Happy Summer!
Being a former publicist for over 20 years, I had my share of pitching story ideas via email (and fax when we didn’t have email – can you even imagine?) to my media contacts of booking managers, feature editors, radio producers, TV producers, columnists, freelance writers, and so much more in hopes of catching their interest to feature my entertainment clients.
Today, with free services like HARO (Help a reporter out), thank goodness you can have story ideas sent to YOU from journalists seeking experts and sources to include in their stories on various media platforms.
Are you familiar with HARO? It’s been around for quite some time. https://www.helpareporter.com/
After you sign up for the free service, you can choose specific industries you prefer to receive inquiries from. For example, I was automatically placed on their master list when I signed up. I logged in to set my preferences. I unchecked the master list and chose three industries: Business & Finance, Lifestyle, and Travel given all three pertain to my success coaching platform and expertise.
You will receive three emails a day with inquiries for stories needing experts to quote. Three emails daily are a bit much in my opinion, however, I do recommend you narrow down to your specific industries to minimize the emails and assign this task to your V.A. or admin support.
It’s well worth having this PR option in your marketing strategies but leverage your time. You will follow instructions on how to respond in each email. I do recommend getting tips on how to do that.
They have a free demo to sign up for on the site once you are registered. It covers:
- Prep work you should do before pitching
- Suggestions on how to craft and what to include in your pitch
- Actions to take after your pitch has been sent
- An in-depth presentation explaining basic usage of the HARO product
Give it a whirl. I highly recommend having this as a year-round strategy to expand your visibility and build your brand positioning and reputation.
The power of third-party validation when you are quoted and included in an article is priceless.
Have you considered planning your next 90-day PR strategy? You may schedule a complimentary 30 min Zoom call to chat with me about creating that plan and consider a 90-min Zoom strategy session. Support@marladiann.com
Have a stellar week!
