In this episode, journalist and content strategist Matt Swenson shares insights from his 20 years in the industry, including how PR professionals in the sports world—and local tourism—can adopt a newsroom mindset. We explore the importance of timeliness, authentic storytelling, and relationship-building, using a standout campaign from Hattiesburg, Mississippi, as a case study. Whether you're working in sports, tourism, or PR in general, this conversation is packed with actionable advice you won't want to miss.
In this episode of Digital PR Explained, Dan Berthiaume, Senior Editor of Chain Store Age, breaks down how to pitch exclusive Q&A interviews that stand out. Learn what editors are looking for, common mistakes to avoid, and actionable tips to refine your strategy.
Big news! We Earn Media is wrapping up, but the journey doesn’t end here. Join Britt Klontz on Digital PR Explained for more PR insights and strategies. Follow the new podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to keep learning and growing with us. Thank you for your support over the years—we can’t wait to see you on the new feed!
Today’s 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 we’ll learn the kinds of stories a high-volume online publication writes and what exactly they need from publicists to complete their stories. We’ll start with analyzing a pitch for a seasonal shopping roundup then dive into media queries. You’ll 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 learn…
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 you’re 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 Week’s blog dedicated to brand mascots. She has been published on HelloGiggles, Business Insider, The Story Exchange, Brit + Co, Thrive Global, and more.
Most journalists we talk to tell us they get way too many pitches. When we were told by today’s guest that she’s 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 “missed opportunities”) 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 journalist…
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 Emmy® Award-winning reporter for NBC 4 New York. She covers breaking news and general assignment stories
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 we’ll find out! We talk shop with a fellow publicist and industry friend who owns her own boutique PR firm. We’ll break down a story that features her client front and center and learn how that story came to be. From it, you’ll leave inspired to ideate stories that are interesting and culturally-relevant, allowing your client or brand’s expertise to fully shine!
In this episode, you'll learn how a self-employed publicist…
Finds inspiration for winning story ideas and pitches
Strategizes a solid media outreach strategy
Measures and communicates to her clients
Today we have a special episode. Instead of one guest, we have two! Catch a glimpse of two industry friends being candid on what it’s like to work in food and wine media. You’ll learn about what works and doesn’t 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 learn…
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
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 learn…
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, That’s Probably an Ad."
Today’s 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 learn…
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, Frommer’s, and dozens of other publications.
Although the media industry is constantly in flux, we have seen some significant changes over the past year that don’t 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 learn…
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, she’s 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.
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 learn…
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.
We have a repeat guest joining us today. We’ll talk about something that’s been on her mind, which is the growth of asset-less PR in lieu of hero/content-led campaigns. We’ll 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 “building a moat” and how to go about doing this to set your client or company apart from the competition.
In this episode, you'll learn…
Why many companies should not solely rely on asset-less PR
The benefits of hero (aka content-led) PR
What “building a moat” 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.
In this special episode, we explore mental health with executive coach and psychologist, Dr. Anne Welsh. We’ll 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, you’ll walk away with your very own “mental health” toolbox you can access at times you may need it most.
In this episode, you'll learn from a psychologist & executive coach…
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 women’s 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.
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. We’ll 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 Street…
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.
Today’s 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, you’ll learn that some prescriptive advice (like brevity and digital-only) might not always apply, depending on who you’re reaching out to.
In this episode, you'll learn all about pitching an investigative producer…
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 bachelor’s and master's in journalism.
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!
Today’s episode stems from a freelance journalist’s 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 journalist’s work. We’ll cover how shopping roundups are put together and how older pitches and smaller, “hometown experts” (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 audience’s lives better.
In this episode, you'll learn why…
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 readers’ lives in some way.
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...
Our guest is...
This is the story of a piece that almost wasn’t meant to be. And, if you’re into interior design, you’ll 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, you’ll learn…
–How a big feature (with original imagery!) is put together for a top tier outlet
–Why social trends matter to journalists and editors (hello again, TikTok!)
–What 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. She’s 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.
In this episode, dive into a story of a digital fashion journalist who moved forward with a piece, despite pushback from the subjects’ corporate communications department. From it, you’ll 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 learn…
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 Solá-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.