How should you pitch to journalists?
One of the best ways to get publicity is to embrace Public Relations (PR) and the best way to do that is to dive straight in and start talking to journalists.
PR is proven to be at least three times as effective as advertising, because it’s a third party recommendation, and this is why so many businesses embrace public relations.
After all, getting quoted on influential sites, such as the BBC and The Telegraph not only increases credibility but also does amazing things for link building and SEO rankings.
However, we’re aware having worked in PR and journalism for many years that PR and in particular, pitching to journalists can be intimidating, and some people are quite rightly reticent about dealing with journalists, but this is generally unfounded as reporters, on the whole, are great people, who need expert sources for their stories and case studies to meet their editorial deadlines, so remember that they need you as much as you need them!
A simple starting point is signing up for PressPlugs, then ticking the categories you need us to send requests for, such as business and finance or health and well-being and so on, so you only get the request that is relevant to you. This means that anything irrelevant is immediately filtered out saving you time.
You then look at your dashboard or emails regularly to check out the right opportunities. It’s then part of your daily routine.
We get requests all the time, but if one arrives at 900am and you don’t look until 430pm, then you may miss it. The media is very fast moving and the best requests are eagerly anticipated.
Don’t waste time on queries that won’t help you promote your business and expertise. There are hundreds of journalists on PressPlugs and this is growing all the time, so make sure you check what they’re looking for and go for it!
Other things to consider in PR is sharing, sharing, sharing! It isn’t just about bagging the publicity – your followers will also want to hear about it, so share the news on all your social channels, so you reach as many potential customers as you can. Its rocket fuel for your reputation.
Be a journalist’s friend
Yes, some won’t respond, some will be a little rude, but others will be eager to talk to you. Don’t take it personally, it’s just part of the deal with high pressure and deadlines. Most journalists are nice people, but they don’t want time wasters and you need to get to the point quickly.
So, to help you on your way here’s a script to help you pitch to a journalist –
Be as short and concise as you can be and always aim to address the criteria of the journalist request.
Script to pitch to a journalist
Subject: {Title} for {Topic}
Hello {First Name},
I’m a {job title with web link} who fits your criteria with {experience in XXXXXX}.
Explain how you are specifically qualified to help with the story. For example, if a journalist specifically asks for an accountant in London, tell them where you are located. If they want a psychiatrist, include “qualified psychiatrist” in the pitch.
Regarding your query on {subject}, I can {answer the requirements}.
Follow closely the query’s requirements.
Then say: “Do you wish to talk to me further about {subject}? Please call or email me at {contact info}.
Finally, end your email with a call to provoke a response, which could be a question, an offer to give more info or other details. Really put yourself in the journalist’s shoes.
Kind Regards,
{Name}
{Title and Link to Website}
After this, just move on and rest assured that it’s shots on target. You may be the fortunate one, but you may miss out and land bigger next time.
Here’s a true example!
One PressPlugs subscriber missed a good opportunity with the Daily Telegraph, as they didn’t quite meet the criteria. However, about 2 months later, the journalist came back to the subscriber out of the blue with a better opportunity. It not only created a top link to their site but also resulted in more customers who read their comments.
Monitoring the Media
The best and cheapest way to monitor the media and to find out whether the journalist has used you in a piece is to set up a Google alert with your business name. Journalists can sometimes forget to tell their sources they’ve been in the media, so just in case, set up an alert and you should be able to monitor your contributions easily.
Also, it may be an idea to subscribe to the reporter’s feed, which is better than Google alerts.
If you get success, remember to thank the journalist, share the post everywhere and keep on at it.
The cost of getting regular PR opportunities to be a media expert is amazing value for money with PressPlugs, but stick with the process. Virtually no one who has become a media expert did it overnight. They earned their credibility by being the journalists’ reliable and helpful source, who then told other journalists about you, or were found by other reporters.
Used correctly, PressPlugs is an amazing way to reach the media, and then the media will start coming to you.
As Bill Gates once said: “If I was down to my last dollar I’d spend it on PR.” He should know!
