WEBINAR

Lunch and Learn: How to pitch your business to journalists

Dan Martin
Dan MartinDan Martin Content & Events

Posted: Mon 10th Aug 2020

Securing media coverage is a highly effective way to promote your business. Get a mention in the right publication and it can lead to increased sales and a big boost to your reputation. But there is an art to pitching the press.

In this webinar, freelance small business journalist Dan Martin shares tips from a journalist's perspective on how your business can make headlines.

Key discussion points

Relevance is vital when pitching journalists

Before pitching a journalist, make sure you've looked at the previous content they've written or broadcast so that you know that they are likely to be interested in your business. If you pitch your business to a irrelevant journalist, you'll likely to get no response or an angry reply!

Have great images ready to send

If there's one thing that you spend money on when pitching to journalists, it should be imagery of you and your business. Having good, strong images ready to send when a journalists asks for them could be the difference between you getting the coverage or one of your competitors.

Don't send images as attachments in an email as they could be blocked. Have them ready in something like Google Drive or Dropbox so you have a link of several images to send and the journalist can select the ones they like.

The power of #JournoRequest

#JournoRequest is a hashtag on Twitter that journalists use when they're looking for specific people to interview. Follow that hashtag and reply if the ask is relevant to you. It's a brilliant and free way to get featured in the media.

Have an opinion

Journalists are not salespeople for your business and they are unlikely to write a heavily promotional story but having an opinion on topical issues is a good way to get featured. Look for journalists covering topical issues, especially those who use #JournoRequest, and reply with your thoughts.

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Dan Martin
Dan MartinDan Martin Content & Events
I'm a freelance content creator and event host who helps small businesses and the organisations that support them. I have 18 years of experience as a small business journalist having interviewed hundreds of entrepreneurs from billionaires like Sir Richard Branson to the founders behind brand new start-ups. I've worked for a range of leading small business publications and support groups, most recently as head of content at Enterprise Nation where I was responsible for the prolific output of content on the company's blog and social media. I'm based in Bristol where I run and host regular events with the local small business community and have strong connections to major business organisations in the south west region. In total, I've hosted over 50 events; from intimate meet-ups to conferences with an audience of hundreds including events for international brands like Facebook and Xero. I'm also a big fan of podcasts having hosted Enterprise Nation's Small Business Sessions as well as lots of online events including Facebook Live interviews, webinars and three live web chats from inside 10 Downing Street. With my partner, I co-run Lifestyle District, a lifestyle blog focused on culture, art, theatre and photography. I'm here to help. I'm volunteering free advice calls of up to an hour as part of the Recovery Advice for Business scheme, over the next 6 months. Please get in touch to see how I can help your business. 

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