To help you get the coverage you’re looking for, I asked Jason Feifer, the editor-in-chief of Entrepreneur magazine, to share his thoughts on the subject. I think we’re only at the beginning, which means when you send a pitch, you have to keep in mind what media companies are looking for today beyond just filling space in a magazine or airtime.” Since getting the right coverage can help you engage with consumers or sell products or services, here’s what Jason has seen work best: Sometimes you're not the story You may be pitching outlets hoping for an entire feature on you and/or your company. Perhaps the bigger feature on your personal story or your company’s success will come later. You may be putting your best work forward by sending an email with a newsworthy subject line. If you don’t know, spend more time on that question before you pitch. Get the media to bite If you do some research, you’ll find most publicists cover different areas, so make sure the ones you choose have experience pitching your kind of company to the right contacts. If you choose to pitch to journalists on your own, Gwen Wunderlich has some advice. Don’t expect your PR person to drive sales for you. Whether this means books, clothes or beauty products to send to editors, many times the media needs to see the products before they review them. Make sure you allow for that in your PR budget.
Increase your success with the press by following this advice on pitching your business story.
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The following excerpt is from Jessica Abo’s book Unfiltered: How to Be as Happy as You Look on Social Media. Buy it now from Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | IndieBound
After spending so many years reading pitches from publicists, I can tell you there’s a right way and a wrong way to pitch. To help you get the coverage you’re looking for, I asked Jason Feifer, the editor-in-chief of Entrepreneur magazine, to share his thoughts on the subject.
Jason started as a community newspaper reporter and has worked as an editor for Boston magazine, Men’s Health, Fast Company, Maxim, and now Entrepreneur. He has freelanced for GQ, ESPN the Magazine, New York magazine, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and more. And he has two podcasts: Problem Solvers and Pessimists Archive.
Jason says the hardest part of his job is also the most exciting part. “Media is an ever-shifting industry, so we have to be constantly thinking of new ways to be relevant to our audience and go beyond the basic content products we’ve relied on for so long,” he says. “A strong media brand needs to be so many things. I think we’re only at the beginning, which means when you send a pitch, you have to keep in mind what media companies are looking for today beyond just filling space in a magazine or airtime.”
Since getting the right coverage can help you engage with consumers or sell products or services, here’s what Jason has seen work best:
Sometimes you’re not the story
You may be pitching outlets hoping for an entire feature on you and/or your company. If no one’s biting, you may have a better chance at being mentioned in a bigger story. While fancy features are great, consider pitching trends in your industry that no one seems to be talking about and how you can contribute to that discussion. It’s really important to know why you want coverage before going down the time-consuming (and sometimes expensive) path to getting press. Identify your goal, and whether or not media can help you reach it — then focus on the publications that make sense. Perhaps the bigger feature on your personal story or your company’s success will come later.
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