Are you constantly trying to guess what the media will be writing about next, and getting it wrong?
Knowing in advance what a journalist will be writing about can help you to pitch the right angle at the right time to gain media coverage.
By doing some research and looking in the right places you can find media opportunities and call-outs from journalists looking for a source to interview.
PR in your Pajamas has provided some great tips to help you find out in advance what a journalist may be writing about.
Editorial calendars
Most magazines plan their content and story topics for the whole year and put this information into an editorial calendar. By looking at this calendar you can pitch yourself to the magazine as an expert to discuss one of the planned topics.
Editorial calendars are usually part of a publication’s media kit and can often be found on its website. Alternatively you can email or call the publication to ask for a copy.
Social media
It’s a good idea to follow journalists and publications on social media so you can see what they are writing about and what they are interested in. Journalists may also post call-outs for a source to interview about a story they are working on. This is a great way to find media opportunities and get to know a journalist more.
Editorial sections
Some journalists are assigned a general topic or section to write stories about. For example, a journalist may be assigned technology, which means they only write articles about this topic.
You can find out the topics journalists normally cover by keeping a close eye on the media. Read the daily news, trade publications, magazines and eNewsletters and take note of the journalists who write each story.
By constantly reading the news you can discover when a new story breaks and use this to pitch yourself in as an expert. This will also help you to pitch your story to the right journalist who may be interested in it.
SourceBottle
SourceBottle is on a website and eNewsletter which helps journalists and bloggers find expert sources for their stories. You can subscribe to the eNewsletter and receive media opportunities sent straight to your inbox twice a day.
If one of the opportunities applies to your area of expertise you can pitch yourself as an expert to interview. If the journalist is interested they will respond to you. This is a great way to gain a media opportunity and find out what journalists are writing about.
Stop guessing what a journalist may be writing about and do some research to make your PR activities more effective.
Read the full article here.
Sydney Public Relations Agency, CP Communications provides specialist media, traditional and online PR strategies that get amazing results. Contact us today. For more great tips visit our website www.cpcommunications.com.au.
