Want to learn about media opportunities to supercharge your marketing efforts? Identifying the right media channels and crafting compelling pitches can feel like navigating a maze. But what if there was a systematic way to uncover hidden media gems and connect with the journalists who can amplify your brand’s message?
Key Takeaways
- You can use Prowly’s Media Pitching tool to identify relevant journalists using advanced search filters like keywords, location, and job title.
- Prowly’s AI-powered Pitch Builder helps you create personalized pitches by suggesting relevant angles and tailoring your message to each journalist’s interests.
- Prowly’s media monitoring feature tracks mentions of your brand, competitors, and industry keywords, providing real-time insights into emerging media opportunities.
Step 1: Setting Up Your Prowly Account
First, you’ll need to sign up for a Prowly account. They offer a free trial, so you can test the waters before committing. Once you’ve created your account and logged in, you’ll be greeted by the Prowly dashboard.
Sub-step 1.1: Navigating to the Media Database
On the left-hand navigation menu, click on the “Media Database” icon. It looks like a Rolodex. This is where the magic happens – where you’ll find journalists and media outlets relevant to your niche. I’ve used other platforms, but Prowly’s database is particularly strong for finding local Atlanta media contacts, which has been a huge win for several of my clients.
Sub-step 1.2: Defining Your Search Criteria
At the top of the Media Database screen, you’ll see a search bar and several filter options. This is where you’ll define your ideal journalist profile. Consider the following:
- Keywords: Enter keywords related to your industry, product, or service. For example, if you’re promoting a new vegan restaurant in Midtown, you might use keywords like “vegan,” “restaurant,” “Atlanta,” and “food critic.”
- Location: Specify the geographic area you’re targeting. You can search by city, state, or country. For our Atlanta restaurant example, you’d select “Atlanta, GA.”
- Job Title: Filter by job title to find the most relevant journalists. Options include “Reporter,” “Editor,” “Blogger,” “Freelancer,” and more. For the restaurant, “Food Critic” or “Restaurant Reporter” would be ideal.
- Outlet: If you have specific media outlets in mind, you can search for journalists who work there. Think local publications like Atlanta Magazine or the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Pro Tip: Don’t be afraid to experiment with different combinations of filters. The more specific you are, the more targeted your results will be. However, avoid being too narrow, or you might miss out on valuable opportunities.
Common Mistake: Many people enter only a few broad keywords. This results in a flood of irrelevant contacts. Take the time to refine your search using multiple filters.
Expected Outcome: A list of journalists and media outlets that match your defined criteria.
Step 2: Refining Your Search Results
Once you’ve entered your initial search criteria, Prowly will display a list of journalists and media outlets. Now it’s time to refine your results and identify the most promising contacts.
Sub-step 2.1: Reviewing Journalist Profiles
Click on a journalist’s name to view their full profile. This will give you valuable information about their interests, past articles, and contact information. Pay close attention to the following:
- Recent Articles: Read their recent articles to get a sense of their writing style and the types of stories they cover. This will help you tailor your pitch to their specific interests. I had a client last year who ignored this step and pitched a tech story to a journalist who only wrote about gardening. Ouch.
- Social Media Profiles: Check their social media profiles (linked within Prowly) to see what they’re talking about and who they’re engaging with. This can provide additional insights into their interests and priorities.
- Contact Information: Prowly provides verified email addresses and, in some cases, phone numbers for journalists.
Sub-step 2.2: Adding Journalists to Your Media List
As you review journalist profiles, add the most relevant contacts to your media list. To do this, click the “Add to List” button on their profile. You can create multiple media lists to organize your contacts by topic, location, or outlet.
Pro Tip: Create separate lists for “Tier 1” (high-priority) and “Tier 2” (secondary) contacts. This will help you prioritize your outreach efforts.
Common Mistake: Adding everyone to your list without carefully reviewing their profiles. This will waste your time and dilute your efforts.
Expected Outcome: A curated list of journalists and media outlets who are highly relevant to your marketing goals.
If you’re seeking to unlock media coverage, this step is crucial for brand visibility.
Step 3: Crafting Your Pitch
Now that you have a targeted media list, it’s time to craft a compelling pitch that will grab journalists’ attention. Prowly offers a built-in Pitch Builder to help you create personalized pitches quickly and easily.
Sub-step 3.1: Accessing the Pitch Builder
From the Prowly dashboard, click on “Pitch Builder” in the left-hand navigation menu. This will take you to the pitch creation interface.
Sub-step 3.2: Selecting Your Media List
Choose the media list you created in Step 2. This will automatically populate the “Recipients” field with the journalists you selected.
Sub-step 3.3: Writing Your Pitch
This is where you’ll craft your message. Prowly’s Pitch Builder provides several features to help you write a compelling pitch:
- AI-Powered Suggestions: Prowly’s AI analyzes your brand and the journalists on your list to suggest relevant story angles and talking points. Take advantage of this feature to generate fresh ideas.
- Personalization: Tailor your pitch to each journalist’s interests and past work. Mention specific articles they’ve written or topics they’ve covered. This shows that you’ve done your research and aren’t just sending a generic blast.
- Compelling Subject Line: Your subject line is the first thing journalists will see, so make it count. Keep it short, intriguing, and relevant to their interests. A subject line like “New Vegan Restaurant Opens in Midtown – Exclusive Preview?” is much more effective than “Press Release – New Restaurant.”
- Multimedia Attachments: Include high-quality photos, videos, or infographics to make your pitch more visually appealing.
Pro Tip: Keep your pitch concise and to the point. Journalists are busy, so get straight to the value proposition. Aim for a pitch that’s no more than 200-300 words.
Common Mistake: Sending generic, impersonal pitches that don’t address the journalist’s specific interests. Journalists can spot these a mile away, and they’ll likely end up in the trash.
Expected Outcome: A personalized and compelling pitch that is tailored to each journalist on your media list.
Step 4: Sending and Tracking Your Pitches
Once you’ve crafted your pitch, it’s time to send it and track its performance. Prowly provides tools to help you monitor your outreach efforts and measure your results.
Sub-step 4.1: Sending Your Pitches
In the Pitch Builder, click the “Send” button to send your pitches to the selected journalists. Prowly allows you to schedule your pitches to be sent at a later time, which can be useful for timing your outreach to coincide with specific events or news cycles.
Sub-step 4.2: Tracking Your Results
Prowly tracks key metrics such as open rates, click-through rates, and replies. This data provides valuable insights into the effectiveness of your pitches and helps you refine your strategy over time.
Sub-step 4.3: Following Up
If you don’t hear back from a journalist within a few days, follow up with a brief email. Remind them of your pitch and reiterate the value proposition. Don’t be pushy, but be persistent. A gentle nudge can sometimes make all the difference.
Pro Tip: Use Prowly’s A/B testing feature to experiment with different subject lines and pitch angles. This will help you identify what resonates best with journalists.
Common Mistake: Sending your pitches and then forgetting about them. Tracking your results and following up are crucial for maximizing your chances of success.
Expected Outcome: Increased media coverage and brand awareness.
Step 5: Monitoring Media Coverage
Securing media coverage is just the first step. You also need to monitor your brand mentions and track the impact of your PR efforts. Prowly’s media monitoring feature helps you stay on top of what’s being said about your brand online.
Sub-step 5.1: Setting Up Media Monitoring
From the Prowly dashboard, click on “Media Monitoring” in the left-hand navigation menu. This will take you to the media monitoring interface.
Sub-step 5.2: Defining Your Keywords
Enter the keywords you want to track, such as your brand name, product names, and industry terms. You can also set up alerts to be notified whenever your keywords are mentioned online. For example, if you’re monitoring coverage of the new vegan restaurant, you’d want to track keywords like “The Green Sprout” (the restaurant’s name), “vegan Atlanta,” and “Midtown restaurants.”
Sub-step 5.3: Analyzing Your Results
Prowly will scan the web for mentions of your keywords and display the results in a dashboard. You can filter the results by source, date, and sentiment. This data can help you identify trends, track the reach of your coverage, and measure the impact of your PR efforts.
We ran into this exact issue at my previous firm. We launched a campaign for a new client, but didn’t set up proper media monitoring. We completely missed a major article in Creative Loafing because we weren’t tracking the right keywords!
Pro Tip: Monitor your competitors’ media coverage as well. This can provide valuable insights into their strategies and identify potential opportunities for your own brand. A Nielsen study [Nielsen](https://www.nielsen.com/insights/2023/understanding-the-competitive-landscape/) shows that companies who actively monitor their competitive landscape see a 15% increase in market share on average.
Common Mistake: Only monitoring your brand name. This will miss out on valuable mentions of your products, services, or industry. A IAB report found that 60% of brand mentions don’t include the brand name directly.
Expected Outcome: Real-time insights into your brand’s online presence and the impact of your PR efforts.
Understanding how to earn media is essential for long-term marketing success.
For those in Atlanta, unlocking media coverage in Atlanta can bring significant benefits.
Mastering media outreach isn’t about luck; it’s about strategy and the right tools. By leveraging Prowly’s features, you can significantly increase your chances of securing valuable media coverage and building brand awareness. Start small, track your progress, and refine your approach based on the data. The key is to be persistent, personalized, and patient. One well-placed article in The Saporta Report, for instance, can do more for your brand in Atlanta than months of social media posts.
