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.

Most journalists we talk to tell us they get way too many pitches. When we were told by today’s guest that she’s experiencing the opposite problem, we knew we had to investigate! Today we learn all about local news and how to identify and tell a story that captivates a local audience. Hear about 2 real stories by a local NYC non-profit (and on the flipside a mention of the all-too-many “missed opportunities”) and walk away with inspiration for how to identify a story and sharpen your own storytelling skills.

In this episode, you'll learn from a local TV journalist…

• What makes a good, local news story

• How newsrooms, producers, and journalists choose the stories they cover

• How TV has adapted (and continues to adapt!) to a digital audience

Our guests:

• Checkey Beckford is an Emmy® Award-winning reporter for NBC 4 New York. She covers breaking news and general assignment stories

Do you ever come across an article that features an expert and only that expert throughout the whole piece? With curious envy, do you wonder how that story came to be? Well, today we’ll find out! We talk shop with a fellow publicist and industry friend who owns her own boutique PR firm. We’ll break down a story that features her client front and center and learn how that story came to be. From it, you’ll leave inspired to ideate stories that are interesting and culturally-relevant, allowing your client or brand’s expertise to fully shine!

In this episode, you'll learn how a self-employed publicist…

• Finds inspiration for winning story ideas and pitches

• Strategizes a solid media outreach strategy

• Measures and communicates to her clients