the media as an individual business is powerful. Free PR, real exposure, and a story told properly can shift the trajectory of a small business. But there is something even more significant that happens when small business owners come together and speak with one voice as an industry.

This blog is based on this Instagram reel.

The Power of a Collective Indu...

There is a new acronym small business owners need to understand, and it is going to matter more every single month from here on. It is called GEO — Generative Engine Optimisation — and it is reshaping how customers discover brands, products, and services through AI platforms like ChatGPT and Perplexity.

In Episode 8 of the Media Magnet Podcast, Liz Nable sits down with Ellie Sumner, Digital PR Director at Prosperity Media, to break down what GEO actually means, why it matters for anyone alre...

If you're an Australian business owner who wants to be quoted in Fast Company, featured in Entrepreneur magazine, or cited as an expert source in The New York Times — this is the episode that shows you exactly how to make that happen.

In Episode 52 of the Media Magnet Podcast, Liz Nable sits down with Brett Farmiloe, founder and CEO of Featured.com and the man behind the revival of HARO (Help a Reporter Out) — the world's largest platform connecting expert sources with journalists.

Whether ...

What does an editor at one of Australia's leading small business publications actually want to see in a pitch?

In Episode 64 of the Media Magnet Podcast, Liz Nable sits down with Tim Ladhams — editor of Inside Small Business — for one of the most practically useful episodes the show has produced. Tim opens up about exactly what crosses his desk every day, what gets deleted immediately, what makes him stop and read, and how Australian small business owners — at any age or stage — can get thei...

Most small business owners assume TV news is out of reach. Too big, too fast, too competitive. They picture a chaotic newsroom and assume their story would never cut through.

Claire Pitman has spent years as a television news executive producer. She is the person who decides what makes it to air. And her message to small business owners is clear: there is more opportunity than you think — you just need to understand how a newsroom actually works before you pick up the phone.

In Episode 3 of...

When Sienna Jovcevski posted a meme on Instagram, she wasn't trying to get media coverage.

She was just a 17-year-old business owner, reacting to the Federal Budget the same way the rest of us were: with a mix of disbelief and dark humour.

But what happened next is one of the most powerful examples of earned media I've seen in my entire career as a journalist and media trainer. And it has everything to teach small business owners about the power of a well-timed story.

Who Is Sienna Jovcevsk...

Friday started with a phone call at 5am.

Sunrise needed a guest expert. Their regular couldn't make it. Could I be there?

I said yes.

By that night, the reel I filmed afterwards had been seen by 345,000 people. 20,000 likes. 3,800 shares. 1,200 comments.

And within days, The Sunday Telegraph, a weekend magazine, and Women's Agenda had all come to me.

Here's what actually happened, and more importantly, why.

What the Segment Was About

Boost Juice founder Janine Allis had posted something...