3 steps to capture an editor’s attention
You probably have an idea of the magazines and blogs, maybe even a TV show or two, that you want to pitch about your company.
Amazing.
Now comes the hard(er) part.
Getting an editor interested in your collection, product and story isn't easy, particularly without an established relationship. You're aiming to capture attention with what amounts to a cold call, except it's in their inbox, surrounded by hundreds of equally eager brands, all looking for a bit of free publicity.
And you can't really blame them, right? After all, I bet you prioritize your own inbox opens and responses based on who is behind the send - and people you know and like naturally capture your attention.
In fact, one of the major reasons companies hire PR firms is for their existing editor relationships.
Now, if you're thinking - I absolutely do not have thousands of dollars to spend of some fancy schmancy PR agency - so how the heck am I supposed to get major media to pay attention to what I've got going on?
I hear you.
And I want you to know that it isn't impossible. As my friend Sydney Mintle, CEO of Seattle-based Fashion PR Firm Gossip & Glamour put it, "You won’t become best friends with a magazine editor in a single email interaction, no matter how witty or brilliant your subject line or pitch may be. Building a relationship takes time, but once you’ve established that rapport, those connections will allow you to be more successful."
Now, we all have to start somewhere. And I believe you can boost your chances of making it onto an editor's radar by doing a few very important things. Here are 3 of them:
Define your “new”
Editors love to break a story or be the first to have discovered the next great thing; it’s all about what’s fresh, what’s hot, what’s never been seen before.Your actual launch is a great time to capitalize on "the new," but with a little bit of creativity you can find the angle - new color, new website, new social feature, new packaging, new pricing - lead with your New angle and interest will increase.
2. Know the deadline
Based on the month you're sitting down to pitch, think about what types of stories your editor is likely to be working on, based on the time of year and her lead-time.
If you send a print editor your summer swimsuit pitch in May you are going to be out of luck - that issue closed months ago. On the flip side, if you send a blogger a Valentine's Day pitch in September, she'll have no use for it (or you).
3. Send a follow-up
First pitches are the beginning of the entire process. If you don't hear back from an editor, don't assume a no. Send a polite follow-up email about a week later - most often it's the second nudge that does it.
With a strong pitch angle sent at the right time, you'll be well on your way to capturing editor attention.
