by Guest Blogger, Shannon Cherry
I love winter. The snow…Skiing down an Olympic mountain… The rosy cheeks on my kids… but mostly, I’m thinking about days at the beach, sunscreen and baseball.
Has the cold weather already got me thinking of a sizzling summer? Well, yes, but not in the way you imagine.
If you are looking to add publicity – and media coverage begin planning and pitching the journalists NOW.
You see, due to the lengthy lead times many news outlets – especially magazines – have, journalists start looking for story ideas in the winter.
And as the adage goes: The early bird gets the worm. So you need to begin pitching your suggestions now in order to get noticed on time.
Here’s the scoop on some of the major media types and their usual deadlines:
* Magazines – January
* Wires and Syndicates – February
* Newspapers – March
* TV – April
Once you know about the timing, there’s still more you need to realize BEFORE you pitch:
1) Send it to the appropriate news outlets. Just because you have a file of every magazine out there, doesn’t mean you ought to send it to every single one. Make sure your pitch goes to outlets with the same target market.
2) Keep your pitch brief: No more than three paragraphs. Highlight the product, offer samples (if available) and photos, and don’t forget your contact details.
3) Always check to find out who is responsible for the section your story should appear in and what type of information they would like to receive. Some may want a press kit & product samples; others may just want a pitch.
4) Customize the pitch. Reporters don’t all want the same story blasted to them. Take the time to craft the pitch so it’s unique to every journalist and his or her audience. You’re more apt to get more mileage out of your publicity efforts when you bring the reporter the perfect story for them.
About the Author:
Shannon Cherry is known as The Power Publicist. She helps small business owners, coaches, consultants and entrepreneurs create a powerful presence using low-cost, high impact publicity methods. Learn more about how to write press releases and get publicity with the Be Heard! free publicity power pack at http://www.beheardsolutions.com
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