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As us marketers know, having your own company, product or executive appearing in publications is great marketing. That’s why billions of dollars are spent on PR each year. When an organization appears in a story, not only do you reach the publication’s audience directly, you also can point your prospects to the piece later. Media coverage means legitimacy. So how you target a specific publication or organization?
Target one reporter at a time. Taking the time to read publication then crafting a unique pitch to a particular journalist can work wonders. Mention a specific article he wrote and then explain why your company or product would be interesting for the editor to look at.
Help the journalist to understand the bigger picture. Often, it’s difficult to understand how some widget or service or organization actually fits into a wider trend. You make a journalist’s job much easier if you describe the big picture of why your particular product or service is interesting.
Explain how customers use your product or work with your organization. Reporters hear hundreds of pitches from publicists each day, but it’s much more useful to hear about a product in action from someone who actually uses it.
Don’t send e-mail attachments unless asked. These days, it is a rare journalist indeed who opens an unexpected email attachment, even from a recognized company. Yet many people still distribute news releases as asked for other information, you can follow up with attachments, but be sure to clearly reference why you are sending the attachment.
Follow up promptly with potential contacts. Even if they don’t wan to cover the event they invited you to make sure to follow up for post coverage.
Don’t forget is a two way street. Journalists need you to pitch them! The bottom line is that reporters want to know what you have to say.
