I came across a great article via Fast Company this morning and had to share. If you're launching a startup business or a new product and need the public's attention keep reading. The right article at the right time to the right audience could be all you need to get noticed by customers and potential funders.
Here are a few tips from their list that can make the difference between getting your pitch deleted and getting a second look:
DO: Contact journalists through email. This is the preferred contact method. Social media requests and message are often ignored.
DO: Be concise. Get to the point very quickly and make sure it’s clearly formatted. Focus on the news or story and describe it briefly.
DO: Explain why your story is relevant. The most critical thing a journalist wants to know is, why, specifically, is your story relevant? Why now, why this audience, what’s in it for the reader?
DON’T: Bother if someone else has already written about you. Journalists are more likely to ignore a pitch if someone has recently written about it already. Don’t talk about past recent coverage of the same thing.
DO: Take the time to learn about who you are contacting.
Get to know what they cover and the kind of stories they are interested in. Always check the correct spelling of their name.
DON’T: Try to flatter them. Flattery will get you nowhere, it’s actually a turnoff and a bit insulting to the journalist that you think it will help you.
DON’T: Stalk them. HA! This one is my FAV! While most agree that a follow up email is fine, don’t go all out stalker on them. Wait a few days before following up—but only once, and do so via email. Don’t text, tweet, Facebook Message, DM or call, because that's overly intrusive and just think about if the shoe was on the other foot.
To read the full article and get the entire list of do's and dont's, check it out at: http://bit.ly/2xhIQXN
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