If you are looking for ways to improve the effectiveness of your pitches to either your local or industry media so you can earn more impactful coverage, our blog post below offers some ideas.
Creating your media list is key. It starts with identifying and defining your target audience and from there you can identify the publications and influencers who are active in your ideal space.
A bit of research goes a long way! Take a look at who is repeatedly writing about the topics that link with your own business. What are they covering, when and with which publication? Twitter is your friend here! Journalists can be found easily on Twitter and you will see what they are tweeting about and what information they are looking for.
However, first steps first…
We’ve covered this before, but just to give you the outline steps
- Audience
Who are they? Where are they? What are they interested in? What media do they want to read or view?
- Publication
What topics do they cover? Are they consistent with the type of coverage you are looking for? What size is their audience? Do they have a publishing calendar or specific criteria you need to follow for your pitch?
- Finding the right person
To be honest, this is where using an outsourced PR agency or freelancer comes into its own. Not only will they be pitching all the time, they will, or should, have a great book of contacts in the sectors they operate in. They will use the media databases to help them find the right person, whether they are a retained journalist or a freelancer who may cover several publications but will write on specific subjects.
Twitter again can be your friend here! You can often find the right person with a bit of searching. Alternatively, check the publication and their website and see if they have their staff writers listed and give their contact information. To give you an idea, you can find the journalists working for the Daily Express by using: https://www.express.co.uk/journalists
- Get organised
Once you have your list of names, pop it into a list for a particular purpose purely as one single list is never perfect for every piece you want to send out. Just label it so it makes sense to you. It will save your time and effort going forward. Keep it updated so if you get a bounced email or ‘on maternity leave’ message, you can ensure your list is changed so it remains relevant. Cost-cutting and changing jobs is rife in the media industry so people will move frequently.
Getting media coverage is about preparation and execution. It should create a mutual value for you and the journalist. It requires a bit of thought and research first and then a personalised message to each journalist, blogger, editor or producer you wish to contact.
If you are looking to review your PR strategy or start your own PR and are looking for some guidance, get in touch via info@bluelizardmarketing.com. I am happy to help you on a mentoring or 'doing' basis.