Give TV Producers Lead Time
Even for the best publicists, booking a client onto a talk show on a day’s notice is a rarity. Just as great visuals are important when pitching TV producers for an interview, so too is providing leeway to consider your proposal. Giving the producer — and yourself — enough lead time to sc… Read more
A Bad Press Release Doesn’t Get Better By Sending It Over And Over Again
What Annoys Reporters Most About Press Releases
When asked the question, “What annoys you about press releases?” Yahoo! Finance’s Rick Newman said, “The ones sent to me 2, 3 4 times, as if I’ll be more likely to respond; sending irrelevant material multiple times doesn’t make it any more relevant.”
Look, … Read more
HARO Isn’t Your Only Tool For Finding Journalist Requests
If you’ve spent any time on our blog at all, you know how much we love HARO. It’s one of our favorite free PR tools. You just sign up, and 3 times a day, you get an email containing a huge list of queries from reporters looking for sources for their stories. It’s an easy way to find media opportunities and potentia… Read more
How to Properly Research a Reporter before You Pitch Them
I’ve always believed that the better you know a reporter, the more effectively you can pitch them. When you truly understand a reporter’s interests, his or her audience, how he or she likes to be pitched, and other important details, you’re better equipped to create a personalized pitch they’ll notice an… Read more
No Money? 6 Cheap Alternatives to Sending a Press Release
I’ll be perfectly honest with you. Sending a press release the right way costs money. If you can’t write very well, you’ll need to pay someone to write your press release for you. But even if you do write your own press releases, you’ll still need to get them in the hands of the right reporters, and that costs mo… Read more
What NOT to do when a Reporter Rejects Your Pitch
Rejection isn’t something that most of us handle well. From the time we were kids and a little boy or girl we had a crush on shot us down, we’ve never gotten used to the painful sting and disappointment of rejection. And the fact is that any kind of rejection sucks. It’s not just in love. Rejection in your busine… Read more
The 3 Goals of Every Email You Send to a Reporter
Every time you write and send an email to a reporter, there’s a purpose behind it. Every email has certain things that you want it to achieve. And how effectively you’re able to achieve those things determines how successful your PR efforts will be.
From my experience, there are 3 main goals you have every ti… Read more
Writing a Great Subject Line for Your Pitch
You have an awesome pitch, and now it’s time to send it by email to the reporter of your choosing. And while you probably thought composing the pitch was the hardest part, the truth is that you still have one of the largest challenges ahead — getting the reporter to open your email. How can you guarantee that th… Read more
Persistent or Pushy? Following Up On Your Pitch
You sent your press release. Now what? Do you sit and wait, hoping the journalist takes notice? Or do you follow up and risk getting on their nerves in order to gain recognition? To help you make that grand decision, I’ve composed the dos and don’ts of following up:
Do … follow up by phone. If you’ve neve… Read more
10 Tips for Email Etiquette When Dealing with Reporters
Emailing your pitch to a reporter? Make sure you follow these simple rules of etiquette:
- Quit with the caps in the subject line. Trying to show excitement in the subject line? Let me assure you that using all caps is not the way to do it. Let’s forget the whole idea that caps are considered yelling in the