By Curt Bennink, Senior PR Editor, Lessing-Flynn —
Editor inboxes are overflowing with pitches. Most miss the mark. But there are steps you can take to keep your pitch from being moved to the trash folder. In fact, with a little upfront research and strategy, your company could become a reliable source for media contacts. The company making the pitch often doesn’t understand the specific media outlet’s mission. A little up-front research to understand the media’s target audience and their goals goes a long way toward establishing your company as a reliable source.
What’s a reliable source? Someone an editor can depend on to consistently deliver useful information on time. If an editor has a topic in mind and a tight deadline to meet, you can almost guarantee they have a short list of reliable sources ready on speed dial. In my time as an editor, I worked with several companies that could provide high-quality responses on short notice. Those sources were essential when I was tight on time.
The best part? Any brand can become a reliable source for industry media. Here are three tips to get you started.
1. Set Yourself Up for Success
Editors have lengthy to-do lists and a limited amount of time to get them done. That’s where you come in — with timely, educational and targeted information.
The process starts by diving deep into your selected media outlet’s target audience. Who are they? Why do they interact with this outlet? What are they looking to learn from this outlet? Once you know that, you can move on to the second step for a successful pitch: identify a critical concern for the audience. Then, provide information that can solve it.
Media outlets want educational content, not marketing messages. You should place a heavy emphasis on offering thought leadership over pushing your brand. Prove you can do that consistently and you’ll be much more likely to hear from editors when they need sources.
One surefire way to become that source editors avoid? Aggressively pitch promotional articles that offer little educational value. Those articles don’t align with the media outlet’s goals. And worse, they show you’re not interested in providing value for the editorial team.
2. Watch Your Timing
The quickest way to lose an editor’s confidence is to miss a deadline. Editors often have little flexibility in their schedules. When you miss a deadline, it has real repercussions for them.
Be honest with an editor if a deadline is too tight. Sometimes there’s flexibility. If it is a hard deadline, don’t leave the editor hanging. You want to develop a relationship built on trust so the editor understands that they can count on you when it matters most. So only promise a certain timeline if you know you can meet it.
3. Be Approachable and Accessible
Making product experts available for interviews on short notice goes a long way. Some proactive media relations teams have product experts who provide their contact information to editors. That way, the editorial team can reach out directly when covering applicable topics.
Your team can do the same. Even if the editor doesn’t immediately reach out, many keep contact lists that can be a valuable resource for future articles.
Editors need reliable sources. If you put in the work to become a trusted information source, you might help your message reach a larger audience. However, you must understand the media outlet’s target market and informational needs. Be nimble enough to provide high-quality materials or product experts on short notice — and you might just see long-term benefits.
Curt Bennink is Senior PR Editor at Lessing-Flynn, the longest-standing independently owned advertising agency in America. Bennink has been a staple in the construction media industry for 25 years, serving as an editor for various publications before joining Lessing-Flynn in March 2022.
For more perspectives from AEM members, subscribe to the AEM Industry Advisor.
