Pitching journalists your story is easier than taking care of a crying baby if you follow this proc

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I have interviews, tools, tips, everything that an entrepreneur could need in order to help their organization get noticed for free. Thank you for joining me, Jim James, on The Unnoticed Show. Hello and welcome to this episode of The Unnoticed Show. Today I've got Justin Goldstein, who is the founder and president of Press Record Communications in New York. Justin, hi. Thanks for joining me today from the Big Apple.

Of course. Thanks for having me.

It's my pleasure. Now, all the way across there in New York, you're a media specialist. I'd love to hear from you today how you get your clients noticed using the media.

Sure. So, well, again, thank you for having me. So I think one of the main ways that we do so is through what's called strategic media relations, which for the average person, it's a fancy term for publicity and pitching the media. So we take a very targeted approach to doing so by first finding what our clients' goals are, and then after doing that, finding outlets, media outlets that we think are going to be a fit, finding the right reporters or media contacts there that would be interested in covering our clients, and then working with those reporters, producers, whoever it might be, to coordinate a story that's going to either go into the thought leadership insights of an executive or spokesperson. Tell the company story, do a review of a product, for example. It really just depends on the client, but ultimately it's getting that media coverage that's going to help to support our clients' sales and marketing goals.

And Justin, just how difficult is it to get media coverage for a client?

So I think it really depends on who you're working with. I will say that the media landscape has changed where, and this has been happening for years, but newsrooms, their staffs are getting smaller. A lot of newsrooms and media outlets are getting acquired by holding groups or larger media organizations. And so the opportunity for traditional media, I would say, is getting a little bit smaller, but that's actually created some new opportunity where reporters have, let's say they've been laid off or they've left their prior publications, they've gone off and started their own podcasts or their own newsletters, where you have a site like Substack where anybody essentially can be a reporter at this point. So I think the definition of what's considered media from the traditional sense has definitely changed. And there's a lot of opportunity out there. It really just comes down to putting in the effort to finding who those people are and who the right fit is.

Justin, take us through the process that you have at Press Record, because companies come to, you know, me at East West, and they want to get into the media. But there's often some work we have to do to help them to get ready for that. Can you just take us through your process? I'd love to hear how you're getting that done.

So it really comes down to what the goals are of the organization. I've actually started to talk a little bit about this where I think there's a slight challenge when it comes to putting together public relations programs for some firms where, and more specifically media relations firms, where what I call 30,000-foot goals are established. Meaning somebody might say, yeah, I want to get on national television. And it's like, okay, well, what does that mean? Meaning, do you want to be on more of a CNBC Squawk Box kind of show, or do you want to be on more of the Today Show? So you really have to try to go around and dive deeper into those 30,000-foot goals. You have a really good understanding of who exactly you want to speak to, the story that you want to tell, and what kind of coverage you want to see. So that's, that's the first part. And then after that, we come up with a roadmap for Developing pitches, identifying who the target media are going to be, and then actually going out and emailing and calling reporters or whoever the right contact is to try to get those opportunities for our clients. But it really, really does start with understanding at a micro and macro and micro level what those goals are. So you can really make sure you're getting the right coverage.

Okay. And those goals are tied into business goals, or are they really marketing and branding goals?

I think that the 30,000-foot goal that I was mentioning is more so from the media perspective, but it does play into the business goals as well. Because the thing is, if you're looking to talk to more of a business audience strictly, but you're going on the Today Show or let's say a local TV or radio station, it's not going to be— I mean, the Today Show is great, right? And everybody wants the Today Show and it's only going to help you to get the Today Show. But if you really want to drill down and reach a specific audience, it's not going to help as much if you're looking to reach a business audience as going on Bloomberg Radio, CNBC TV, Fox Business TV. So it all ties together, and I think you have to understand who your audience is and who you're talking to the most. That's the number one, uh, key, I would say.

That's really useful, Justin. Now, once you've got that 30,000-foot plan, tell us about the roadmap from a practical point of view. What do you put into that roadmap, and is it an Excel spreadsheet? Is it some software you use? How do people do that from a practical point of view?

I try to keep it as simple as I can because there are a lot of firms out there that put together detailed presentations for proposals or detailed roadmaps. I try to keep it as simple as I possibly can because I know the client's gonna be busy. So what I do is I pull together an action plan that essentially goes over the key metrics for the campaign, the target media that we're looking to approach, and it's more of a sampling just so the client has a snapshot of what that might look like. And then some initial pitch ideas that could potentially work well, and then we build out from there. And after that action plan is signed off on by the client, then we go in and we start developing pitches and we, we send them to the client for review. And once those initial pitches are signed off on, we get started on outreach. Then moving forward from there, we typically try to taper off sending clients pitches because we don't want there to be a bottleneck or them to feel like they have to put in more effort than they need to, unless they want to. So it's really getting on the same page in terms of that initial plan and then moving forward from there.

Justin, can you explain a little bit more detail about the magical pitch document?

Yeah, so it really depends on who you're pitching, but I think one of the key things to keep in mind in this day and age is that brevity is key. So when you're pulling together a pitch, the subject line should be straight to the point. You can put a little bit of creativity in there, but you don't want to go too far. You just want the contact to easily understand exactly what it is that you're pitching. And the body of the email should be the same. So I always start with an upfront note that says, hey, so-and-so, or hi, so-and-so. I know you cover XYZ and you've been reporting on this kind of story over the past couple of weeks. Curious if you're working on some additional coverage. And if so, I have this client that I think would be a great fit to talk about that and share some information in the pitch below. But brevity is really key. And I think it's also making sure that you have the right information in there that is actually going to get them to keep their eyes on the email. So it's getting an understanding of, okay, what kind of assets do they need? Do they need headshots? Do they need content like video or audio? So if you can mix and match and put all that information in there, you'll have more of a chance of success.

And I think, Justin, you've mentioned brevity, but a few things that you've reeled off, perhaps almost unknowingly, but absolutely key is one is the personalization of the email, right, that you've done. Another is that you've actually led your pitch with information about what they're writing about or covering already, not about your client, from the sounds of things.

Correct. Yeah, absolutely. I should say that it really depends actually on what you are pitching. So I typically say if you're inviting reporters to events, a mass email is fine. They understand that you're trying to get as many people to go as you possibly can. And my experience has been that reporters are generally okay with writing back and saying, hey, I really appreciate the invite, but I just, I don't cover anything related to this. They're less, I think, or I should say they're more understanding of it because they know you have to invite a huge press list to get people to come in the first place. But when it comes to pitching a story, that's where you really have to be personalized because the last thing a reporter wants to see is that they're not being paid attention to, and it feels less special when they get your email. And also think about it like when you get a marketing email in your LinkedIn inbox, for example, right? It's like when you get an email that's like, hey, we can help you to solve XYZ problem and this is more about our company and blah, blah, blah. It just doesn't feel real. So that's why you have to take the time to do it. But I think following an 80/20 rule, especially if you're on a time crunch, is good. So that means focusing 80% of your time on that 20 and spending the time on personalizing your emails and really trying to to get in the right way. And then the other 20% is if you have the time, great. If not, just putting together an email that at least feels like it's a fit for them in terms of the topic. Yeah.

So tier 1, tier 2 list there. Okay. So you've got your pitch and I think that what's great there is you mentioned the need to personalize and also to, to really court the journalist with information about what they're writing about already, and then setting the context for what you're your own client can provide, right? So this, this match, how do you get it to lift off the page? Because as Justin, the media are getting tens per day, hundreds per week. How do you get your pitch to stand out? Because lots of media relations experts are personalizing, contextualizing. Now, how do you make it come off the page?

I think the brevity really is the first part. The first part, because that will help to set you apart from the people that are pitching essays essentially. So that's number one. Number 2, I would say calls to action are important as well. So if you are looking to have a reporter respond to you, frame up your email to basically say that, meaning you could say something like, would you be interested in connecting with so-and-so? Any input would be appreciated, or can we schedule a call to discuss? Because Then it puts into their head that there's an action they actually have to take. I mean, whether or not they take it is unpredictable, but at least it puts out there that you're looking for something in return. And if reporters have the time to read your email, they'll get that without you saying that. But most that are running at 100 miles an hour, if they don't see that call to action, they're going to be like, oh, I don't have to do anything with this. Like, I have 50 other things to do. I'll flag it for later, or I'll just move on and not even care. So that's why it's important that that call to action is in there.

And do you ever use the diplomatic clause where you ask people to respond by a certain date or a certain time?

If I'm pitching a story to the New York Times, I try to give a little bit of leeway 'cause it's the New York Times. And if I'm pitching it, let's say, a month or two in advance, then we have a little bit more buffer time to not start off with that deadline. So it makes it seem less— I don't know, just less awkward maybe, where you're asking, like, a New York Times reporter to get back to you by a certain time. It's the right thing to do, but I think you have to just assess what your timing is. But if it's not an exclusive, I typically don't.

Okay. So if you're offering an exclusive, you give first-time notice or a first-come, first-served?

Exactly. I might say, yeah, I might say, if you could let me know within 48 hours, right? Because that gives them a day to read the email. Then they— and usually I'll say just feedback, right? Meaning I'm not expecting you to commit, but can you just give me, you know, some kind of direction on whether you might pursue or not within 48 hours? That I think Yeah, because then you're not making it as pressure-filled. They don't feel like they have to go to their editor and get sign-off.

Well, I think you've also raised up another good point about the fact that the journalist often has to get the approval of an editor before pursuing a story, and I think not everyone's aware of that, right? The journalist doesn't necessarily have the freedom to choose which they cover. So should you be aiming to get the journalist, or should you be aiming to get the editor or the publisher when you do a pitch?

So I would say if you're pitching an op-ed or a byline, it's always— you're always going to go to an editor because reporters don't handle that. But if you're looking to get a story opportunity, it's better to go to the reporter because they can do a better job of selling it in than you. And I think if an editor hears from a journalist why they should pursue it versus a publicist, it's a totally different conversation. So I would recommend sticking with the journalist.

Okay, and then we have to help the journalists, don't we, to sell it in. What about the follow-up call, Justin? Because we all know that media have got a lot of emails. Do you have a practice in terms of sending SMSs or WhatsApps or chasing people down on LinkedIn? What do you do for that?

I think hitting the phone is the most important thing. Anyone pitching can do. Some reporters are gonna have an adverse reaction. Some reporters are gonna be very fine and nice about it. It's much like sales. You just know, and I don't wanna compare PR to sales, but it's similar in the sense that you don't know who you're gonna get. And in this day and age where reporters are getting a million emails, it's very important to do that if you wanna be persistent to get that opportunity, because then at least you can get some quick feedback and it helps to guide next steps. But I think hitting the phone is more important than Messaging on LinkedIn, tech— well, texting is part of the phone, but even texting, because you're having more of a real conversation, DMing on Twitter. The most important thing you can do is call, but not every reporter has a phone number. So I think the next step is that I would say LinkedIn, unless a reporter puts on their Twitter profile that you can DM them, I think LinkedIn is a little bit better because it's just in that professional setting. So I would go phone— well, email first. Then phone, then LinkedIn, and then you can see if maybe there's an opportunity to go on more traditional social like Twitter. But yeah, I can't stress enough how much I use the phone, especially for broadcast media.

Oh, that's interesting. Yeah. Why do you think broadcast media is different to the other media?

I don't think they're different in terms of whether they are open to phone calls, but they're much harder to reach on email than a traditional print online journalist. I think just because of the nature of a 24-hour newsroom, they're constantly sending reporters into the field, fielding calls, from the everyday person about a story. It's just a different beast. So I think that they just don't have as much time to respond to email. And they're also a little bit, I don't want to use forgetful, but it's because it's not, I don't think it's that per se. It's just that they're less apt to fully commit to something unless you get them on the phone, because they just lose sight of the emails and it just gets to be a cluster.

Now let's talk about the The story that you helped the client to build, Justin, because you talked about the pitch, but the client needs to have a good story. How important is storytelling? And how do you help clients to do that? What are some key elements?

Yeah, so it really depends on the, on the media, kind of media coverage that you're looking to get. It really depends on which avenue you're looking at storytelling. From a pitch perspective, I think storytelling is overrated. Personally, I think, I think that it's more about just effectively communicating the kind of story you want to tell, but actually telling the story in the pitch isn't necessary per se. But as a brand, if you're looking to tell a story, it is very important because reporters have to understand who you are, what you do, and that is important to sealing the deal, I think, in terms of moving the story or the media coverage opportunity over the finish line. But when it comes to getting that initial reporter interest, I don't think going into a pitch from a storytelling perspective as opposed to, hey, here's the story I've got to tell, What I mean is, is it's different because again, you have to have that brevity. So going into an entire detailed story in an email pitch probably isn't going to work as well as just giving the facts of what the story are.

Okay, so when would you deliver that? So let's say you've got past the journalist, they're interested. Do you have a second wave of material that you send the journalist? How do you get them prepared for the interview or the opportunity?

Yeah. So I think it depends on what the request is. If you're working with a broadcast outlet, there's typically a list of assets that work well, like headshots, B-roll, which is essentially prerecorded video that relates back to the interview opportunity. Broadcast producers for the most part like suggested questions because again, if they're running around like crazy, they don't have the time to think about it. In fact, like some even send a booking form where you fill out the questions in the form. So it's a little bit different than print online. I think print online reporters are more apt to not favor that because it makes it seem like you're doing their job for them. So I would say for print online though, it really depends on what exactly the conversation is. And typically, unless they ask for something in advance, you'll send something as a follow-up. You might say, your spokesperson, or if you are the spokesperson, you might say, oh, I remember there's this great study that goes into this story. And they'll say, oh, can you send me the study after we get off the call? So I found that typically the assets or print online come after you're done with your conversation.

One of the things that happens for many of us is we arrange an interview and then it doesn't happen for one reason or another. Client's by and large pretty disappointed, thinks it's the agency's fault, calls the journalist irresponsible and, and other words. How do you handle that, Justin, where the journalist can't make it for whatever reason, they postpone or cancel on you?

So I think first it's communicating to the client, this is normal and it just happens. And ultimately, if we want to build a relationship with a reporter, We have to let it go. We could complain to the reporter and say, how could you miss this? Can you please not do that? All that's going to do is create friction and it's not going to lead to a productive conversation in the future. I think the way to handle it with the reporter is to say, first, can we reschedule? And most of the time, if a reporter has committed to a conversation, if it's on the print online side, they're going to reschedule. So I typically don't even worry about that, but I would say the One key thing you can do is get an understanding of, would it be helpful for me to get the spokesperson's schedule for you to find your availability within that or vice versa? Because typically what I do when I'm booking an interview is I always ask for the reporter's schedule upfront first, because I think that lessens the chance that something like that is going to happen. But ultimately, if it does happen, you have to play both sides and be very understanding to both sides. Be very calm with the client and understand that they're frustrated because they took time out of their day with other meetings to do this. Understand that the reporter probably got pulled into something time sensitive and that's why they couldn't do it because the reporter wants to have the conversation. They wouldn't commit to it unless they found some value in it. So it's not like they're doing it because they just feel like it. Usually it's a good reason. But I think you have to coach your client and make them understand that while it is frustrating, understandably, that if you want to do media, you have to accept the consequences of what might happen when you commit time to doing this. And if you want to build a relationship, it's like building a relationship with a customer. You're not going to go and tell the customer like, what the hell did you do? You're going to try to smooth it over and just make it as good of a situation as you possibly can.

Justin Goldstein of Press Record in New York. How can people find out more about you if they want to get more of your amazing professional skills on media relations?

Sure. So best place to find us is www.pressrecord.co. So P-R-E-S-S-R-E-C-O-R-D.co. And yeah, I would love to hear from anybody.

Justin, thank you so much for joining me today. I know you've just had a baby son 2 months ago, so congratulations. But I know that's also tiring, so I appreciate you taking the time out of your busy schedule. And if anyone knows how to get noticed, it's babies. All right, thank you so much.

No problem. Thanks for having me.

Thank you for listening to this episode of The Unnoticed Show. I hope that you've enjoyed it. And if you have, please do rate it on any of the players. If you'd like more information, go over to eastwestpr.com and subscribe to our weekly newsletter, or connect with me on LinkedIn. That's just Jim James, East West Public Relations. I'd be delighted to connect with you and let me know how I can help you to get noticed.