Tips for Getting Featured: Unlock the Door to Top-Tier Media Exposure
When I meet with a new PR client for their onboarding, I always ask what publications they dream about appearing in. Without fail, they list top-tier outlets like The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Forbes, and the heavy hitters for their particular industry. Business leaders dream about those publications because they know appearing in them has huge potential for boosting their brand's success.
Making that dream a reality, however, is a big challenge. It requires a deep understanding of outlets and the news they typically cover as well as a good deal of persistence and creativity.
If you are dreaming about top-tier exposure, here are some steps you can take as you prepare your pitch to increase your chances of success.
Focus on aligning with the outlet's audience.
To attract an outlet's attention, always make sure your pitch promises content that will resonate with the outlet's readers. This can often require tweaking the story you are seeking to share to include a fresh angle or to focus on a certain relevant aspect.
For example, a pitch about a fintech company that has developed a revolutionary new billing platform may not hold interest for the upper-level executives who read Forbes. However, a pitch focused on how the C-suite can evaluate billing platforms and other fintech innovations to ensure they optimize overall profitability is far more likely to grab the attention of a Forbes editor.
Taking the time to align your pitch with what the outlet is looking for will also make it easier to build healthy relationships with that outlet's editors and journalists. Remember that the people who will be evaluating your pitches are busy, so you could quickly find your messages muted if you email them pitches that are unsuitable for their readers.
Pay close attention to trending news.
Tracking trending news topics is another strategy for streamlining access to top-tier coverage. Most outlets — and especially top-tier outlets — are striving to provide coverage of topics that are trending, which means that pitches addressing trending topics will have the best chance of attracting attention and translating into coverage.
If the latest news is focused on instability in the economy, for instance, find an angle that connects your story with that topic. If your client works for a technology company, provide insights on how technology can increase financial efficiency. For clients or companies in the healthcare industry, give some tips on how to reduce healthcare spending.
Once you have your angle, always make sure to highlight it in your pitch. If you are emailing pitches, inform the outlet in the subject line that you have a solution for issues being triggered by trending news and clearly explain how your story is timely and relevant to the outlet's readers as early as possible in the body of your pitch.
Keep the conversation going.
Statistics show the vast majority of your pitches will fail, with some reports saying that as many as 97 percent won't even get a response. However, that doesn't mean that a refusal needs to be the end of the story.
When I get a response saying the outlet is not interested at this time, I often follow up with an offer to help with whatever stories they are working on. I explain that I work for a firm that represents a lot of clients in a lot of different industries, which means there is a good chance I can connect them with an expert who can add value to the articles they are writing. This approach has resulted in client placements on several occasions.
Another way to keep the conversation going is to reach out regularly to your media contacts to offer your assistance. A simple message asking if there is anything you can help them with this week can open the door to great opportunities and position you as someone willing to go out of your way to make their job easier, which can help get your pitches special attention in the future.
Top-tier placements are not easy to achieve, but the impact they have on business success makes them worth pursuing. By aligning your pitches, focusing on trending news, and committing to ongoing conversations with media contacts, you can increase your chances of unlocking top-tier exposure.
The views and opinions expressed are solely those of the contributor and do not necessarily reflect the official position of the ANA or imply endorsement from the ANA.
Greg Linnelli, account strategist at Otter PR, was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He has 20 years of broadcasting experience and is currently the game-day host for the Tampa Bay Lightning Radio Network. During his time in Pittsburgh, Greg hosted his own sports morning show while also doing play-by-play for various teams at the University of Pittsburgh and Duquesne University.