Are you wondering how you can get more media coverage and visibility for your business? It is easier than you may realize to be featured in publications like Forbes.
My friend Selena Soo is a PR expert and the go-to person when it comes to landing publicity for your business. Thanks to Selena, I featured in Forbes last year. This boosted my visibility and brand awareness.
In this interview, Selena is sharing some of her best strategies to get you and your business press coverage. We talk about how to approach the media, the elements of a great story idea, and how to appear in Forbes in 2021.
This conversation contains vital insights for any entrepreneur. If you are looking to be seen as an expert, gain more visibility and understand how to catch the media’s interest, this is certainly the podcast for you.
“To find the perfect media opportunity, ask yourself: Who is the Oprah of your industry?” - Selena Soo
If you’re more of a reader, scroll down to read about the key elements to get featured in Forbes in 2021.
What you will get out of this episode:
- Finding the Oprah of your industry (3:06)
- The first steps to get featured in Forbes (3:57)
- The three elements of a great story idea (6:59)
- Who and how to pitch (11:25)
- The right time for making your pitch (19:11)
- How the publication process works (21:45)
- What happens after your article is published (22:50)
Key Elements to Get Featured in Forbes in 2021
Preparing your story idea and overall pitch well to increase the likelihood of Forbes – or any other big publication – running a story about your online business. Here are Selena’s key elements to preparing your best pitch yet:
Your Topic
First, get clear on the general topic you want to pitch on. As an entrepreneur, recognition as an expert in certain topics is your aim. Identify what your topic is.
Your Story Idea
Move on to your story idea. Consider these three elements when brainstorming your idea:
- Propose a timely story. There are a million stories out there. Why would the media choose to tell yours right now?
- Give value to other people. How is your story going to make someone’s life better?
- Consider an emotional charge. Has your story the potential to surprise or shock?
For your story idea to be successful, aim to include at least one of these elements.
Your Pitch
Once you have decided on your expert topic and story idea, you can go ahead and create your pitch.
- Go to the website of the publication you want to pitch to. Click on the articles that are related to your expertise and find out who wrote them. These are the contributors you want to pitch to.
- Start your pitch on a warm and friendly note. Mention that you understand what the publication is about and that you enjoyed a particular article. With a bit of effort, you can give your pitch an unique approach that doesn’t feel like a copy/paste outreach.
- Explain who you are in two to three sentences and highlight your credibility by pointing out the results of your clients or if you’ve already been in the media. Show that you truly are the expert you claim to be.
- Propose your story ideas. Share a headline and a brief description of what you would cover in your story.
- Show flexibility and mention that you’re open to suggest other ideas around your topics of expertise.
In most cases, the contributor writes the article. Provide substantial content, as this makes it easier for someone to choose your story idea. This, in turn, increases your chances of featuring in a publication like Forbes.
Did these steps help you to prepare your pitch? I’d love to hear from you! You can follow and connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Connect with Selena Soo
- Selena Soo
- Selena on Instagram