They met at Tropical think tank in the Philippines and now they are ready to sit down to podcast 12 months in the making!
Who is Janet Murray
Janet Murray is the founder of soulful PR specializing in helping small business owners sculpt and pitch their ideas and stories to the media. She’s a freelance writer/editor who runs a successful Paid web group called Soulful PR Studio. Alongside a booming podcast and masterfully written blog, Janet is always on the go. I must also mention she has an amazing book called Your Press Release is Breaking my Heart. Let’s not forget her Facebook group Soulful PR going almost 10,000 strong.
“I guess the most important thing about my story is that I teach PR but I have never worked in PR,” Janet explains.
From The Guardian to The Independent and The National posts, Janet has spent the last 16 years freelance writing and editing for some of the biggest publications in the UK. Never mind the handfuls of magazines; Janet has been there and edited that!
One thing that Janet learned early on in her freelance years is that bad pitchers are everywhere. She began to grow sick of a number of bad pitch emails filling her daily inbox; Hard working people throwing their money into PR firms that just don’t get it.
She was inspired to take a stand. It was time for a change, and Janet decides to set out to teach others how to get noticed.
Janet runs the event Your Year in PR, where she takes 8 national journalists and roughly 80 small business owners, stuffs them in a room, and teachers. They learn what it is that consumers look for in a pitch and what sets a good pitch apart from a bad one. Janet says, “You don’t need a big budget or fancy PR firm to get top Notch media coverage.
The importance of standing out.
Khierstyn cleverly asked which pitches Janet had heard over the years that she still remembers being the worst. Janet skillfully responds that she really can’t recall any terrible pitches. Instead, the ones that that stand out she said are the good ones. Here are the 3 criteria to use to get noticed!
First, you need to show evidence that you actually read or listen to a publication. If it’s radio or the newspapers take the time to do your basic research. Journalists have such a small area they can fill and endless crap to sift through.
Second, you must have really strong header/subject. It is important to be direct and to the point, Journalists work fast and read even faster. Avoid trying to be witty or the use of puns in your header. You want to keep the body of the text short and to the point as well adding strong visuals or audio clips. Janet gives us the tip of trying to picture yourself in the shoes of the journalist you are trying to reach.
” In Journalism, we have a term called the 10-word top line.” Janet explains that this means if you can’t summarize your story in 10 words or less you are not ready for launch.
Third, knowing the different types of media content is very important as well.
- News: Reporting on something new that is happening.
- Opinion article: Published in a newspaper or magazine, that reflects the author’s opinion about the subject.
- Personal article: A story that leads to the point, can be the reason for why you made what you are pitching.
Janet tells us that, rather than starting with your story, tailor each outreach to every different publication.
What advice would you give to the first time entrepreneur trying to find their pitch?
” First off! Anyone that owns a business can get media coverage.”
One tool that reigns supreme is HARO, Help A Reporter Out, a place where journalists go to find stories to write about.
Janet takes the time to recant a story of a current client that is working on a app for people with food intolerance. Now, the App is not quite finished but that has not stopped her client from being all over media publications for the last year. Even if you can’t get the coverage you want, get any coverage you can! By the time you are ready to launch you have made the bridges and started your following.
Be where the journalists are. There are always events going on; Find a way to be apart of them, set up booths, ask for coffee meetings. You need to find ways of getting into the public eye.
Above all else don’t write a press release! You are basically saying you have already sent this story to every other publication you could find. Journalists want a scoop, tailor, tailor, tailor every email you send. Continue listing as Janet teaches you some simple steps to follow when tailoring your pitches.
Episode Outline
Introduction: Pitch Perfect; How to Get Media Coverage at Any Stage
[02:25] Who is Janet Murray
[13:12] The importance of standing out
[23:00] BackerKit
[24:00] What advice do you have for new business owners
Resources and Sponsor
Janet’s book: Your press release is breaking my heart
https://www.janetmurray.co.uk/
Jan_Murray Twitter
Soulful PR Facebook
Sponsor: BackerKit – use the code “uncut” to get 50% off setup services
