{"id":25963,"date":"2018-03-22T13:48:36","date_gmt":"2018-03-22T12:48:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mention.com\/blog\/?p=14428"},"modified":"2018-03-22T13:48:36","modified_gmt":"2018-03-22T12:48:36","slug":"pitch-journalists","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mention.com\/en\/blog\/pitch-journalists\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Pitch Journalists to Tell Your Brand's Story"},"content":{"rendered":"

Content marketing is all about telling your story. Your business isn\u2019t just some black and white thing that exists only on paper. It\u2019s a living, breathing thing that grows and changes with you.
\nIt has its own story worth telling<\/strong>.
\nIf you want to stand out as a brand, you need to know how to tell your story and how to tell it at the right time. And the best way to do this is by working with journalists who know storytelling better than anybody<\/strong>.
\nBut it can be hard to get noticed when editors and journalists are constantly receiving emails from businesses and marketers looking to promote their own brands. If you want to actually get your brand story out there, you need to know how to stand out above this noise.
\nIt\u2019s all about building relationships and knowing the right way to pitch. Keep reading for a guide to working with journalists to tell your brand story!
\nGet our quick guide to influencer and journalist outreach here!<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Find the right contacts<\/h2>\n

Nothing is worse than receiving an email from a business that clearly knows nothing about the publication<\/strong>. If your business is in the tech industry, you probably don\u2019t need to pitch home and garden publications.
\nYou would think this is common sense, but a surprisingly large number of businesses focus on sending their stories to as many publications as possible, without paying attention to topic.
\nInstead of blindly emailing as many publishers and journalists as possible, emphasize quality over quantity. Do your research<\/a><\/u>\u00a0to find a list of strong contacts<\/strong>.
\nThink about the audience you\u2019re trying to reach, and think about what journalists also speak to this audience. Failing to do your research is a good way to get yourself on a block list for publications<\/strong>, so this is something you should take seriously.
\nOnce you\u2019ve found the right contacts, you\u2019re ready to begin your pitch.<\/p>\n

Send your pitch<\/h2>\n

First, realize publishers and editors receive a lot of different story pitches<\/strong>. Their inboxes are already flooded with dozens of businesses just like yours.
\nHow can you stand out? You\u2019re not the only business with a great story and a unique message. You need to be different<\/strong>, and the best way to do that is through a high-quality pitch.
\nWhile it\u2019s natural to target\u00a0top-tier publications, you can also pitch to sites that accept guest posts<\/a>. These websites are more familiar with the concept of working with guest posters and brands, so they\u2019ll be more likely to respond to your pitch.
\nRead through the publication\u2019s website to see how they go about accepting pitches. Most likely, this will be via email, but it\u2019s always best to check for instructions when available.
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\nYou need to send your pitch at the best time if you want it to be read. You can have the best pitch in the world, but if you send it at the wrong time odds are it will end up overlooked<\/strong>.
\nTo get your email noticed, it needs to be at the top of the journalist\u2019s inbox. You can do this by sending your email pitch first thing in the morning or during prime working hours. Avoid lunch and at the end of the day when emails get overlooked.<\/p>\n

Be specific with your pitch<\/h2>\n

Journalists don\u2019t like surprises<\/strong>. They don\u2019t like to guess. They work in facts, so you need to be clear when crafting your pitches. What kind of story do you have in mind? Who are you and what is your business?
\nWhile this isn\u2019t the time to outline your entire post, you should be able to clearly articulate what it is you wish to deliver.
\nNext, you need to sweeten the deal. One of the biggest mistakes businesses and marketers make is building the pitch<\/a> all around themselves. It shouldn\u2019t be all about what this journalist can do for you, but what you can add to their publication.
\nGrab their attention with a catchy subject line, and then get right to the point<\/strong>. In addition to your unique story, what can you offer? Do you have a long email list you can broadcast your published post to? Email lists and other social media outreach is a big draw for journalist.
\nYour pitch shouldn\u2019t be all text and no media. Multimedia additions like images, visuals, videos, and infographics<\/strong> are a great way to add another element to your pitches. The less work journalists have to do to perfect your story for publication, the better, and data-rich media has proven to be a strong way to boost a publication\u2019s content.
\nShow journalists you mean business by including high-quality visual content in addition to your story.<\/p>\n

Follow up when appropriate<\/h2>\n

Nobody likes to be harassed, but people do overlook emails from time to time<\/strong>. Keep an organized record of the journalists you\u2019ve reached out to and don\u2019t be afraid to follow up if a few days go by without a response.
\nAvoid sending too many notifications unless you want to end up on a publication’s blacklist. Realize that not all journalists are open to different guest posts at all times, and while a story might not be a good fit, that doesn\u2019t mean another one in the future won\u2019t be.
\nBe persistent with your pitches, and be sure to keep trying until you receive a positive response.<\/p>\n

Effective journalist outreach<\/h2>\n

Sharing your story through new publications is one of the best ways to market your business in the age of content marketing.
\nJournalists have many of the same goals as marketers, and they understand the importance of telling a quality story. If you wish to stand out from the countless other story pitches, you\u2019ll need to hone your craft and do your research.
\nJournalist outreach is a match to be made, not a prize to be won<\/strong>.
\nAs long as you\u2019re willing to find the right fit, you\u2019ll get your story noticed by the right audience!
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