PR Series
In this episode I interview Jered Martin, Co-founder and COO of OnePitch about the best ways to establish relationships with the media, pitch them, and grow your relationships with them. OnePitch is a simple and effective tool for PR and marketing professionals to quickly identify and connect with relevant journalists. The tool uses a combination of AI and machine learning to analyze pitches and press releases and match them with journalists who write about the same topics.
Some top tips …
Before you begin pitching the media, identify the right journalists for your niche and read their articles and social media to see what they write about, include, and what they may find helpful.
Before pitching a journalist for the first time, send them an intro email that includes who you are, what your company is, what your clients do, and why they are important to the journalist’s readers - even in bullets - then offer yourself as a resource. Just like anywhere else in life, make a connection first before asking for anything. Remember that you’re working with a human and focus on making genuine connections and building relationships.
Keep your pitches short and to the point: who, what, why. Bullets are great. Highlight why what you’re sending matters to this specific journalist and don’t take up too much of their time. Include helpful links and attachments to provide additional supportive details. Also, reference their previous work that you believe shows a connection with what you’re pitching now. Make sure you’ve actually read the article and can speak to it intelligently.
Follow-up emails are a good place to include photos or a media kit as opposed to sending with the original pitch. Wait at least 48 hours before sending and make sure that these provide additional value. Ask the journalist if what you’re sending is interesting and helpful to them.
When a journalist wants to speak with you, send your availability as fast as you can, and it’s ok to send them a calendar link to book time with you, to avoid too much back-and-forth with scheduling.
When a journalist includes you or your company in a piece, always send them a thank you note or email. Share it on your socials, email your list, and mention the journalist and publication by name. Some even run ads promoting the piece to lead prospects to their funnels.
This episode at glance …
>> (8:07-9:30) The best way to begin media relations: finding the right journalists for your business and establishing relationships with them
>> (9:35-13:55) Best practices for initial outreach to the media
>> (16:30-20:20) Best practices for writing pitches
>> (20:25-22:30) The issues with pitching the same thing to multiple journalists at the same publication & what to do instead
>> (22:30-26) Best practices for follow-up pitches
>> (28:20-30:45) How to maximize your media coverage
>> (34-29:05) How to connect with OnePitch and take advantage of their resources
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Ways to reach Jered Martin, OnePitch & Christie Bilbrey
https://twitter.com/onepitchsaas
https://www.linkedin.com/company/onepitchsaas/
https://www.instagram.com/onepitchsaas/
Instagram: https://instagram.com/christiebilbrey
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christiebilbrey/
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