An Editorial Calendar is a way to pitch the press with an angle they're already planning to cover

Do you know what an Editorial Calendar is? A valuable tool in trying to secure media coverage, an Editorial Calendar is a list of planned stories for upcoming issues in magazines, newspapers and websites so you can pitch the press with an angle they’re already planning to cover. Advertisers use them to decide which issues to place their ads in, and PR professionals use them to decide when to pitch specific outlets and with what angle.

How to Get an Editorial Calendar

1. Decide which publication(s) you’d like to target.
2. Check their website to see if it’s posted online or downloadable. The best places to look are in their media kit and/or in their advertisers section.
3. If you can’t find the Editorial Calendar online, call the media outlet, ask for their advertising or sales department, and request a media kit, which will include demographic information, ad rates and an Editorial Calendar. They’ll either email you a PDF or mail a hard copy version.

How to Use an Editorial Calendar

1. Make note of the stories that would be applicable to your company.
2. With lead times in mind (large magazines have about a 6-month lead time, whereas online targets have a much shorter lead time – sometimes even just a few weeks), check the calendar to make sure there’s still time to pitch them.
3. Carefully craft a pitch that ties your company to their upcoming story and email it to the appropriate reporter at the publication. For example, if you’re pitching a food angle you should contact the Food Editor. For a line of beauty products, a Beauty Writer.

If you aren’t able to find an email address or want to follow up via phone, give the reporter a call. We always recommend the following when calling reporters.

• Know what you’re going to say before you call, and make sure it includes some substance. Simply calling to make sure they got your email is an annoyance to the journalist. Instead, tell them about your pitch and offer additional value – such as another angle or a potential interviewee (besides yourself).
• If they answer the phone, ask if they’re on deadline before you jump into your oral pitch. If they are, ask when would be a better time to call back. If not, jump in but keep your pitch as brief (while still compelling) as possible.
• If you get their voicemail, don’t speak too quickly. Include your phone number at the beginning and end of the message along with your pitch. I always like to include my email address as well so they can contact me that way if it’s more convenient. Just make sure you spell your address slowly and clearly so they have time to write it down.

Not sure how to find a reporter’s email address or phone number? Stay tuned – I’ll cover that in my next post!

In the meantime, here are a few additional blog posts that might help:

• How to Get Editorial Coverage in Media Outlets Like Oprah’s Magazine
• 9 Dos and Don’ts for Working with the Media
• DIY PR – 3 Subject Line Tips
• Before You Pitch the Media
• How to Pitch Your Story

Photo Credit: DafneCholet

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Think about presentation when going after editorial coverage

One of the questions we ask our clients at the beginning of each editorial media relations campaign is “If you could be in any media outlet, which would you choose?”

The answer is almost always O, The Oprah Magazine. Although not every product or service is ideal for O, there is an outlet out there that they would be good for. So how do you find that media outlet, pitch the right journalist and secure editorial coverage?

To find your ideal media outlet, think about the following two questions:

• Who is your target demographic?
• What do they read?

Once you figure out what outlet would be a good fit, ask similar questions to make sure it’s a good fit:

• Who is the outlet’s target demographic?
• Would your product or service’s price point fit within their budget?

Here are 5 things to keep in mind once you’ve selected your ideal media outlet:

1. Do your homework. Find out who the best contact at the outlet is. For example, if you have a beauty product, contacting the Food Editor won’t get you very far. Make sure the person you contact actually writes or talks about items similar to your product or service.
2. Make sure your pitch is meaningful. If there’s no reason for the journalist’s readers, listeners or viewers to care, they have no reason to care either. Think about how your product or service would truly make their lives better. It’s always good to find out what the publication chooses to care about as a whole and tie it into why their readers, listeners or viewers would be interested in your product or service.
3. Craft your pitch carefully – and concisely. A well-crafted pitch is vital to piquing a reporter’s interest. Keep it short and to the point while making it meaningful. Journalists are busy people, and they don’t have time to read a 6-page pitch, even if it is written well.
4. Think about presentation. If you receive a sample request, think about the package’s presentation. Your packaging is part of your brand, so make sure it looks clean, sharp and professional. You don’t have to break the bank to do this, but “WOW!” factor goes a long way with the press and should be strived for with every single press sample, no matter which outlet it is going to.
5. Be pleasantly persistent. Follow up with the reporter – but remember to stay polite! At Three Girls we call it pleasant persistence. Follow up enough to remind them of the sample you sent, but not so much that you become a thorn in their side. It helps to offer additional value in your follow up, too, such as another story angle or benefit for their readers.

Do you have any additional tips for securing editorial media coverage in outlets like O, The Oprah Magazine?

Photo Credit: Cláudia*~Assad

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I recently experienced a bit of a role reversal. For a volunteer project with my church, I offered to research prices of local print shops to find out what would be most cost-effective for the quality we were looking for. It’s one of the few times that I was asking about prices, services, etc. as opposed to telling potential clients about what Three Girls offers. Being on the opposite side of the sale was a great exercise for me – it reminded me that there are techniques you should use while closing the sale.

1. Work with their preferred method of contact. In my case, this was a volunteer project, so I couldn’t spend a lot of time on the phone during the day – I needed to be working. Fortunately, email communication allowed me to respond to people during breaks or after hours. There were a couple of companies that called and left a voicemail following my initial inquiry, and completely ignored me when I told them email was a better way to get a hold of me. Needless to say, their companies were crossed off the list.

2. Answer all their questions. As I was pricing and comparing several different companies in the area, I had a standard list of questions for each potential vendor. I sent each of them the same list so I could compare them accurately. I found it very frustrating that one of the people didn’t answer all of my questions. In fact, I needed to ask a couple of them several times before they were answered. It made me wonder if that’s what our working relationship would be like were we to choose them.

3. Follow up effectively. Following up is a necessary part of sales as potential customers have a lot going on. One of the printers sent me some samples of their work so I could see the level of quality we could expect from them. When she followed up, all she said was “Did you get the samples?” That’s a good question to ask, but it won’t get you all the information you’re looking for. I’m sure she wanted to know more than if I got the samples. She wanted to know what I thought of them, if I was impressed, and if I was still considering working with her company. You can ask all those questions when you follow up, just be nice about it without bombarding the recipient with questions. Here’s an example:

Hi Emily,

Just a quick note to follow up regarding the postcards I sent. What did you think? Personally, I love our pre-printed nature line. A lot of customers have found them useful in promoting their eco-friendly business. Do you know when you’ll make a decision about this year’s postcard needs? Please let me know if there is anything else I can send to help.

All the best,
Emily

Ultimately, the best you can do is tell the potential customer how you can help and answer their questions – the rest is up to them. Being attentive to what they say and ask will go a long way in making you stand out from the competition. What additional tips would you include in this list?

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