Episode #79: Pitch a Holiday Shopping Roundup with Heather Taylor (GoBankingRates)
Today’s guest writes for a major finance publication that we see all over Qwoted and HARO, and is heavily syndicated and featured on Apple/Google News, Yahoo, MSN, AOL, and more. Today we’ll learn the kinds of stories a high-volume online publication writes and what exactly they need from publicists to complete their stories. We’ll start with analyzing a pitch for a seasonal shopping roundup then dive into media queries. You’ll walk away with sharpened knowledge of digital media strategy and utilize it to come out ahead and earn those syndicated features for your client.
In this episode, you'll learn…
The types of stories a high-volume finance publication wants to publish
What to include in a seasonal shopping roundup pitch
Why consistent persistence matters (even if you’re just past the deadline- follow up!)
Our guests:
Heather Taylor is a senior finance writer for Go Banking Rates. And the head writer and brand mascot enthusiast for PopIcon, Advertising Week’s blog dedicated to brand mascots. She has been published on HelloGiggles, Business Insider, The Story Exchange, Brit + Co, Thrive Global, and more.
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Summary:
In this conversation, Jaclyn Lambert and Britt Klontz interview Heather Taylor, a senior finance writer for Go Banking Rates (GBR), about her experience receiving a PR pitch and writing a story based on it. They discuss the subject line of the pitch, the content and format of the pitch, the timing of the pitch, and the factors that influenced Heather's decision to write the story. They also touch on GBR's unique approach to personal finance content and offer advice for publicists looking to pitch to GBR. Heather Taylor discusses how she organizes her inbox and keeps track of pitches. She mentions using categories and folders to stay organized and often relies on her memory to recall specific details about contacts. Heather emphasizes the importance of persistence and recommends following up even if a journalist indicates they are no longer accepting pitches. She also shares her preferences for pitches, including ones with data and charts, and mentions that she appreciates pitches about viral trends and products. Heather advises PR professionals to reach out to different members of the team and to utilize platforms like Qwoted and HARO to connect with journalists.
Show Notes:
00:00— Introduction and Background
01:11— First-Time Podcast Experience
03:21— Timing and Incorporating the Pitch
04:17— Pitch Details
05:12— Subject Line and Pitch Content
06:13— Recognizing Content Gap
07:09— Choosing Items for the Article
09:11— Working with the Publicist
10:47— Opening the Email
11:41— Images in the Pitch
12:04— Sending the Pitch on Leap Day
13:02— Turnaround Time for Covering Sales
13:40— Finding Sales and Deals
14:16— Receiving Images in the Pitch
15:00— GBR's Syndication Partnerships
18:02— Strategic Tips for Publicists
19:56— Organizing Sources in the Inbox
20:56— Persistence in Pitching
22:42— Submitting Responses After Deadline
23:38— Pitching on Quoted
24:17— Pitching Multiple Writers
24:25— Handling Multiple Stories per Week
25:11— Pitches Heather Wants to See
26:33— Pitches Heather Wants to See Less of
28:05— Covering Trends
32:16— Using Qwoted and HARO
35:33— Shout Outs
Connect with Heather Taylor
Connect with Jackie & Britt
