Hi there folks!
Creatives Meet Business is an event and podcast series based out of Austin, Texas for creatives of ALL disciplines to get from zero to one in thinking of themselves as business owners (in the creative sector).
This episode features Kristen Chin with POM PR who joined us in December during our event on PR. As you'll soon find out, she succinctly explains SO much about "timing" in the world of PR. She chats about everything from the variety of different media outlets and when you should pitch them to what should be on your timeline and how you should format it (and much, MUCH more). If timelines eluded you before this episode, you'll walk away with a spring in your step and a better understanding of all things PR. Because there's so SO much that's exciting about this episode - let's hop in and hear what Kristen has to say!
- 0:00 to 1:40 - Ashland Opening Remarks and Intro of Kristen Chin
- 1:41 to 2:01 - Introduction of self and POM PR and topic "Timelines - Why They Matter and How to Plan One"
- 2:02 to 2:47 - Newsworthiness
- Ask yourself - "Is this your time and why?"
- Think about what's your story and what's the timeframe for you
- Editorial usually won't break more than two weeks before an event / performance. Look into paid marketing opportunities if you're wanting coverage beyond the two week mark.
- 2:48 to 3:20 - Formatting Your Timeline and Tasks
- Suggests using Excel or Google Calendars (create a PR calendar for your PR activities)
- 3:21 to 4:09 - Tasks on your Timeline
- Get your materials (press release, pitch, artwork, graphics) ready to go before you start pitching
- Worst thing that can happen is you get press interested in your story and then don't have any images or materials and you lose the story altogether
- 4:10 to 5:02 - Creating Your Media List
- Research outlets and writers
- Read recent stories the writers have written
- Nothing will get your email deleted faster than sending something to a writer that's not relevant for them
- Media move around a lot, make sure they're still with the publication you think they're with before you reach out (and make sure they're still writing on the same topic)
- Check the website, masthead, LinkedIn, google
- Beats can be very nuanced, researching helps you know you're reaching out to the right writer
- 5:03 to 8:37 - Timeframes for long lead press
- Magazines - 8 weeks out
- Think of your end goal date and back that out 8 weeks
- Tip - pull the media kit online and look at the advertising deadlines
- Editorial will always happen before the ad date close
- Calendar listings - 6 weeks out
- All your basic information - who, what, where, when, pricing and an image
- Many calendars are self-submitting. If it's the first time you're doing it, factor in timing for creating an account.
- Check it after it's posted to make sure everything transferred properly, the image is correct, etc.
- Online and blogs - pitch periodically
- Bloggers might have content planned as much as two months out
- Give yourself enough time
- Coverage is in limited supply - think about when you were last featured
- If your news isn't time sensitive, pitch it around when your topic best fits into the media's editorial calendar
- Advertorial sections can give you a good indicator of the topic that's being featured in a publication
- 8:38 to 11:11 - Press Releases
- General news announcement for a vast number of outlets all at once
- Cuts down on amount of time you need to spend on finding media contacts
- You can use a wire service to reach a lot of press at once
- Benefits to wire service is press release pickup that copies your press release word for word which helps with SEO and link backs to your site.
- Downside to wire service - you have to monitor your coverage, you have no idea when your piece might hit.
- Downside to press releases - you aren't cultivating relationships with press
- Hybrid situation - you can build a media list yourself and then if time runs out, blast it out to your whole media list (use something like MailChimp or Constant Contact to see who opened it for follow-up).
- You can also do this by separating your long leads from your short leads
- You can also send to 5 or so people individually and then a press release to the remainder of the list
- 11:12 to 11:59 - Frequency of Pitching
- Pitch when you have something really important to say
- Once you've pitched, you want to follow up once, wait a week and then follow-up again. Don't ever follow-up more than twice. If you haven't heard from someone after two follow-ups, they aren't interested (not the right topic or not the right time).
- Don't get discouraged - it's all about patience
- 12:03 to 12:58 - Ashland Closing Remarks
- More PR to come!
- Stay in touch, email us (ashland@cmbatx.com) or connect with us on social
If you like what you hear, share the podcast with your friends, rate and review. To stay in the loop - follow us on Twitter, Facebook or subscribe to the newsletter.
We'll be sticking around the world of PR for a couple more weeks and have some pros that we can't wait to introduce you to. Stay tuned!
Thanks!
Ashland, Creatives Meet Business