Media Outreach Strategies That Work

Your competitor just got booked on Bloomberg. Same industry. Same talking points. Same news cycle. But they moved in 3 hours, and you're still "running it by the team." After 20 years as a TV producer, and 7+ years doing PR,  here’s what I know: Reporters need experts TODAY. Not when your product launches. Not when your rebrand is ready. Today. Here's the system that gets my clients booked on CNBC, Bloomberg, and Fox Business every single week: Step #1: Track what reporters are already covering.  → Set Google Alerts for your industry keywords.  → Check what's trending on business news sites every morning. Step #2: Ask yourself ONE question…  → "Can I add something to this story that nobody else is saying?" If yes, move fast. Step #3: Pitch the story they're writing, not the story you want to tell.  → Wrong: "I'd love to discuss our new product features" → Right: "I have data on how the Fed decision is impacting commercial real estate that contradicts what's being reported" Step #4: Be ready to talk within 3 hours →  If you need approval from 5 people and a legal review, you're too slow.  → The booking goes to whoever can move fastest. (This will either be YOU or your competitor). Step #5: Follow up on what worked → One placement leads to another. → Bloomberg sees you on CBS. Forbes sees you on Bloomberg. It compounds. This is how you build the credibility that makes institutional investors take your calls. This is how you become the recognized expert who prospects Google before they respond to your outreach. The companies getting consistent media coverage aren't luckier than you. They just learned to spot the door opening.

The most expensive myth about media relations: "We'll wait until we have something to announce." Here's what happens when you wait: → You announce funding → You pitch 50 journalists you've never spoken to → 2 respond (maybe) → 0 understand your category well enough to write a compelling story Here's what happens when you start early: → You set a search alert for [your problem space] → You follow journalists who report on it → You send a note about an article they wrote: "This resonated. Here's an angle you might find useful for a follow-up." → They respond (or they don't—but now they've seen your name) → You do this consistently for 3-6 months By moving like this, when you're ready to announce something, you're not cold-pitching strangers. Instead, you're reaching out to people who already know your expertise. One treats media as a transaction for their campaign. The other approaches it as a system for maintaining relationships. One signals noise. The other signals relevance. The results speak for themselves. Build the system. The campaigns work better.

A few weeks ago Monique Kelley Gigliotti kindly invited me to speak to her Media Strategies & Management class at Boston University’s College of Communications. I showed them two pitches of the same story: V1: "We’re launching a new project management software that boosts efficiency." V2: “As remote work becomes permanent, traditional 9-5 schedules are obsolete. A new workplace model called 'windowed work' allows employees to work in focused bursts around caregiving, boosting productivity while accommodating real life." V1 is what the client thought was news. V2 is what got them a feature in Business Insider, TODAY, and Fortune. Here's how I taught the class to take what a client hands you and make it newsworthy: 1. Match it to the journalist you’re pitching. Study your journalist beforehand. Connect your story to recent news they’ve covered. Is there a local angle you can feature? Write your headline to match their style. Avoid industry jargon. 2. Tie it to a topic their audience cares about. Do the journalist’s thinking for them. Transform your angle into what’s already making headlines: recent legislation, viral trends, breaking news. Be specific. Generic pitches get deleted. 3. Add conflict, tension, or novelty. What’s provocative about your story? Find an angle that challenges conventional wisdom, highlights controversy, or surprises the reader. Keep it current. Old news from three months ago won't cut it. 4. Include proof points that make your story relevant. Claims without evidence get ignored. What’s the human impact? Show the numbers. Is there research to back up your claim? Cite studies. Legitimize your story by naming notable people or established companies. 5. Make it about the audience's problems. Pitches that read like ads end up in the trash. So do "just wanted to introduce you to..." emails with no news hook. You're helping journalists serve their readers, not your client's ego. Frame your pitch around real problems, and your product becomes the natural solution. The secret isn't making your announcement sound more exciting. It's finding the angle that serves the journalist's audience first and validates your client's story second. If you keep pitching what clients hand you without making it newsworthy, you're doing client relations - not PR. What's the most challenging pitch transformation you've ever done? 🤔

Need some solid media wins for a client? Over the course of more than 25 years in PR, there's one strategy I've found works better than almost any other. Arranging a deskside briefing tour with the company's CEO. 👉 Pick a city (New York is an obvious choice) 👉 Pick a date 👉 Create a well-researched and well-targeted media list 👉 Develop a pitch that offers an in-person meeting and a handful of meaningful topics 👉 Get to pitching, 2-3 weeks out from the target date Often, the right reporters will jump at the opportunity for face time with a CEO in an industry they cover. What kinds of topics seem to resonate best in my pitches? ✅ The state of the industry from your CEO's perspective ✅ Predictions and insights into what's coming (even better when you can tie it into a new year "what to expect in 2024") ✅ How the company is addressing timely subjects, like incorporating AI into their processes ✅ Any kind of preview of breaking news that's coming I've booked dozens and dozens of deskside briefing tours and hundreds of interviews. They almost always result in some kind of solid coverage. Just this week I booked a one-day New York briefing tour. The client is meeting with Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal and MarketWatch, among others. When you need a tactic that delivers, consider this one. It has never let me down. 👊 #mediarelations #briefings #mediatour

If you want backlinks from Forbes, HubSpot, or Insider and you don’t want to spend a single dollar, journalist outreach is your best bet. Despite the rise of AI content, influencer marketing, and countless “link-building hacks,” journalist outreach remains one of the most effective strategies for acquiring authority links that actually move the needle. And it’s not just about SEO metrics; these links signal credibility, trust, and relevance to both search engines and human audiences. Journalists are always looking for stories, insights, and data. If you can provide them something newsworthy, helpful, or unique, you’re giving them exactly what they need and in return, your brand earns placement on highly authoritative sites. This is why Traffic Think Tank has leaned heavily into this tactic. Over the past year, they used journalist outreach to 10x both visibility and revenue. It was a combination of research, relationship-building, and crafting stories that journalists actually want to cover. The key isn’t mass email blasts. It’s precision, personalization, and positioning your insights in ways that serve the journalist’s audience. Because in 2025, the principles haven’t changed: -Authority still matters. Links from top publications carry weight beyond just SEO. -Storytelling is still the differentiator. Data, insights, and actionable advice make journalists’ jobs easier and make your pitch irresistible. -Patience and persistence win. This isn’t a one-and-done tactic; it’s a strategy that compounds over time. If you’re serious about earning links that actually matter, mastering outreach is the first step. Always.

Over the years, I’ve credited a good portion of my growth and success to media features. In the last 15 years, I’ve been on TV more than 75 times and appeared in radio, podcasts, and magazines—adding up to over 250 media appearances. (This doesn’t count the hundreds of self-produced podcasts and shows.) I truly love the energy and power of this medium. I’m often asked how I did it (and invited to teach on the subject, even though it’s not my main focus). Recently, I shared a few thoughts with a group of business executives and entrepreneurs, and I thought I’d share some highlights here too: 1. Know the show and the audience. Don’t pitch off-topic stories. The fastest way to get ignored is to make it about you. Always make it about them. 2. Skip the mass pitches. Personalize every outreach. Tailor your pitch for that outlet and audience. 3. Provide value! This isn’t about selling your service, business or physical product. It’s about providing valuable information that benefits the audience for that show. 4. Leverage the exposure. The biggest benefit isn’t always the interview itself—it’s how you use it afterward. My phone didn’t explode with calls after each appearance. But when I shared those interviews with my social media and email audience, it built trust. Having a host or outlet endorse me reinforced credibility with the people who already followed me but hadn’t yet invited me to speak or purchased one of my courses/events/books. The goal was never to be “discovered.” The real win has been providing valuable information and deepening trust with my existing community. And truthfully? I’m most grateful for the relationships I’ve built with anchors, hosts, and producers along the way. If you’re curious if media would be helpful for your business, I’m happy to share what I’ve learned or answer any questions.

Video emails changed my outreach game. In a world drowning in generic emails, a personalized video stands out. Because of that, response rates jump and conversations start faster. But here is the catch: video outreach is not about slick production. It is about being authentic, transparent, and relevant. Connecting with public sector leaders requires speaking their language and respecting their time. That means no fluff, no jargon - just clear value and genuine curiosity. Inventive outreach tactics show you understand the unique pressures government leaders face. They also demonstrate you are willing to go the extra mile to serve them better. Have you tried video emails or other inventive outreach in your sales?