Earning media links in the vaping industry is difficult.
Advertising is restricted. Editors are cautious. Health-related messaging has to be handled carefully. And many publications are reluctant to link directly to commercial vaping websites.
For most brands in the space, this usually means relying on sponsored posts, affiliate placements or low-quality link building.
But our client wanted something different.
They wanted earned media coverage that could support SEO, build authority and increase brand visibility without crossing compliance lines or relying on paid placements.
The Objective
The client wanted to build high-quality backlinks from trusted publications in a niche where links are not easy to earn.
The goal was not to promote vaping products directly.
That would have been the wrong approach.
Instead, we needed to create stories that were relevant to the vaping industry, useful to journalists and safe for editors to publish.
The challenge was simple:
How do you get major publications to cover and link to a brand in a restricted niche without the campaign feeling promotional?
The challenge
Vaping is a difficult space for digital PR.
Journalists are cautious around the topic because of health concerns, advertising rules and editorial policies. Even when a story is accepted, links to commercial vape websites can easily be removed if the piece feels too product-led.
That meant we had to avoid anything that looked like an advert.
- No product pushes.
- No sales messaging.
- No glamorising vaping.
- No paid placements.
The campaign needed to work because the story was genuinely useful.
The Solution
We focused on two types of angles.
The first was expert commentary tied to trending consumer topics.
This included stories around travel laws, vape regulations, banned items abroad and practical advice for people travelling with vaping products.
These angles worked because they gave journalists useful information their readers could act on. The client was included naturally as an expert source, rather than being forced into the story.
The second angle was a regional data study.
We created a UK-wide study ranking towns and cities based on vape retailer density. This gave local and regional journalists a clear reason to cover the story because it could be localised for their audience.
Instead of asking journalists to write about a vape brand, we gave them a data-led story about their own area.
That made the campaign far easier to pitch.
The Results
By the end of the campaign, we earned 9 links from national, regional and consumer publications, including:
- The Sun
- MSN
- Daily Express
- Birmingham Mail
- Bristol Post
- Sussex Express
- RSVP Live
- Get Surrey
- MSN Money
We also secured 2 additional brand mentions.
Several publications also used elements of the campaign without attribution, which showed there was wider media interest in the angles beyond the coverage we were credited for.
Most importantly, every link was earned.
No paid placements.
No sponsored posts.
No affiliate deals.
No advertorials.
No mass press release spam.
The coverage came from giving journalists timely, useful and relevant stories they could actually use.
Why this matters
For a vaping brand, 9 earned media links is not the same as 9 links in an easy niche.
This is an industry where many publishers are hesitant to cover the topic at all, and even more hesitant to link to commercial websites.
That means every earned link carries more weight.
The client gained visibility on national and regional publications, strengthened their backlink profile, and built authority in a niche where competitors often have to rely on paid or lower-quality link building.
This is the value of digital PR in restricted industries.
It helps brands earn credibility in places where traditional marketing often cannot reach.
Want better backlinks that increase search rankings and sales?
Restricted niches are not impossible to promote.
They just need a different approach.
You cannot force journalists to cover a product-led story in a sensitive industry. But you can create useful, timely and data-led angles that give them a genuine reason to mention and link to the brand.
This campaign proved that even in the vaping industry, earned media is possible when the story is strong enough.
If you are in a niche that feels too difficult for PR, it may not be the niche that is the problem.
It may just be the angle.
If you are in the vaping industry and need high tier links, book a call with us today.