The Hilltop’s Post

It’s all about the details. 🔍 Every journalist is unique, and your pitches should reflect that. A personalized pitch shows that you’ve done your research and understand the journalist's interests and writing style. This reminder can make all the difference in securing coverage! We compiled the top takeaways from seven of our favorite blogs into one guide, covering everything from op-eds, investigate pieces, and product reviews. Check out our full breakdown and start pitching with confidence!👇🏼😎 https://hubs.ly/Q02TL-yY0

Hey LinkedIn. I have a journalism/media question: When you send pitches to editors, is it common to just send a pitch of the article (essay or opinion) or do you send the whole thing? I’ve always just sent the whole draft because I feel like editors are so busy they probably just want to see it first to decide if they’ll respond (and I’ve had some good results. I’ve published a number of pieces). But a few people have told me that’s not how you do it. A short 3-5 sentence pitch will do. (To also protect your work). Need advice from someone in the industry.

When it comes to writing a press release, you need a good headline. It should give a clear indication of what the story is going to be about. Summarise the entire story in one short sentence, no more than ten words long, in the present tense. Don’t try and be too clever. Don’t use your company name – focus on what you do rather than who you are. Read more of our top tips for writing a press release: https://lnkd.in/eid3quvK   #PR #pressrelease #newsstory #journalist #news #ZebraMarketing

When I was a junior reporter, in the days when newsrooms were filled with cigarette smoke and swear words; where press releases were literally spiked; where the diary was full of civic engagements with reporters’ initials alongside for covering; we were told by the chief reporter to always check our copy three times before sending. I doubt email was involved or even invented, although typewriters had at least been replaced by sturdy desktop computers resistant to spilt coffee, but I always made sure I did indeed read my copy three times before forwarding it to the newsdesk. Despite my best efforts, I was invariably reprimanded by the chief reporter, who was let’s say a ‘character’ and leave it that. He was a journalist of the time, and very soon out of time. Some of the lessons learnt from those early 90s newsroom days were harsh lessons in workplace culture. But I am to this day rigorous in checking my work before sending it on. Mistakes happen but hopefully they are now minimised. Working in ‘public relations’ I am also wary of misspelling the first word of our industry name, particularly as it is likely not to be picked up by MS Word spell checker, as in the example here from a running race I have entered this November. I remember an error that was not picked up when working in the sports department at the Nottingham Evening Post. This was in the days when the paper offices were in the glorious old Forman building, where a ghost stalked the room of bound old editions, prior to its demolition and replacement by a glass-fronted entertainments complex where you can now play golf or throw an axe should you wish. We once had a story that the then Forest manager Dave Bassett had signed a new player as he had heard the famous Nottingham tale about there being ‘eight girls to every guy in the city’. Except we had somehow mistakenly turned round the order of the sexes, leading to an implication that the new signing was attracted to the club by the number of local men. It’s a dubious quote at the best of times, particularly when stated wrongly. I guess we didn’t read the copy three times. Come on then, your turn, tell us your best old newspaper memories? What were you told then that has stuck with you throughout your career? And what have you so memorably got wrong? #PR #PublicRelations #Communications #Freelance #Strategy #Copywriters #Journalism

🤔 How Long Should Your Pitch or Press Release Be? 📝👌 We have mentioned in posts and over the phone, time and time again, that the shorter a press release, the better.    ✉️➡️📰 In fact, during a hunt for travel media & journalists, we came across a page on Code Nast Traveler about pitching a journalist. For example, they advise keeping pitches no longer than a paragraph or two.   💡 They also mention including a suggested headline, your angle, sources, and why the story should be covered now.    From the media we have spoken with, they prefer stories under 375 words. 😱📄 Once you press past 375 words, you begin to run into something called ‘text-shock’. This phenomenon occurs when a journalist or media member clicks on a press release and is met with a wall of text.   😵 Most of the time, the journalist will close the window as it is too overwhelming.   👉 They don’t want a novel; they want the meat of the story in layperson’s terms. The facts, just the facts. Stop adding fluff. They will contact you for more information if you have piqued their interest. We are in a different time and age where journalists don’t have the time to read a 1,200-word story. #PR #publicrelations #pitching #journalists #earnedmedia #pressreleasewriting

When I was a full-time journalist, I always won the Byline War. I consistently wrote more stories than anyone else in my section or in the newsroom in general. 🤓 Winning the Byline War didn’t mean I was a better reporter or writer. It just meant I had my name printed on more stories, garnering bragging rights in a silly game. Perhaps I had a larger, more active coverage area or wrote a little bit faster than others. Maybe I generated more story ideas because I’m naturally curious. Perhaps I wrote three mediocre stories for every one great story written by another reporter. I don’t know why I won the Byline War and, honestly, it doesn’t matter anyway. It didn’t mean anything to me, and it shouldn’t have meant anything to fellow reporters. Frequency doesn't matter. In the end, serving our audience well was way more important than ink on paper. It still is today. Don’t compare your writing or writing productivity to someone else’s. There’s always someone doing more and doing it differently, but it doesn’t devalue your work.

🤔 How Long Should Your Pitch or Press Release Be? 📝👌 We have mentioned in posts and over the phone, time and time again, that the shorter a press release, the better.    ✉️➡️📰 In fact, during a hunt for travel media & journalists, we came across a page on Code Nast Traveler about pitching a journalist. For example, they advise keeping pitches no longer than a paragraph or two.   💡 They also mention including a suggested headline, your angle, sources, and why the story should be covered now.    From the media we have spoken with, they prefer stories under 375 words. 😱📄 Once you press past 375 words, you begin to run into something called ‘text-shock’. This phenomenon occurs when a journalist or media member clicks on a press release and is met with a wall of text.   😵 Most of the time, the journalist will close the window as it is too overwhelming.   👉 They don’t want a novel; they want the meat of the story in layperson’s terms. The facts, just the facts. Stop adding fluff. They will contact you for more information if you have piqued their interest. We are in a different time and age where journalists don’t have the time to read a 1,200-word story. #PR #publicrelations #pitching #journalists #earnedmedia #pressreleasewriting

How to write news stories? The most effective ones are those told in the clearest way possible. Anyone who's worked in journalism has likely heard the phrase, "Write it as if you're explaining it to someone who has no clue or context." A veteran journalist once told me to find inspiration in the simple and concise sentences of Ernest Hemingway's novels. That's the best approach: no complicated words, just simplicity and clarity. That's what's most effective ✍

Today I found out that I landed my second Forbes quote of 2024. The best part? It was free. I want to teach you how I did it. Pitch journalists and writers. The end… No seriously, that’s it. Start following people who write for the publications you want to be featured in and pay attention to when they post “source requests.” Writers are always looking for high-quality sources that can provide perspective and expertise. You don’t have to pay to get featured in well, anything! You also don’t have to be an expert. There are lifestyle journalists who simply want opinions. What you do need to do however, is work. It’s up to you to put your best foot forward and one, take the time to find these authorities to follow and two, take the 5 minutes to respond to them. As your relationship grows with that writer it will likely get easier for you to land more steady placements too. Don’t fall for the PR gurus online. P.S. there are tools like Featured(dot)com and Qwoted(dot)com that make finding and pitching super easy and they don’t cost anything to get started. https://lnkd.in/eBq4dP45 #press #pressfeature #pressfeatures #isaacmashman #forbes #expertopinion

Want to pitch your business story to the media? It can be hard to know what editors are looking for. From my experience, here are 5 do’s and 5 don’ts. DO familiarize yourself with the publication, its platforms, its readers, and what type of stories it’s publishing. DO approach the right person. A publisher (usually) has no involvement in news, advertising professionals sell ads, and an editor makes editorial (news) decisions. DO tell us about yourself, your ups and downs, your personal story. Business journalism is about people. DO be prepared to give a great interview (maybe more on that another time). DO recognize that newsrooms are stretched thin. If at first you don’t succeed, try again another time. DON’T offer the editor a free stay at the Shangri-La in exchange for covering your story (sigh). DON’T send out a news release or make a pitch and then have no one available to speak when a journalist calls. DON’T expect tit for tat (“I advertise with you, so you should write about me.”). DON’T be afraid to follow up, ask for a critique of your pitch, understand better what the editor is looking for. DON’T expect to see a draft of the story or ask for “edits” after the story is published, unless there is a factual error. #business #journalism #pitch