New Year, New Press

2013 can be your year for new press that can increase the reach and audience of your brand or product! While the year is still fresh, let’s revisit the basics of pitching yourself to magazines and blogs. Follow these tips and you’ll be on your way to regional and even national exposure!

DO YOUR HOMEWORK

Magazines and blogs have a certain style and formula to their pages. Read enough issues and you’ll begin to see the kinds of products that are covered or the services offered. Spend 30 minutes on back issues or older posts before you pitch. Does your product look like it already belongs on the page? If the answer is yes, then move forward with your pitch and point out something pertinent or related to your product. Similarly, don’t expect an editor to cover services when their pages are all product-driven. Study up before reaching out.

BE FRIENDLY Recognize the editor or blogger by name (and be sure it’s spelled correctly) before you launch into a concise, well-written and convincing pitch (no more than two tight paragraphs). A pitch addressed, “Dear Editor,” is guaranteed to be deleted right away.

KEEP IT FRESH The one word an editor wants to see in every pitch is “new.” Why?  New material fuels issue after issue! Magazines want to be the first to feature a new product or service or destination. Some bloggers will run a product within minutes of receiving a pitch to get a true scoop. If what you’re pitching is not new, then it is your job to tie the idea or product into a new trend, a holiday, a seasonal occasion or current event.

PROVIDE STUNNING VISUALS Most editors know if they can use your product the second their eye hits the photo you send with your pitch. Delivering crisp, well-lit images that look like they belong on the pages you are pitching will help yours rise to the top of the submission pile. Additionally, editors don’t open attachments so be sure to embed the low-res (72 dpi) image directly into the email pitch.

RESPECT YOUR EDITOR’S TIME So many products with passionate people behind them fail to reach their press potential because they are slow to respond to editorial requests. Return every editor’s request the same day and with creativity, courtesy and quality. Over time, you’ll become a “go-to” source and the first person that editor will reach out to the next time there is an opportunity or even a last-minute spot to fill.

Amy Flurry is State of Unique’s business editor and author of the much-buzzed about DIY Publicity book, Recipe for Press (www.recipeforpress.com)

Best in Show

5 Ways to Attract Editors and Bloggers to your Booth

Consumers won’t be the only ones shopping Unique SF in a few weeks. Editors, bloggers, even TV producers will be roaming the floor, looking for new products to feature. An editor of 18 years, I’ve scouted many trade and indie markets for stories and products. Here’s what you can do to better your odds at wooing press your way.

  Announce products that are new!

Editors have a lot of ground to cover but not always the time hear your whole brand story. Point out new products or even best selling products in a new color with a tag or small sign. Why? Market editors are there to find new product before anyone else, to get a scoop. If we can spot new items without having to ask, it saves both of us time.

  Share your story

When people connect with your brand story, they are inspired to shop. When editors connect with your story, they are inspired to share it with thousands of potential customers.  Figure our ways to convey who you are in your booth design and product literature.

  Seduce press with great photos

Editors are looking for strong pictures that support your product and could possibly be used in their publication. Draw them in with great images.

  Consider custom USB drive business cards

Editors don’t want (or need) a lot of heavy promotional material to lug around. But they may want to blog about their best finds or share their favorite picks with their editors. Help them out by providing press ready, high-resolution images on a custom USB drive. Oversize 5x7” postcards with strong product photography on the front and press contact information on the back is also a great, and less expensive way of staying in front of the mind of media.

  Display past press

Success attracts success, right? If you’ve been featured in a well-known magazine or online publication, share it with your visitors. Editors want to look for those who are prepared to work with them.  We don’t need to see every last article ever written, but one or two of the best signals you have experience and understand our needs (and if you don’t, read Recipe for Press, Pitch Your Story Like the Pros & Create a Buzz).

Written by Biz Section editor Amy Flurry