Press coverage can give a product brand credibility, reach and a lasting boost in search visibility. A mention in a gift guide, a round-up or a feature can introduce you to thousands of potential customers. But editors and journalists are overwhelmed with pitches. Most are deleted unread. The ones that land share a few qualities.
Think like an editor
Journalists are not looking to promote your business. They are looking for stories their readers will care about. Your job is to show how your product fits that story.
Ask:
- Why would this publication’s readers care?
- Why now?
- What makes this different from everything else they receive?
Find the right people
- Read the publication. Know what sections exist and what they cover.
- Find the right writer. Look at who covers your category or writes the round-ups you want to appear in.
- Note timing. Gift guides and seasonal features are often planned months in advance.
A personalised pitch to the right person is far more effective than a mass email.
Write a strong subject line
The subject line decides whether the email gets opened. Make it specific and relevant: “Small-batch salsa for your summer grilling round-up” is better than “Exciting new product launch!”
Keep the pitch short
A good pitch can be read in under a minute.
- Personal opening. Reference something they wrote recently and why you thought of them.
- The hook. One or two sentences on what your product is and why it is relevant now.
- Key details. What makes it different, price, where to buy.
- The offer. Samples, images, an interview, more information.
- Contact details.
Avoid attachments. Link to a press page with high-resolution images instead.
Find a hook
Products alone rarely make stories. Hooks do:
- Trends: how your product connects to something readers are interested in
- Seasonal moments: holidays, summer, back to school
- Founder stories: an unusual background or motivation
- Local angles: for regional and city publications
- Data or insight: something you know about your category
- Impact: sustainability, community, social purpose
Make it easy
Have ready:
- High-resolution product and lifestyle images
- A short company description
- Founder bio and photo
- Pricing and stockist information
- Samples available to send quickly
Follow up — once
If you do not hear back, a short, polite follow-up after a week is reasonable. After that, move on. Do not take silence personally.
Build relationships
Press relationships grow over time. Share useful information, respond quickly when journalists need something, and thank them for coverage.
Packaging helps
Editors photograph and feature products that look good. Well-designed packaging makes your product easier to include in visual round-ups. Ranges like Seasons Milk Tea, with muted colours, simple illustration and bilingual naming, are the kind of products that photograph beautifully in a feature.
If you want packaging that editors want to photograph, get in touch.