As a media professional, what advice (if any) do you have for businesses that are trying to connect with you in an attempt to gain exposure/coverage?
…The media are not in the business of running ads as editorial but if your pitch makes an editor say, ‘I didn’t know that,’ then you are on the right tract. Perfect example, when Amtrak derailed, I saw a business story about a widget that could slow vehicles down if a human couldn’t. that was on trend and information that everyone could use.
…I find that marketers and business owners often try to shape the news and pitch specific story ideas, rather that simply reaching out to offer their expertise for any future stories I may be working on.
…Instead of emailing or calling to see if I want to write a story about roofs, reach out with good contact information for the future.
…Reporters get so caught up in day to day work, they often don’t have time to think ahead like the editors planning the news do.
…Make it Timely: Journalists work on a news cycle; we’re always looking for new and timely stories that allow us to write on a fresh angle. … If not, find a way to do so – We’re looking for stories relevant to what’s happening now.
…You’ll notice only 1 of the top 3 ranked sites has links pointing to that page, but they all have high DA (Domain Authority).
…If not, find a community co working space, a local park or a bar that would be up to host an event for free.