Rembrandt’s Blog

On Tuesday, I shared some quick tips on how to pitch media members. Here are some additional pointers:

5.  Be Succinct.

Reporters are on deadline. Get to the point fast. Practice what you are going to say in advance. Then, speak clearly and succinctly.

Mention the most important benefits of your story angle first. Reporters will appreciate your sense of urgency and respect for their timelines.

6.  Know Your Industry.

Become an expert in your field and know the most current news, events and activities within your industry.

Share your news with reporters. Soon, they will come to you for the latest industry updates.

7.  Offer Expert Advice.

Without pitching your own products and services, introduce yourself as an expert to a targeted media member. Comment on a current news item, provide a special report and offer your help with a future article.

Reporters will appreciate the fact that you are willing to provide assistance and may add you to their list of resources.

8.  Follow-up Accordingly.

Media members are busy people, and you will probably need to make an effort to stay in touch with them.

If you are waiting for a pending story or a call back and haven’t heard anything for a few days, feel free to contact the media member directly.

Don’t be a pest but conduct the appropriate follow-up when necessary. This is essential to obtaining schedule media clips and maintaining media relationships.

Hopefully, these tips will help you pitch your story to media members and get results. By “thinking like a reporter” and offering beneficial information in a timely fashion, you’ll definitely increase your chances of obtaining good media coverage.

If you’d like help with your pitching efforts and online copywriting, please let me know here or at www.rembrandtwrites.com. I’m here to help! Thanks!

Via my previous entries and articles, I’ve provided a lot of information and websites for your small business press releases and publicity efforts.

But if you don’t know how to pitch a reporter once you get through, here are some quick tips to help you through the media process:

1.  Know Your Targeted Media Members.

Before you even reach out to a reporter, you should know what that person writes about and what he or she will be interested in discussing.

Do your homework before contacting a specific reporter, and you’ll have a much better understanding of what you should say (and the topics you should avoid).

2.  Have Talking Points Ready.

With point #1 in mind, write down all of the benefits your business has to offer. Know why a reporter will be interested in what you have to say and practice giving your unique story angle.

Then, when the time is right, you’ll be ready. (You may even want to have your talking points written on an index card by your phone.)

3.  Be Newsworthy.

Try to think of a way that your business fits in with current news and industry events. Develop a story angle related to something newsworthy and current. Then, approach a reporter with your idea. You’ll get much farther with reporters if you can discuss current news and information related to their beats.

4.  Be Unique.

Media members want fresh, interesting stories. Try to stand out from the crowd and offer your opinion about a current topic, a unique statistic or research result, or a story angle that no one else can offer.

By conducting some research and offering something different, you’ll get much farther with your publicity efforts.

Check back on Thursday for more pitching tips.

In the meantime, feel free to contact me below or at www.rembrandtwrites.com with your online copywriting, SEO and publicity questions. Thanks!

It’s already October, and Halloween is upon us. With this in mind, are you afraid to talk to reporters?

If media interviews make you nervous, there are several things you can do to reduce your stress and handle these calls with confidence. Here’s a quick review:

1. Be prepared.
 

Learn from this famous Boy Scout motto and be ready for media calls before they happen. Review your messaging and write down key points you want to convey.

Think about what you will say and how you will say it. You may even want to keep some cards with talking points by the phone for easy access.

And for those times when you need to respond to unexpected media requests regarding current issues and news, take a moment to collect your thoughts. Tell the reporters you will call them back in ten minutes.

Then, figure out what you want to say, write it down, take a deep breath, and pick up the phone. This brief interval will help you relax and have confidence so that the last-minute interview goes well.

2. Practice.

It never hurts to sharpen your speaking and interview skills. Have a friend or co-worker interview you on a regular basis. Get feedback on your tone, responses and body movements.

You may even want to videotape or record these practice interviews. This way, you’ll be able to correct mistakes and improve skills faster.

Plus, wouldn’t you like to see what you are doing wrong now as opposed to watching your mistakes on a national news broadcast?

3. Review.

After you’ve finished an interview, review it carefully. Look and listen for things you can improve on the next time. Perhaps you said “um” a lot, moved your head too much or came across as a weak leader for your organization.

The more you review previous interviews and make appropriate adjustments, the faster your skills will improve.

You Can Do It!

Not everyone has natural interview and speaking skills. But if you take the time to prepare, practice and review, you’ll have more confidence, and your fears will disappear.

Plus, you’ll give better interviews that can help your company grow and prosper.

If you’d like more information about this topic, feel free to comment below or visit my website at www.rembrandtwrites.com to register for my free newsletter packed with valuable tips and information. Thanks!