Episodes
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Todayâs guest writes for a major finance publication that we see all over Qwoted and HARO, and is heavily syndicated and featured on Apple/Google News, Yahoo, MSN, AOL, and more. Today weâll learn the kinds of stories a high-volume online publication writes and what exactly they need from publicists to complete their stories. Weâll start with analyzing a pitch for a seasonal shopping roundup then dive into media queries. Youâll walk away with sharpened knowledge of digital media strategy and utilize it to come out ahead and earn those syndicated features for your client.
In this episode, you'll learnâŠ
The types of stories a high-volume finance publication wants to publish
What to include in a seasonal shopping roundup pitch
Why consistent persistence matters (even if youâre just past the deadline- follow up!)
Our guests:
Heather Taylor is a senior finance writer for Go Banking Rates. And the head writer and brand mascot enthusiast for PopIcon, Advertising Weekâs blog dedicated to brand mascots. She has been published on HelloGiggles, Business Insider, The Story Exchange, Brit + Co, Thrive Global, and more.
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Most journalists we talk to tell us they get way too many pitches. When we were told by todayâs guest that sheâs experiencing the opposite problem, we knew we had to investigate! Today we learn all about local news and how to identify and tell a story that captivates a local audience. Hear about 2 real stories by a local NYC non-profit (and on the flipside a mention of the all-too-many âmissed opportunitiesâ) and walk away with inspiration for how to identify a story and sharpen your own storytelling skills.
In this episode, you'll learn from a local TV journalistâŠ
What makes a good, local news story
How newsrooms, producers, and journalists choose the stories they cover
How TV has adapted (and continues to adapt!) to a digital audience
Our guests:
Checkey Beckford is an EmmyÂź Award-winning reporter for NBC 4 New York. She covers breaking news and general assignment stories
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Episodes manquant?
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Do you ever come across an article that features an expert and only that expert throughout the whole piece? With curious envy, do you wonder how that story came to be? Well, today weâll find out! We talk shop with a fellow publicist and industry friend who owns her own boutique PR firm. Weâll break down a story that features her client front and center and learn how that story came to be. From it, youâll leave inspired to ideate stories that are interesting and culturally-relevant, allowing your client or brandâs expertise to fully shine!
In this episode, you'll learn how a self-employed publicistâŠ
Finds inspiration for winning story ideas and pitches
Strategizes a solid media outreach strategy
Measures and communicates to her clients
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Today we have a special episode. Instead of one guest, we have two! Catch a glimpse of two industry friends being candid on what itâs like to work in food and wine media. Youâll learn about what works and doesnât work when promoting a food/beverage brand. Gain insider knowledge to take your food and beverage PR strategy from OK to great, in this latest episode.
In this episode, you'll learnâŠ
Important editorial concepts (like short-lead and long-lead!) and PR tactics (like events) used by food/drink professionals
Common mistakes food/drink publicists make
What makes a good story in the food/drink media industry
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Ever wonder how some experts get to share their expertise through contributed articles in big, industry outlets? In this episode, we chat with a community editor whose job is to vet these kinds of pitches. Tune in to this episode if you want to understand the ins and outs of pitching contributed content on behalf of your expert.
In this episode, you'll learnâŠ
How a real contributed article came to be from pitch to publish
How to ideate a contributed article that editors want
What elements are needed in a contributed article pitch
Our guest:
Luz Corona, Community Editor at ADWEEK. She oversees the Voice section, the opinion column featuring perspectives from advertisers, marketers, influencers, and tech professionals. She also moderates interviews and panels, and co-hosts the flagship podcast, "Yeah, Thatâs Probably an Ad."
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Todayâs episode is all about media training. Our guest is a freelance writer (a repeat guest!) who has interviewed all sorts of experts and has a LOT of great insight into how we can all do better during this important part of the media relations process. Listen to this episode and walk away with new-found confidence and actionable tips needed to turn your good media training skills into great ones.
In this episode, you'll learnâŠ
Actionable tips to turn any expert into a great interviewer
Common mistakes made by experts (& publicists!) during interviews
How publicists can be better collaborators throughout the interview process
Our guest:
Joni Sweet is a freelance writer who focuses on travel, health, and wellness. Her work has been published by TIME, National Geographic, Forbes, SELF, Health magazine, Lonely Planet, TripSavvy, Real Simple,Yoga Journal, Frommerâs, and dozens of other publications.
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Although the media industry is constantly in flux, we have seen some significant changes over the past year that donât inspire confidence in the current stability of things. In light of news regarding layoffs across all industries, how can publicists become indefensible and solidify their spot at the table? Our guest today, a fellow publicist and digital PR expert, tells us how publicists have lasting, positive effects on companies well beyond media placements, and makes the case for highlighting these wins more than ever before.
In this episode, you'll learnâŠ
Why cross-collaboration is crucial for publicists to stay relevant
How to communicate and share your wins both privately and publicly (including social media!)
Real-world examples of modern-day PR campaigns and what they mean for the current state of PR and media
Our guest:
Tamara Sykes is a Caribbean-born PR pro who shapes brand narratives through impactful content and communications strategies. Currently, sheâs an Account Director at Stacker. She's also a devoted mom and wife, channeling her expertise to empower ambitious women of color to live their best lives via her brand, Baydian Girl.
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Today we have a guest who considers himself more of an SEO than PR. But, with the convergence of digital comes the reality that PR influences SEO and sometimes vice versa. With that in mind, we have a conversation all around clever ways to prospect and grow your media lists as well as answering the challenge of how to do this at-scale.
In this episode, you'll learnâŠ
How an SEO-focused professional approaches prospecting and emailing contacts
SEO tools and tactics you can leverage for PR
How to appropriately scale your list-building and emailing
Our guest:
Vince is the Director of Content Marketing at Buzzstream. He thinks content marketers should solve for users, not just Google. He also loves finding creative content online. His previous work includes Siege Media, Homebuyer.com, and The Grit Group. Outside of work, you can catch Vince playing with his 2 kids, enjoying some video games, or watching Phillies baseball.
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We have a repeat guest joining us today. Weâll talk about something thatâs been on her mind, which is the growth of asset-less PR in lieu of hero/content-led campaigns. Weâll discuss potential reasons why this may be, and what the potential opportunity cost is of forgoing the use of content in your PR strategy. Plus, she makes a pretty strong argument for âbuilding a moatâ and how to go about doing this to set your client or company apart from the competition.
In this episode, you'll learnâŠ
Why many companies should not solely rely on asset-less PR
The benefits of hero (aka content-led) PR
What âbuilding a moatâ means and how to get started
Our guest:
Hannah Smith, Director of Worderist-- a company that offers consultancy, coaching, training & support to help develop and grow Creative, Production, and PR teams, improve processes and deliver results. Smith is an award-winning creative who's been deep in the trenches of content and PR for more than 15 years.
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In this special episode, we explore mental health with executive coach and psychologist, Dr. Anne Welsh. Weâll cover perfectionism, imposter syndrome, and anxiety, along with actionable tips you can take to take control of your mental health through healthy coping mechanisms. From this, youâll walk away with your very own âmental healthâ toolbox you can access at times you may need it most.
In this episode, you'll learn from a psychologist & executive coachâŠ
How to identify perfectionism and how it may lead to anxiety and burnout
Why prioritizing self-care matters for all levels of employees within a workplace
Valuable insight, ideas, and tools to improve overall mental health and well-being
Our guest:
Dr. Anne Welsh is a distinguished psychologist & executive coach with a profound affinity for supporting women in leadership, and aiding working parents across diverse career landscapes. Beginning her career at Harvard, Dr. Welsh has since pivoted, dedicating her life to unraveling the interplay between career aspirations, personal fulfillment, and womenâs mental health throughout the lifespan. Her coaching brings together research and real life experiences to hone leadership skills, improve emotional intelligence and create work-life integration.
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In this episode, we analyze a real pitch sent under embargo by the CTO of a tech company to a tech reporter at a leading business publication. Weâll learn how and why this pitch worked, and gain some takeaways of how you too might secure a dream, spotlight coverage like this for your own client or employer.
In this episode, you'll learn all about pitching a reporter for The StreetâŠ
Why timing is everything with pitching stories
How a tech reporter views and utilizes embargos
Why efficiency and responsiveness is crucial to securing coverage
Our guest:
Ian is a tech reporter for TheStreet. He reports on the tech industry -- with a focus on artificial intelligence -- covering AI companies, safety, regulation and ethics extensively. As an offshoot of his tech coverage, Ian additionally covers Elon Musk and his many companies, namely Tesla and SpaceX, as well as the companies under the "Magnificent 7" umbrella. He is endlessly fascinated by the ongoing conversation around, and many implications of, artificial intelligence. Ian has previously written for CNBC, Patch.com, The Young Folks and Screenrant, among others.
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Todayâs episode we connect with a TV producer who has worked with both Britt and Jaclyn. Catch a glimpse into both of our worlds and come out inspired to build your own, rewarding relationship with an awesome producer doing important work. Along the way, youâll learn that some prescriptive advice (like brevity and digital-only) might not always apply, depending on who youâre reaching out to.
In this episode, you'll learn all about pitching an investigative producerâŠ
Details to help foster a working relationship the right way
Tips for having enough and the right information in your pitch
The kinds of stories they cover and how far in advance they plan
Our guest:
Daniela Molina is a bilingual Investigative Producer at Gray Television InvestigateTV who has a great interest in human trafficking and healthcare stories. Since her time at InvestigateTV she has covered abuse in nursing homes, bad doctors, and societal issues. She has also started her own franchise within the team called "Cuidando Su Billetera" which provides financial content to Spanish-speaking communities. Before joining InvestigateTV, Daniela interned for three summers with WTVJ (NBC) in South Florida and worked with their digital duopoly team. Daniela is a graduate of Indiana University with both a bachelorâs and master's in journalism.
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This season we will also be sharing the video recordings - yay! We figured we would test out the new video platform we're using and give a little teaser into the 2024 season. Keep an eye on your feeds for new episodes dropping in March. TTFN!
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Todayâs episode stems from a freelance journalistâs heartfelt confession of how she deals with nerves before conducting interviews. As publicists, we too deal with these nerves, but to hear it from the other side? Refreshing. We speak with our guest regarding her experience of working with sources and come out understanding just how much care goes into a freelance journalistâs work. Weâll cover how shopping roundups are put together and how older pitches and smaller, âhometown expertsâ (think: local podiatrist) fit into this world. With it, come out on top with new ways to provide value to those reporters whose mission is simply to make their audienceâs lives better.
In this episode, you'll learn whyâŠ
key phrases matter with pitches and story ideas
imaginary editorial headlines create winning subject lines
ALL experts should pay attention to shopping stories
Our guest is:
Diana Kelly Levey is a freelance writer, journalist, published author, and editor whose work has been featured in outlets such as Health, Real Simple, InStyle, and Reader's Digest, just to name a few. She has 20 years of experience working for national publications and award-winning brands on staff and as a freelancer. She thrives when she is covering topics, products, and services that help people and can improve readersâ lives in some way.
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Our guest today, a freelance health reporter, doesn't use PR pitches to write her stories. And, despite this, she still works with publicists! So how does it all work? This episode is all about the art of answering media queries. If you remember Casey's episodes, we've already talked about HARO extensively on the podcast. This week, however, we're jumping off from the #journorequest hashtag and talking about Qwoted. We're also covering lots of interesting details in between. Get an insider's look at how these different services fit in and complement one another, and walk away from this episode empowered to really take charge when you see relevant queries come in. Spoiler: our guest shares the story of receiving commentary written by ai (yes, there are tools to identify that). You won't want to miss this episode!
In this episode, you'll learn...
How a freelance health journalist lines up her stories The current landscape of media query tools and services Best practices for responding to these queriesOur guest is...
Taneia Surles, MPH, a freelance health writer, editor, and public health professional. She holds a bachelorâs and a masterâs degree in public health from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She has bylines in AARP, Health, Healthline, Insider, Parents, Verywell Health, and other publications. -
This is the story of a piece that almost wasnât meant to be. And, if youâre into interior design, youâll especially want to give this episode a listen. Our guest shares how a trending topic, unlikely pitch, and serendipitous encounter with a stranger all culminated into a nice, long feature with beautiful imagery for the Wall Street Journal. Gain insider tips for pitching a national lifestyle freelance writer, and so much more.
In this episode, youâll learnâŠ
âHow a big feature (with original imagery!) is put together for a top tier outlet
âWhy social trends matter to journalists and editors (hello again, TikTok!)
âWhat additional info helps a freelance writer make an informed decision (transparency is always key!)
Our guest is:
Kelsey Ogletree, an Alabama-based independent journalist covering travel, food, design and golf. Her work has appeared in various print and digital outlets, from Midwest Living and Real Simple to The Wall Street Journal and Allrecipes. Sheâs also the founder of Pitchcraft, a journalist-led membership platform helping PR professionals build relationships with freelance writers and editors in the national consumer lifestyle space.
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In this episode, dive into a story of a digital fashion journalist who moved forward with a piece, despite pushback from the subjectsâ corporate communications department. From it, youâll learn how smaller brands can step up to the plate and provide value to a digital journalist in the age of TikTok, competing with corporations for coverage in a top fashion outlet.
In this episode, you'll learnâŠ
How the economy, pop culture, and social media all play roles in online fashion reporting
Why data may be just as powerful as a product sample for some fashion reporters
How brand previews and other aspects of the fashion reporting industry work
Our guest is:
Frances Solå-Santiago, a journalist from Puerto Rico, works as a fashion writer at Refinery29. She also writes for publications like The New York Times, The Cut, Rolling Stone, NPR, Numéro, Glamour, Remezcla, and Bustle, covering fashion, beauty, music, and culture.
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Our guest today is a media veteran with over 30 years of experience. He’s been on both the PR and journalism side of things and lately has been the executive editor at a trade publication. We end up talking quite a bit of shop with him. Hear us chat about the past, present, and future of media, and so much more, on today’s episode.
In this episode, you'll learn about pitching a trade publication…
What the benefits are of sitting in on interviews
How far in advance you should pitch a story
How editorial calendars and news wires can be useful tools
Our guest is:
Greg Sleter, executive editor and associate publisher of Store Brands, which covers the world of retail and private brand products. He has worked in the world of communications for nearly 30 years. Most of his career has been spent in journalism, working for several B2B and consumer-facing news outlets. He has also worked in PR for two Long Island, NY-based healthcare systems. -
Todayâs episode features a guest who covers media agencies for Adweek and is very open about how to pitch her and others at her publication. We go over the bigger picture of what to do and not do when pitching her and her colleagues, as well as where she maintains all this information for publicists to review at any time. Walk away from this episode with more tools in your toolkit of how to better collaborate, including new ones we hadnât heard of ourselves
In this episode, you'll learnâŠ
What the nuances of an Adweek journalistâs coverage are
How to host a productive in-person meeting with a journalist
Why online communities might help you level up your networking skills
Our guest is:
Olivia Morley is a senior agencies reporter at Adweek focused on media agencies. Previously, she worked on Forresterâs media agency research and was an editorial strategist for Samsungâs Business Insights publication. Olivia holds a B.A. in English from Boston College and attended the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY as a visiting student. She is based in Boston, MA and is originally from Salt Lake City, UT.
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Today we have an awesome education journalist who focuses on consumer advice. Unfortunately, even some of the most well-meaning publicists get his name and his beat wrong all of the time. We find that even with some of the most seasoned professionals, these mistakes are surprisingly easy to make in a fast-paced, efficient environment. Listen on to find out how some things that may seem obvious still fall through the cracks.
In this episode, you'll learn how toâŠ
Triple-check your media lists and pitches
Understand the nuances of a journalistâs beat
Avoid being overtly self-promotional
Our guest is:
Cole Douglas Claybourn is a reporter who primarily covers the transition from high school to college. Heâs also a writer and podcast producer for Sports Spectrum, which covers the intersection of sports and faith, as well as his Christian podcast, âIn No Hurry.â Before that, Cole spent five years as a public educator where he taught high school English and served as the Student Publications Advisor. He also worked for the Evansville Courier & Press and the Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer, where he covered both news and sports on a regional scale.
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