PR Blasts and Low Cost, High Quality Traffic
By Ali Hussain
Operators of businesses with an online front often spend thousands of dollars a month just to stay relevant. These online businesses spend time and money on organic content, digital ads, keyword placements, influencer campaigns and other paid media.
What if I told you that journalists from publications like Forbes, BuzzFeed, and The New York Times were actively looking for businesses and products like yours, right now? And what if you could connect with them, for free and see 50% month-over-month increases in sales, triple customer traffic or sell out your inventory in a day? Even small startups like Beardbrand saw sales increase from zero to over $120,000 per month within two years after reaching out to journalists in reputable publications.
The Secret Weapon You're Not Using: Simple Outreach to Relevant Media Organizations
Rather than spending thousands on influencers, reaching out to media personnel can be far more cost effective for new brands and startups or help enhance existing marketing campaigns. Some services like HARO allowed you access to reporters
I’m talking about services that act as a matchmaker between journalists and expert sources. The most famous one was HARO (Help a Reporter Out), which has recently become part of a platform called Connectively. The name might have changed, but the concept remains the same:
A journalist is writing a story (e.g., "The 15 Best Eco-Friendly Gifts for 2025").
They need quotes, product recommendations, or expert opinions.
They submit a query to a service like Connectively, PressLinker, etc.
That query gets blasted out in a daily email to thousands of subscribers, including you.
You see the query, realize your sustainable, handmade hemp candles are a perfect fit, and send a quick, helpful reply.
If the journalist likes your response a contact is made. Your product, your brand, and a link back to your Shopify store could be featured in a major publication.
Why This Is More Than Just a "Nice Mention"
Getting a feature like this isn't just a vanity metric. It's a triple-threat for your business growth.
1. Instant Authority and Trust: Imagine slapping an "As Seen On BuzzFeed" or "Featured in Well+Good" logo on your homepage. You could add these badges onto your paid ads, social media content, emails and eventually television ads. Suddenly, you're not just another random Shopify store. You have social proof. A first-time visitor is instantly more likely to trust you and make a purchase. That kind of trust is something ads can’t buy.
2. The SEO Goldmine (aka Backlinks): One of the biggest benefits of being featured in large media This is called a "backlink," and it’s one of the most powerful factors in ranking higher in search results. A single high-quality backlink from a news site can do more for your long-term organic traffic than months of tinkering with keywords. It's a gift that can keep on giving.
While backlinks from high authority websites like BuzzFeed or MacLean’s will result in short term traffic, the long term benefit of these backlinks will mean lower costs for digital ads and especially keyword placement due to PR links from high-authority websites boost your site's credibility and improve its SEO. This raises your Quality Score in Google Ads, which Google uses to determine ad rank and cost. A higher Quality Score means lower cost-per-click (CPC) and better ad placement—so strong PR indirectly reduces your keyword ad spend.
3. A Flood of Ready-to-Buy Traffic: A feature in a popular gift guide or product roundup right before a major holiday can be transformational. You're not getting random clicks; you're getting traffic from people who are literally reading an article about what to buy. This type of traffic is superior to typical cold traffic campaigns on Facebook which are costly and with users who are not necessarily interested in purchase yet.
How to Actually Make It Work
Okay, so you’re sold on the idea. But getting these emails is one thing; getting chosen is another. The inbox of a journalist on a deadline is a war zone. Here’s how you win.
Answer the Actual Question: On sites like HARO and now PressLinker (among others) this sounds obvious, but it’s the number one mistake people make. Don’t just pitch your product. Directly answer the journalist’s query; if they ask for "three tips for organizing a home office," give them three brilliant, concise tips. Then you can add a line like, "As the founder of DeskZen, a Shopify store dedicated to minimalist office supplies, I’ve found that our customers love our modular desk organizer for this very reason."
Make Their Job Easy: Journalists are overworked and on tight deadlines. Give them everything they need in one go. Structure your reply like this:
A direct, helpful answer to their query.
A short sentence explaining who you are and why you're an expert (e.g., "I'm Jane Doe, founder of a company that sells X").
Your name, title, and a direct link to your Shopify store.
Your social media handles (optional, but helpful).
Be Patient, Be Persistent: You will send out ten pitches and hear nothing back. You’ll send out twenty. It’s a numbers game. Don’t get discouraged. The one "yes" you get can make all the difference. Dedicate 15 minutes to it three times a week. That's all it takes, or have a dedicated rep/outreach specialist who can do several dozen or more outreach campaigns a day.
Cutting out the Middleman
While services like PressLinker work great for connecting with journalists, a trained communication specialist can do much of this work on their own. Using search tools and other outreach software, one can obtain lists with hundreds and thousands of writers and editors from high search authority websites. Sending a simple personalized email to journalists (using their name and personalizing the email by catering to their specialty, niche and subject) can yield even better results.
Send emails and DMs to journalists pitching ideas for collaboration featuring your company’s brand, service or products and offer to send them a sample if they’re interested.
Similar to influencer marketing, mass PR outreach can be far cheaper as writers and editors are less likely to request payment upfront and in exchange for a product to be featured in a review roundup or a featured story will be far cheaper than paying even a microinfluencer for content, furthermore the long-term benefit to a company’s reputation from these high page rank authority websites will be far more fruitful when it comes to search engine reputation than through an influencer’s social media post.
Case Studies and Examples
Maison Balzac (Small Homeware Brand) saw a 55% month-over-month increase in online orders during their press coverage period after being featured in lifestyle media. Estimated annual revenue $5 million. Link: https://wisepops.com/blog/shopify-success-stories
ShopPhone (Small Ecommerce Store) Increased abandoned cart recovery rate by 45% through a text message marketing campaign integrated with PR promotions offering timely discounts. The campaign achieved a 10% conversion rate from recovered carts, increasing overall sales. Link: https://www.itsfundoingmarketing.com/blog/shopify-case-studies
Jamie Haller (Women’s Fashion) LA-based designer launched during the pandemic with a single jutti slipper and now boasts a 450% increase in direct‑to‑consumer sales from 2023 to 2024. The brand continues to expand in 2025, launched a boutique in Montecito, and boosted visibility through influential Substack newsletters—without paying for influencer ads.
Odd Muse (Affordable Luxury Dresses) Founded during lockdown in Essex from home. Leveraging TikTok virality, this small brand reached £22.5 million in sales and £3 million in pre‑tax profit in 2024. They amassed 16 million TikTok likes and 490,000 followers to drive massive growth.