Don't Lose A Press Opportunity This Way

Photo by Souvik Banerjee

Hi everyone

Hope you're all enjoying February.

If I can't find a press email address on a company's website, one thing I regularly do is tweet the business (if it's an active account) to ask for a number or email for press enquiries. Often I receive a response, some times it might come through a week or so after I fired off that tweet, and many times no one responds. Obviously there's other ways I might contact the company – finding the CEO on LinkedIn, for example – but if you or your client do have active social media accounts, it really is worth them checking in on them regularly. With a lack of response to their general email address, this week I contacted a company via Twitter for a media email address for a potential interview for a BBC article and pinged a message to the CEO on LinkedIn. It's very likely in the next few hours I'll just find another company, meaning they've lost a great press opportunity.

Two week's today I'll be running my first in-person workshop in London in two years. Fancy learning more about how you or your client can boost your press coverage?  Join us in London on February 24.

And remember if you can't make my workshop, you have until end of February to secure 10% off my online course, Lessons from a Journalist: How to Secure Press Coverage. Just enter the code Winter10 at the checkout. ps If you have attended the same-name workshop or webinars, you're entitled to 50% off my course. Just drop me an email and I'll sort it out for you.

Thanks for reading. 

Susie

Remember To Include This In Your Emails To Journalists

Photo by Brett Jordan

Hi everyone

Hope you're well.

Remember when you're pitching or answering a ResponseSource to explain what your or the company you represent actually does. I often receive emails eagerly replying to a call out with things like 'CableRA' can comment on this and then detailing the ways they can get involved. Or similarly just people introducing their companies to me by email and yes with a handy hyperlink but not providing any description as to what the business is. A description is such a simple (and necessary) point to add and can mean the difference between a time-poor journalist just deleting your email (as you know some of us are receiving hundreds a day) and choosing to respond to another email which has explained what kind of company it is you're talking about.

Some good news: I'm back on the road again! Well, I've just booked to hold my first physical PR workshop in London in almost two years on December 16. I hope some of you can make it. Please do share with your teams or contacts. I'm holding it in north London as it's a much bigger space than my previous London venue.

Also, if you can't make it, fear not. There's LOADS of tips throughout my online course, Lessons from a Journalist: How to Secure Press Coverage, which is packed with detail on everything from how to write a successful press release to interesting ways to build relationships with journalists. There's now 10% off the course. Just enter the code Winter10 at the checkout*.

Also, head below to check out the AMAZING email I received (without any prompt!) hours after a PR enjoyed a successful Power Hour with one of the brilliant journalists in my network.

Have a lovely rest of the week.

Thanks

Susie

ps If you have attended the same-name workshop or webinars, you're entitled to 50% off my course. Just drop me an email and I'll sort it out for you.
 

Hold Off The Caps Lock

Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters

Hi everyone

Hope you're well.

A very small simple tip this week: please use lower case letters when referring to job titles in press releases and in comments sent over to the press. Maybe your clients cap it up, maybe you have a personal preference, but anyway, it's another bugbear for journalists (yes, you know there's a big list out there). It just makes our lives easier when we're cutting and pasting from press releases and so on. Also, look out for other terms that don't need to be capped. For example, I often see the seasons unnecessarily in capital letters.

I'm looking into roaming the country again with my physical workshops and I wanted to sound out if attending workshops in person is something people feel comfortable with or would you prefer to learn online? Also, if anyone wants a session for their group, team, community, please let me know. And, if you know of any affordable spaces do let me know as I feel Covid-19 means I need bigger spaces than some of the ones I have booked previously and they tend to be £££.

Have a great rest of the week.

Thanks

Susie

An opportunity to hear from City journalist Alex Lawson

Photo by Sam McGhee

Hi everyone
 

Hope you're keeping cool in this sweltering weather.

Just a small newsletter this week before I head off to Latitude festival (shout if you're going too!).

If you're interested in finding out what kind of stories City journalists are after, I have a very useful pre-recorded webinar with the lovely Alex Lawson, senior City correspondent at the Mail on Sunday, available for you to watch.

Costing just £9.99, over the duration of the webinar Alex discusses:

* How and when best to pitch him

* What kind of stories he's interested in

* Other parts of the business section companies and individuals should target

* And much much more

I've known Alex for about eight years and I really think it is worth watching if you're a PR.

You can sign up for the webinar here.

The good news is that if you're a subscriber to my paid newsletter, the webinar will be completely free and you'll have access to it next week. You can join my paid-for newsletter for as little as £5 a month. You'll receive 10% off my course and a free ebook when you sign up.

Thanks

Susie

What Not To Do In A Media Interview

Photo by Austin Distel

Hi everyone,

I hope you're having a great week.

A while back I was interviewing a CEO for a profile interview slot. Let's say the person was the boss of a savings app. Towards the end of the interview, I asked her what her ultimate savings goal was. A very simple question. "Erm, erm,” she stuttered. “Well, nothing really. Maybe a holiday.” I pressed further but she was stumped. It was a dry answer to what overall had been quite a dry interview. There was no excitement at all. 

Tip: It might be difficult to inject a sparkling personality into your clients, but please try and ask them to sound enthusiastic.

I'm bringing this up as I'm pleased to say that next month media trainer, podcaster and speaker Guy Clapperton will be joining me for a webinar on media training. During the session on July 16, Guy will explore:
 

• how to deliver clear and engaging messages whether you're on TV, radio, a podcast or being interviewed for a print article

• what kind of preparation you should do before an interview

• how to talk about statistics in an interesting way

You'll also have the opportunity to ask Guy any burning questions (feel free to email me any questions below and we can include it in the session).

The webinar is aimed at both those who are new to speaking to the media, and those wanting to brush up on their interview techniques, whilst hearing first-hand about what works for a journalist. It's open to founders and PRs (and your clients) so feel free to swing them the link.

Those attending will also receive a special discount when booking any future media training workshops with Guy.

The webinar will be recorded so even if you can't make it live, you'll be able to watch it again at your own leisure whenever you like.

Tickets are just £19.99 – which is an absolute steal for media training.

For more info and to book, head here (do send on the link to anyone you think might be interested). The session is just £15 for paid newsletter subscribers (simply email me if you'd like to jump on board).

I'd be grateful if you could mention it on any social media sites groups you're on!

 

Thanks

Susie

Come Join Me For A Webinar With Digiday

Hi everyone,

First off, what a lovely reaction to my paid newsletter which I announced earlier this month. Thank you. The paid newsletter will land every other Thursday, which means subscribers receive a newsletter from moi every week. I've also added an annual subscriber fee which works out cheaper than paying every month.

Whether you're based in the UK, US or Kenya, if you or your client are an expert, then you don't want to miss next week's paid newsletter where I'll be discussing a brilliant opportunity to be involved with the Guardian and The Times.

This isn't a #journorequest or anything like that. It's an opportunity to give you or your client more exposure and gravitas both nationally and globally. I've also provided contacts so you can jump on these opportunities straight away. Here's how you can subscribe to find out more next week. 

When you sign up to the newsletter you'll also receive details of a really exciting new national small business section with press opportunities for you or your client, plus a free ebook and 10% off my course.

In other news, I'll be hosting a webinar with Digiday Future of Work editor Jessica Davies on June 17. Costing just £10, the session will last for around an hour and there'll be plenty of time for your questions. It's also recorded so if you can't make that time, you'll still be sent the webinar afterwards. Paid newsletter subscribers will be able to attend for free (and will be sent details in a future newsletter).  You can sign up here.

Thanks

Susie

It's celebration time

Photo by Erwan Hesry

Hi everyone,

I hope you're all very well.

Celebration time is in order as this newsletter turns one next week! What started as a last-minute decision to throw into the void a newsletter demystifying the journalism industry and helping businesses and PRs understand the media more in the midst of the pandemic in April 2020 has led to a regular newsletter with thousands of readers and heartwarming engagement stats to boot.

Over the course of the past year, I've covered subjects such as how to build stronger relationships with journalists, the devastating impact of the pandemic on the industry, pitching, racism in the media, my advice to a budding young journalist, an exclusive interview with former female prisoners in Myanmar, and so on. I hope it's proved a useful resource.

So what's next? I'm bouncing around a few ideas on where I'd like to take the newsletter which of course I'll keep you up to date with. What I would love to know is what subjects would you like covered in the next year?

Also, fingers crossed, I'm hoping to restart my face-to-face workshops in the autumn. I'd love to return to gallivanting around the UK (and further afield when the time feels right) and meeting some of you. Please let me know if you're part of a group in an area that would like me to hold a workshop. What would you love a webinar or workshop in? What are your press coverage struggles right now?

Finally, I wouldn't have continued this newsletter without you. Thank you so much for your support over the past year. Thank you for sharing the newsletter with others so it can reach a bigger audience (you can do that by sending people this link), for writing testimonials on my social media pages, and for your lovely emails. It is all so so much appreciated.

Thank you for reading and your continued support.

Enjoy the long Bank Holiday,

Susie

One thing not to include in an email to a journalist

Photo by Adam Solomon on Unsplash

Hi everyone

I could probably write a Buzzfeed style listicle of what not to include in an email to a journalist (maybe that's a newsletter I'll write one day), but I wanted to hone in today on founders and PRs needlessly apologising to journalists when they're emailing them.

I'll give you a couple of examples of emails I've received recently:

“Sorry to bother you but I thought you might be interested in news that....”

“I apologise for messaging...”

Now I know journalists are inundated with emails (who isn't?) but as long as you've done your research in targeting said journalist and the publication, there is nothing to apologise for if you're simply sending over a pitch. You're just doing your job. And remember, this is what freelance journalists do for a living – they pitch into the void too.

Sorry can be like a verbal tick, especially to us Brits who seem to have a real penchant for the word. But apologising for sending a pitch won't impress a journalist, it just makes the sender look like they're lacking in confidence. Instead of apologising, just go straight into the pitch.

Of course, if you screw up (which we all do sometimes), then by all means say sorry. But otherwise, stop apologising.

Have a great rest of the week.

Thanks
Susie

Why you need to research who you're pitching to

Photo by Nick Morrison on Unsplash

When you have a story you want to sell into the press, as many of you with PR experience will know, you'll need to work out which journalists to contact.

I'm begging you not to just send it to any old journalist. I receive so many emails/messages on LinkedIn/Facebook DMs from businesses and PRs who think that because I'm a journalist I'll write about them or their client. Same applies to pretty much every journalist I've ever spoken to.

Please don't clog up our inboxes or contact a journalist "just in case" (words I'll regularly see accompanying a pitch).  It adds to our already stifling inbox and really doesn't help with building relationships with the media. It's like contacting an electrician about a plumbing job. I would never send an editor a pitch about gaming if their beat was music. And I wouldn't pitch a magazine without buying it and really looking at what they cover. 

You need to research which journalists your story might suit.

A journalist who specialises in tech? Women's issues? Education?

Research who's writing about your/your clients' competitors. Look at who is writing about your sector via Google News. Buy magazines and newspapers and browse the various sections. Look at the bylines to see who's writing about your industry. Check out media databases. If they're a generalist like me, you need to be specific and have a targeted pitch with case studies. Look at what we write on Muckrack. There you'll get a sense of the stories we like to cover.

Have a great weekend,

Susie

Why We All Need To Be More Sensitive During These Torrid Times

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Journalism was already taking a battering pre-Coronavirus and now, with fewer companies advertising and people not venturing to the shops as frequently, we're seeing the industry face an even graver threat to its future. 

Last week Buzzfeed announced it was shelving its UK and US operations, Conde Nast revealed it was reducing its headcount by 100 while the Guardian said it was closing its dating arm, Guardian Soulmates (although this is largely influenced by changes in the dating market). While there's no doubt some publications focused on cooking, gardening and home are enjoying a rise in sales, overall it's a torrid time for the industry. Here in the UK quite early on we saw City AM close its print edition temporarily and the London Evening Standard reduce its distribution.

Against this backdrop, it's worth remembering that many journalists may have been furloughed, lost their jobs or seen their workload shoot through the roof as they take on their ex colleagues' work.

Many freelance journalists have lost work as a result of the pandemic. Personally a regular Guardian slot of my mine has gone (but will hopefully return) whilst across freelance journalist Facebook groups my peers are quite rightly concerned about the future as commissions drastically fall.

Although there are still plenty of opportunities for PRs and founders, for many freelancers, there are less places to pitch to. It's just something worth noting when you're pitching. It's a point made in my ebook as some journalists complained about getting chased needlessly at the peak of the coronavirus. Recently someone emailed me three times in a week regarding a pitch for a product I wouldn't usually cover. 

There can be upshots to waiting. A piece I pitched the Metro in April was responded to – and commissioned – without prompt, two weeks later.

Oh, and some good news, for those who haven't seen it already. The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) and newspaper group DMGT have joined forces to give away £3m worth of advertising space.

If you're looking for ways to improve your press coverage, I'm running two webinars this month. If you can't make it, the webinars will still be sent to your inbox afterwards for you to view for the next three months. 

Have a great week,

Susie