There’s an art and a strategy to getting exposure for your company or event. Half the battle is understanding how the press thinks so you can get your foot in the door. The other half is determining what you’re going to say to connect with your audience once you’ve landed on the pages.
In last Tuesday’s Twitter EventProfs chat, Rachel Globus, Editor in Chief of Event Solutions Magazine and co-founder of The Social Media Workshop was our guest expert – providing ideas and insights on how to conquer the ‘getting press’ battle. And, I’m so delighted to say that she’s recapped her recommendations for ready2spark readers below:
1.Magazines are puzzles.
Each type of article they run is a uniquely shaped piece. To get in, figure out how you can be the right shape to fit into the puzzle. Say you just ran a successful fundraising event. You could blast a generic press release and hope that of the hundreds of emails that appear in an editor’s inbox, she’ll take the time to open yours, read it in its entirety and contemplate how she could make it part of her next issue. Or, you could learn that, for example, Event Solutions runs a monthly column, “It Report,” on event design trends and show the editor how your centerpiece concept fits right into their next article.
2. Read their editorial calendar.
An editorial calendar lists topics or stories the publication plans to cover during the year so that advertisers can decide where they fit best. But it’s also a great resource for savvy publicity seekers, because it tells you exactly what they’re looking for. Find it in their media kit or in their advertising information (ES’s is available in our
media kit). Remember that magazines usually work a couple months ahead, so pitch accordingly, and ask about the magazine’s schedule when you talk to the editor.
3. Increase your odds. Magazines are divided into departments, which run every issue, and features, which change every month. Look at which departments are written by magazine staff or freelancers, and which are open to industry experts. Pitch yourself for the latter. For example, the two easiest columns to get into in ES are It Report and
Event Life, which tells a first-person story about some aspect of being in the events world.
4. Build relationships in person.It’s much easier to get through the clutter when you’re a face, not an email address.5. Ask the right questions.
Tempting as it is, don’t walk up to an editor and say, “So how can I get in your magazine?” Instead of asking them to help you, show how you can help them by assessing their needs and providing relevant ideas. Ask: “What are you working on? What are your needs?”6. Have great high-resolution pictures.
This depends on the publication, but in today’s media environment, having print-quality images make it that much easier for the magazine to feature you. Although websites don’t require as high resolution, it’s still a visual environment and having images on hand can only help you.7. Enter Event Solutions’ cover contest.
ES has an ongoing cover contest — submit a high-res picture, and you could find yourself on the cover of the event industry’s premier publication! Double your results by promoting your achievement to your
LinkedIn,
Facebook and Twitter networks.
8. Don’t be discouraged. Editors are inundated with information, so don’t take it personally if you don’t hear back. Always follow up in case — you may have simply gotten lost in their inbox — and keep checking in every couple of months. WE NEED CONTENT!
To read more tips and ideas from Rachel Globus, be sure to subscribe to Event Solutions Magazine (available online or in print).
Lara McCulloch-Carter
Author of the Special Event blog ready2spark
Director of Marketing – Regal Tent Productions
President – ISES Toronto
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