Pitching the Media

Promising new startup? Apply for coverage on Mashable

4/25/2012 By Joan 2 Comments

An app called ThreeRing that creates and shares a digital portfolio of students’ work quickly and easily.

A new social networking site called MatchPuppy that matches up New York City dogs with furry companions according to size, age and energy level.

A website called Parking Panda that allows you to locate and rent parking spaces, and rent out your own stretch of car-friendly turf.

All three promising startups caught the attention of editors at Mashable.com and are featured in the Spark of Genius series. Your company can be, too, if it meets the following criteria:

Must be less than 3 years old.
Must never have received coverage on Mashable.com before.
Must have something like an active site or product to showcase to readers.
Generates less than $1 million in annual revenue.

A story about your company could be a huge publicity coup. That’s because Mashable is the largest independent news source dedicated to covering digital culture, social media and technology. Its 20 million monthly unique visitors and 4 million social media followers have become one of the most engaged online news communities.

Mashable also syndicates its content to top publications including ABC News, CNN, Metro and Yahoo! News, amplifying its reach to many millions of additional readers each month.

If you want to be featured in the Spark of Genius series, complete the application. If you’re featured in the series, check back here and let us know the results.

Filed Under: Pitching the Media Tagged With: mashable, matchpuppy, parking panda, spark of genius, startup publicity, three ring

Career counselors, lawyers: Join the Facebook password debate

3/22/2012 By Joan-Admin 4 Comments

Career counselors, resume writers, HR directors, labor lawyers and job-seekers:

If you want publicity, jump head-first into the debate over whether companies should be asking job applicants to turn over passwords to their accounts on Facebook and other social media sites.

Even better, explain how you’re advising job applicants. Should they do as they’re told, so they stay in the running for a coveted job? Or shouldn’t they, and risk making the final cut?

Blogs, news articles and Facebook are all buzzing about this story, and the mainstream media is embracing it. Check out these stories from CBS MoneyWatch, The Los Angeles Times and The Washington Post.

Violates Facebook’s Terms of Service

The Post article mentions that giving out Facebook login information violates the social network’s terms of service, so that might me a a good excuse for job applicants to use if they refuse to turn over the information. Legal experts said the legality of asking for passwords is uncertain.

The article also said that the Department of Justice regards it as a federal crime to enter a social networking site in violation of the terms of service, but during recent congressional testimony, the agency said such violations would not be prosecuted.

I’m not an attorney or a career counselor. So what you tell the media is up to you. But this is the perfect opportunity to be “the local angle” to a national story. Even if the issue is creating angst and uncertainty for you, and you’re willing to go on record saying that, publicity could be yours for the asking.

You also might consider telling job applicants that, before they apply for a job, how to find out if companies ask for passwords during job interviews.

Media Outlets Worth Pitching

Here are media outets to consider pitching:

Your local newspapers. You’re the “local angle” to a national story. Call the city desk and offer to be a a source. You can also write a letter to the editor.
Local TV stations.
Drive-time radio shows. This is a GREAT topic for radio because it’s so controversial.
Blogs. You might even consider pitching a guest blog post, assuming you have enough to say about the topic.
Trade magazines

If you’re a career counselor or a labor lawyer, are you offering yourself to the media? How else have you piggybacked onto this national story?

Are you unemployed and willing to turn over your passwords? If so, this can be fabulous publicity for you, too, and a chance to get in front of potential employers. Are you willing?

The Comments section awaits.

Filed Under: Pitching the Media

Find the name of a blogger’s dog, cat, kid in 60 seconds

3/2/2012 By Joan 21 Comments

Update on March 8, 2012:

For years, I have recommended—at this blog, in my articles, in my newsletters, during my webinars, during interviews with other media, in my live presentations and elsewhere—that you NOT pitch a blogger unless you spend time at their blog reading their posts. You must have a good understanding of what they write about. You must know their target audience. You must determine, before you pitch, if your topic is a good fit. If the answer is yes, then and only then, can you use the technique I’ve described below. I should have made that clear when I wrote this.

* * *

If you want to pitch bloggers or journalists, and make them snap to attention when they read your pitch, let them know you know the names of their dogs or cats, or other personal details that you might be able to weave into your pitch.

Here’s an example. Let’s say I want to pitch Claire Celsi, who writes the Publicity Relations Princess blog.

1. First, I check her “About” page and I learn that her husband’s name is Jim, her dog’s name is Trixie and she lives in Iowa, not far from Wisconsin where I live.

That sure was easy.

But what if she doesn’t have an “About” page? And what if I don’t have a lot of time to read her blog posts to find out if she even has a dog? Here’s a quick and easy way I’m able to learn not only that she has a dog, but the dog’s name, in less than 30 seconds and several more valuable details in less than 60 seconds. When you see how drop-dead simple this is, you’ll howl.

First, I set my timer to see how long this takes. Then I open my Google browser and search for [claire celsi blog] + [my dog]“. The brackets tell Google I want an exact match.

I struck gold! Here’s what Google returned to me. These are the first two listings on the page:

In less than 30 seconds, I learn:

Claire has a dog that she affectionately refers to as “Trixie the Wonder Dog.” (The About page at her blog simply says the dog’s name is Trixie.)
She inherited a teapot from her grandmother.

Curious about the teapot, I click on that second link and I find a blog post with a pretty photo of purple flowers inside a teapot:

More golden nuggets! I also discover:

Trixie loves to chase squirrels.
Claire collects ceramic pieces and loves this teapot that she inherited from her grandmother.
On a spring day in April (the blog post includes the date), she delights in finding purple flowers in her backyard and she places them inside the teapot in her house. Why does Claire think that finding flowers in her backyard is such a big deal? Because she lives in Iowa, where it isn’t unusual to see snow in April.

Now, I’ve collected enough details.

I’ve Done My Research. It’s Time to Pitch

Because I live in the Midwest too, I know that this has been one of the warmest winters on record. Using that information, and knowing what I know from the nuggets I collected at her blog, I connect the dots.

Here’s the first paragraph:

Hi Claire:

I hope this finds you, Jim and Trixie well, and that Trixie is enjoying her walks and chasing squirrels in Iowa’s very unseasonably warm winter. It won’t be long before you can fill your teapot with spring flowers again.

(Now, I pitch my idea….)

See how easy this is?

It took me far longer to write this blog post that it did to learn all those juicy details about Claire’s life. The first paragraph of my pitch tells her: “I know who you are. I know your husband’s name. I know your dog’s name. I know your dog’s nickname. I know you live in Iowa. I know you love finding flowers in your backyard in April. I know you collect ceramic items. I know you love to put the flowers in your grandmother’s teapot.”

That’s so much more powerful than the crappy pitch someone emailed last week:

“Hi:

“I am a freelance writer who would like to write for your blog. If you have an interest in tips about romance, please let me know and I’ll write something.”

That pitch says: “I don’t know who you are. I don’t know your name because if I did I would have used it in the salutation. I’m too lazy to read your blog so I don’t know what you write about. But I’m not worried about wasting your time.”

Other Ways to Use My Tips

My tips don’t always work because not all bloggers and journalists share personal details about themselves online. But many do.

You can use my Google search tips to also find the name of their spouse or children. But be very careful about mentioning the children’s names in your pitch. Some bloggers, particularly women, might think you’re stalking their kids. If you do name the children, let the blogger know how know the names. Example:

“You’ve mentioned several times in your blog that Ashley, your 3-year-old, loves fingerpainting. You might be interested in knowing about non-toxic., kid-safe cloth wipes my company has created that remove paint from walls and carpets…”

Also, these personal details work best when you can actually tie them into the topic of your pitch, like I just did.

I got the idea for this post after I wrote an item earlier this week on How personal details in your pitch is your ticket to publicity. Blogger BL Ochman wrote about a **really great** PR pitch she received from Rob Toledo of Distilled Creative and she actually dissected the pitch to show you what caught her attention.

In the Comments section of my post, Rob mentioned that he was able to find the name of BL’s dog, but not mine. So, Rob, this post is for you, and for anybody else who wants to bowl over a blogger or journalist with a pitch.

But I can’t leave within showing you the adorable photo of Trixie the Wonder Dog:

Thanks, Claire, for sending it. And here’s a photo of Claire and hubby Jim:

Let’s hear how other Publicity Hounds research journalists and bloggers. Have you ever used interesting details in your pitch? If so, tell us about it and link to the article or blog post that you got as a result.

A Tool That Can Help You:

If you don’t have $3,000 to spend on a big, fancy media list, and if you want to create your own customized list of far fewer journalists and bloggers, and collect the kinds of details you see here, check out How to Create Your Own Database of Valuable Media Contacts. The learning tool comes with the same 8 templates I use. They will save you months of time.

Filed Under: Pitching the Media Tagged With: BL Ochman, claire celsi, distilled creative, pitching bloggers, public relations princess, research journalists, rob toledo, what's next blog

Pitch stories about employees in their 80s, 90s

2/27/2012 By Joan 2 Comments

I love reading stories like the one about the 91-year-old woman newspaper carrier who shows no signs of stopping in Wichita Falls, Texas.

That got me thinking that there might be a very simple pitch that’s staring you in the face.

Does your company employ people in their 80s and 90s?

If so, ask their permission to pitch them to the local media and include in your pitch an interesting angle. TV, in particular would love this story if you can create some decent visuals. This is a perfect tie-in to stories about the monthly unemployment rate in the U.S. Or increasing the age for Social Security benefits. Or tie it into any other news story about employment trends.

Be ready to offer details about your elderly employee:

Does she have and use a cell phone? Does she text?

Does he wear athletic shoes and walk on his lunch hour? Bring his dog to work? Offer advice to younger workers?

Tweet? Use Facebook? Connect with others on LinkedIn? If so, what groups is he in?

What can the older employee do that many younger employees cannot? Does he have a good attendance record? What does he like best about his job? What advice does he have for people in their 50s and 60s who are on the fence about retiring?

Nonprofits, Look Around

If you’re a nonprofit, you might have volunteers in that age bracket who donate their time to stay young, stay spry, spread joy and give back. This includes older volunteers who go into schools to read to children and help teachers with other tasks. It also includes the many older people who volunteer at hospitals.

A volunteer who has been with you for many years and will be working at an upcoming event you’re hosting could be the ideal angle for some pre-event publicity. That’s one of the tips Debra J. Schmidt and I shared when we recorded How to Plan & Promote Sizzling Special Events.

Here’s another twist on my idea: Let the media and bloggers know when you’ve hired someone in their 80s and 90s. What are the advantages of older workers? Where do you find them, or are they inundating you with job applications?

Have you pitched ideas like these? If so, share the link so we can see the results.

What other ideas do you have around this theme?

Filed Under: Pitching the Media Tagged With: elderly workers, nonprofit volunteers hire older workers, older job force

Personal details in your pitch is your ticket to publicity

2/27/2012 By Joan 15 Comments

Trust me when I tell you that a media list chock full of juicy personal details about a journalist or blogger can be your ticket to publicity.

BL Ochman agrees. She’s a social media expert and a prolific blogger who writes about online promotions.

On Friday, she wrote about a pitch she received from Rob Toledo of Distilled Creative, calling her attention to a social media campaign roadmap. BL, who has seen her share of lame pitches, was bowled over by the personal details about her that Rob, whom she doesn’t know, included in his pitch. Impressed, she wrote a post titled Dear PR Peeps: please read this *really great* PR pitch! (And what he was pitching).

BL analyzed Rob’s pitch to show you exactly what made her pay attention. The screenshot she used at her blog is a little difficult to read, and she gave me permission to reproduce it here:

Her post illustrates my point perfectly.

Spend just 10 minutes or so researching a blogger or journalist BEFORE you pitch, let them know you are familiar with their work, and you’ll be miles ahead of all the other people who are too lazy to bother.

BL’s high-traffic blog is the perfect place for an item about Rob’s social media page. I subscribe to BL’s email updates, and when she alerted me to her post, I knew immediately that it was a perfect item for THIS blog. I write about great pitches in my ezine, too, and I’ll be including a mention about this post in “The Publicity Hound’s Tips of the Week” on Tuesday. So Rob is getting THREE hits for the price of one.

See? I told you it pays to research.

I receive pitches like the one BL received so seldom, that when I do, they really command attention. What have you done recently to bowl over a blogger or journalist with your knowledge of who they are, what they cover and what their readers might like?

If you want to start building your own media database of contacts and know what to include in it that the big, expensive directories don’t, be sure to read 3 critical elements to include in your email database. You an also access the video replay of the webinar I hosted on Feb. 16 on How to Create Your Own Database of Valuable Media Contacts.