Are Journalists Ghosting You? Try These 2 Ways to Secure More Media Coverage | By Jennifer Nagy

Top journalists receive hundreds - if not thousands - of press releases by email every day, many of which don't offer any newsworthy Information; given that, how many of those hundreds of press releases are read by journalists from start to finish? The correct answer: Not many!

In addition, the corporate acquisitions of major news outlets and mass layoffs that have rocked the journalism world in the past few years has resulted in fewer journalists to cover stories, making it less likely that a press release will lead to coverage.

As you can see, it takes a lot more than a press release to catch the eye of the top journalists - especially in an over-saturated, highly competitive media market, like the hospitality industry.

(A quick aside: The press release is still effective for very newsworthy, industry-changing announcements but, unless you are launching a new solution that is the first of its kind or partnering with an industry giant on a new program, the following marketing tactics will be much more useful for you to secure media coverage regularly, without having to engage in pay-for-play opportunities (paying to publish your press releases with media).)

So, if the press release is no longer the best communications tool, what is a more effective way to communicate your news and stories with media?

There are two different communications tactics that your B2B hospitality company should be using regularly to communicate with media in a way that will actually result in media coverage and increased visibility and credibility for your company:

Email Pitch

When you have important, timely, newsworthy news to share with media, the best way to stand out in a journalist's inbox is to provide good info, a credible source and a strong, timely, newsworthy angle, packaged in an email pitch. Using an email pitch, you are quickly and easily able to present journalists with a complete story idea, rather than following the restrictive press release format (which just outlines the actual announcement info). Journalists will always give preference to PR people who make their jobs easier; as such, using an email pitch that outlines your suggested story angle (and the impact that it will have on the industry) eliminates the need for journalists to read between the lines to find a story angle that would be newsworthy for their readers.

In addition, an email pitch (offering the full story outline) will improve the ROI on your PR outreach because you are more effective at controlling the narrative of the article that the journalist writes (ensuring that more of your key messages are communicated in the resulting article).

In terms of format, there is no right or wrong way to send a story pitch, but in general, keep it as short and to the point as possible. I prefer an informal email, just a few paragraphs outlining the story concept and the source that you're offering to comment on the story. Explain explicitly why this story will be newsworthy for the journalist's audience because, often, the connection may not be immediately apparent.

Let's look at a quick example of how you can create an email pitch to communicate all the important story info to media. Imagine that your company has just launched a machine learning RMS that factors alternative accommodation pricing into its pricing algorithm. Rather than just sending out a press release announcing the launch, send media an email pitch that illustrates the more widespread impact of the launch, both for hotels and the industry as a whole. Here's an example of an effective media pitch email:

Most consumers choose accommodation based primarily on price; as such, hotels must price their rooms according to the room rates of all the available lodging options within a destination. With the growth of the sharing economy and alternative accommodation providers (like Airbnb and HomeAway) that has proven impossible, without manually searching for rates whenever a pricing update was required.

But that is no longer the case! Our company's new RMS makes it easy for properties to determine the best possible room rate, based on the current prices of all competitors within the destination (including alternative accommodation). Using our RMS, hotels will be able to increase their market share and experience increased profitability over the long-term, no matter how the market changes.

Do you see how much more interesting the news sounds when you explain it fully, focusing on the impact that the solution will have on individual hotels and the industry as a whole?

Finally, at the end of your email pitch, you should share info about your expert source (your company spokesperson) and communicate what makes them the best person to offer expertise on your story angle. Offer to arrange an interview by phone, Zoom or email at any time and provide your contact info. Thank them for their time and consideration and sign off.

See how short and simple that is? That's one of the many reasons that an email pitch works better than a press release for sharing your company's news.

Thought Leadership Articles

Another very important tool in your communications toolkit is thought leadership articles, which are a very effective way to share your unique insights, expertise, and perspectives on educational industry topics and, as a result, build your company's visibility to and credibility with potential clients. Unlike press releases, thought leadership content is not about promoting a product or service directly; it is designed to engage the audience in a conversation. Thought leadership articles encourage readers to think, question, and interact, which can lead to higher levels of engagement and a deeper connection with potential clients.

Why should you integrate thought leadership articles into your marketing strategy?

Thought leadership articles allow hotel technology vendors to showcase their expertise and deep understanding of their industry and the challenges that hoteliers face, positioning themselves and their company as experts in the industry. This authority builds trust with both current and potential customers, as well as with other stakeholders, and establishes the company as a visionary leader in the minds of potential clients - a valuable tool in differentiating your company and solution from your competitors.

While thought leadership articles are not sales materials, they play a crucial role in lead generation. By providing valuable information and demonstrating expertise, they attract potential customers who are interested in the depth of knowledge the company offers. After reading a company's expert articles and seeing that their advice is valuable, readers are more likely to convert into leads, as they already have a level of trust and interest in the company. Over time, this will also shorten your sales cycle, as you can skip the "getting to know the company" (a.k.a. awareness) part of the sales funnel.

Thought leadership content that is rich in valuable information and insights can also positively impact your website's SEO efforts. High-quality, original content is favored by search engines and can rank higher in search results, leading to increased organic traffic to the company's website.

Thought leadership articles also have a longer shelf life than press releases, as they continue to be relevant and attract new readers long after being published, offering more ROI on your marketing efforts.

By now, if you're not 100% convinced about the benefits of an ongoing thought leadership strategy, I'm sure this next point will turn you into a believer…

There is a HUGE opportunity for hospitality tech vendors who are looking to build their brand visibility and establish themselves as credible experts in the industry: many B2B hospitality media outlets (which are widely read by hotels) will publish your thought leadership articles FOR FREE, including a short paragraph at the end (called a boilerplate) which lets you talk about your company and solution, and provide contact info or a website, along with a call-to-action. (One very important caveat: other than your boilerplate, your article must be completely vendor-neutral, which means that it can't directly or indirectly sell, or even mention your product or company.)

Here's why this is so valuable: by having your articles featured in the media outlets that readers already know and trust, readers will consider it an endorsement of your ideas, advice and company because they trust the media outlet and know that they wouldn't publish something that wasn't high-quality. This gives your property a huge advantage over the competition because third-party credibility is not something that can be bought; it can only be accomplished by implementing effective PR strategies and tactics (like the two tactics that I've already taught you today!).

So, let's all agree to put aside the boring, corporate press release and embrace the future of communications: email pitches and thought leadership articles. Trust me, your media contacts will thank you for it!

Reprinted from the Hotel Business Review with permission from http://www.hotelexecutive.com/.