Feeling stuck in your PR? If the well of ideas has started to run dry, there’s nothing wrong with you – or with your company. It happens to all of us who are in it for the long haul.
Here’s what could help: take a step back and reassess your options. Once you’ve covered the obvious PR opportunities, think about this: how could you pitch your C-suite to get more media features?
We’re so engrossed in our daily to-do list that, sometimes, we fail to see opportunities that are right in front of us. I’ll show you some of these opportunities below.
How to start using your managers to get more media features
It was about a year into my job as a PR Manager at ZeroBounce. I’d done everything a person in this role could think of, and our media coverage was expanding. But was there more I should be doing?
There sure was. Once I got to know our C-suite better, it became so clear. I could use their knowledge, talent, and charisma to get media coverage even in the most unlikely places.
How? Let’s get into it and see how you, too, can get PR on repeat by using these tips.
Interviews: pitch them to non-obvious outlets
Are you familiar with interview platforms like IdeaMensch? It’s all they do: they publish interviews with newsworthy people. If your CEO hasn’t done an interview there yet, don’t postpone – submit it this week.
The IdeaMensch interview with our CEO Liviu Tanase is now a Google first-page result:
You’ll run out of such outlets eventually, though. When that happens, start prospecting other platforms and see how you and your executives can be of help. Here are a few pointers to make your job easier.
☑️ Do a Google search
Start with simple keywords – such as “interviews with entrepreneurs” or “CEO interviews” – and look at the first two pages. Check the domain rating and traffic. Which websites are a good fit? Go ahead and send a pitch to get your company featured in the media.
☑️ Search for entrepreneurs who get consistent media features
Make a list of CEOs who tend to get a lot of media features. Jeff Bezos or Elon Musk may come to mind, but you’ll most likely see them in Forbes or Inc. Assuming you’re already pitching such magazines, consider tier-two publications.
So, think of people who may be less famous but still get solid media features. See where their names pop up – could you pitch your CEO or COO there, too? Most likely, the answer is yes.
☑️ Been there, done that. Do it again
You may have a list of writers and co-marketing partners you enjoyed working with. Maybe they’ve interviewed your CEO a while ago, so you kind of crossed them off your list. But what if they could talk to another one of your executives this time? Find a good topic and pitch your COO.
Quotes & insights: the easy way to get your company featured
Getting a full interview with someone on your C-suite is tremendous media coverage. Sometimes, though, you can be of help with a shorter contribution, such as a quote. Here’s how.
☑️ Improve an existing article
As a PR professional, you probably stay up-to-date with what’s going on in your industry. Do you ever see an article that you feel could provide more info? Let the writer know you can help by offering a quote from one of your managers. The key here is to send a relevant quote that offers a new perspective or a useful tip. No self-promotion.
☑️ Reach out to show availability
Think of the websites you read where your executives’ expertise would be of most help. Make a list and consider reaching out to your favorite writers to introduce yourself. Also, let them know you can provide them with helpful blurbs, so they can keep you in mind when they’re working on a piece.
Below is a result of an email that I sent to a writer at Business Review:
☑️ Is your CEO missing from a roundup?
Roundup articles gather quotes from industry experts on a certain topic to give readers a variety of tips and perspectives. Are there such articles where you’d like to see your CEO featured? Send an email, make a suggestion. I’ve built long-term collaborations this way.
Bonus tip: Whenever you reach out to a writer to offer a quote, make sure you tell them how you’re going to support them. Mention that you’ll share the article on social media. Better yet, share it before and after they include your company. Do you have a newsletter? Let them know they’ll get coverage there, too.
Webinars and podcasts: what if your COO were the next guest?
Every company needs an executive who likes to be on camera – and is good at it. In our case, at ZeroBounce, it’s our Chief Operating Officer (COO) Brian Minick. He’s been on more podcasts and webinars than I could count. On some of them, he was invited. Others happened because I reached out with a podcast pitch.
So, is there a company you like that does webinars regularly? A podcast you think your manager would be great on? Don’t be shy, these content creators are always looking for fresh faces.
Once you cover your first choices, broaden your horizon. Look for podcasts and webinars that are related to your industry and make your pitch.
For instance, our COO Brian Minick was a guest on the “Zero to 5000” podcast last year. It’s not a podcast about email, but it’s about business, and Brian’s insights were so good that he made the “Best of 2021” list.
Holidays and events: it’s all about being timely
Every December, marketing publications focus on what we can expect in the new year and how marketers can make the most of the coming trends. It was a great time to pitch our talents at ZeroBounce.
For example, COO Brian Minick got featured in this roundup post on Dyspatch:
On other occasions, such as an upcoming holiday season, I pitched both our CEO and our COO with email tips.
Also, whenever something important happens in our industry, I look for ways to be helpful to the writers that cover it. They always need comments, and we’re prompt and of service.
Keeping up with your daily tasks and staying on top of these PR-potential events can be hard. My trick is to write them on a sticky note that I can see on my desktop at all times.
Keep exercising your creative muscle to get featured by the media
Building consistent media coverage can get challenging once you’ve exhausted your most powerful stories. You can’t pitch the same ideas again and again, so at some point, you have to get creative. Since you’re in PR, you’re creative by nature, so maybe all you needed was a gentle nudge to keep exercising that muscle.
Now, what other creative ways can you find to craft your next pitch? If you already have a big idea but aren’t sure where to pitch it, Prowly can help. Not only does the platform give you access to more than one million contacts, it also suggests the best ones based on your PR content.
Cover photo by Jenny Ueberberg
