Are you looking to get your story in the news? If so, you need to know how to contact journalists. It may seem like a daunting task at first, but if you follow the steps below it can become a routine process.
In this blog post, we will discuss how to find the right journalist for your story, what information to include in your pitch, and how to follow up once you’ve sent your email.
Come up with a newsworthy media pitch
The first step is to come up with a great media pitch. This can be anything from a new product launch to an upcoming event. Keep in mind that journalists are always looking for stories that will interest their audience.
Decide on the format you will use. This could be a guest article with an expert view, a how-to guide that is somehow timely, a listicle that is related to an upcoming season, or a solution to an issue that has recently come up in the news.
The opportunities are endless, but you need to make sure that your product or service is creatively connected to something newsworthy.
If you need help crafting a press release, read our detailed guide here.
Find journalists that cover relevant topics
The next step is to do your research. You need to find the right journalist to pitch your story to. Start by looking for journalists who write about topics that are relevant to your story.
For example, if you’re pitching a story about a new product launch, look for journalists who write about product launches or technology.
There are a few ways to compile a list of journalists to contact:
- Google: Simply Google the topic you’re interested in and search for “journalist” or “media outlet.” This will give you a list of journalists who have written about that topic in the past.
- Social media: Follow journalists on Twitter or LinkedIn to see what topics they write about. You can also find out which publications they work for. One great practical tip is to follow the hashtag #journorequest to find topics journalists are actively working on. You can also further refine this to your niche, such as #journorequest interior/fashion/kitchen etc.
- Press Loft: That’s right, we make it easy for journalists to connect with sources for their stories. You can simply upload your images into our database, and you are done. The journalists will find and use your images, getting you media coverage on autopilot. Sign up for our FREE TRIAL now.
- Media database: A media database is a list of journalists and their contact information. This can be a great resource if you’re looking to pitch a story to a specific publication.
- You can also search desired publications and find relevant stories they’ve published in the past. From here, you can usually find the author profile of the publisher and find all her/his previous articles. This will give you a good idea of what type of stories the journalist is interested in.
Find their best way to contact them
The next step is to find the journalist’s contact information.
The best way to do this is to look for their personal email address. You can often find this on their website or author profile.
If you’re having trouble finding the journalist’s email address, you can try using a tool like Hunter. This site will help you find the email address of anyone who has theirs posted anywhere on the internet.
If you still can’t find an email address, look for other ways to contact them via their social media profiles. This could include Twitter, LinkedIn, or Facebook.
If that fails too, find a generic email address or phone number for the publication they publish on and contact them to see if they can put you in touch with the journalist you are targeting.
Crafting the perfect email pitch
Now that you have the journalist’s contact information, it’s time to write your pitch.
Your first task is crafting a hook into the email title that compels them to open it. This is literally half of the battle so take your time on this detail.
Be sure to personalize it and make it relevant to the journalist you’re contacting.
Remember to keep it short and sweet. No one wants to read a long email. Start by introducing yourself and explaining why you think your story would be of interest to their audience.
Include all the relevant information, such as who, what, when, where, and why. Journalists are busy people, and they need all the information upfront.
If you have any media to go along with your pitch (e.g., images or video), be sure to include them!
End your email with a call to action, such as asking them to contact you for more information or setting up a time for an interview.
Build your own database
Once you have a successful pitch, make sure you include the contact in a database. It’s often much easier to get a second story featured if you have a pre-existing relationship with the journalist.
If all this sounds like a lot of work, Press Loft offers an easier solution to get the most out of your PR budget.
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