We were lucky enough to have Jo from Sprae PR hosting #WedBizHour for us over on Twitter on Tuesday evening. Jo has a wealth of experience in PR and marketing and is the PR consultant for the Academy Group too. During the Twitter Chat she shared with us some of her top tips for getting published in wedding blogs and magazines. For the full transcript you can read it here, but below we have outlined her top tips below:
- Before pitching your product or service to the media compile a list of dream magazine/blogs you would love to feature in.
- If you want your products featured on @bridesupnorth or in @Weddingmagazine don’t be too shy to put the magazine on your list.
- Start with 20 magazine/blogs & think outside the box. They may not be as glamorous as you’d like but it’s great exposure
- Study each magazine/blog & once you’ve got a list of them all. It’s time to do your homework.
- Get to know what type of audience the magazines & blogs reach. What type of products do they usually feature etc.?
- The more you study the media the more familiar you’ll become with it, which will help when you’re actually pitching.
- Remember editors love getting specific pitches rather than standard press releases so a little research goes a long way.
- Where possible try and get a copy of their editorial calendar and figure out how your product fits into their schedule.
- Every magazine/blog run product roundups differently, some run a monthly or quarterly guides & others do a yearly roundup.
- Work out the best time for your product to be featured & make sure to pitch your product before the cut-off date.
- Remember, you’re more likely to get a response from editors if you pitch on-topic than off-topic so do your research.
- The key to pitching success is telling an engaging and relatable story that connects to a magazine/blogs readers.
- People want to buy products/services that tell stories & editors want to share products that their readers can relate to.
- If your pitch both sells your product or service and also tells a story then you’re good to go.
- Once you have emailed your pitch to the editors remember to follow up on it a few days later if you haven’t had a response.
- Don’t over chase them. Once or twice will do. You never get a second chance to make a first impression. Don’t blow it!
- A phone call, e-mail & text all within five minutes are overkill. Be timely and keep it simple, but don’t be a stalker.
