You have probably heard of branding in relation to business branding. But what is personal branding and is it really necessary? Personal branding is all about you. It’s how you present yourself to the outside world and how the outside world perceives you. Your personal branding should showcase your skills and experience as well as your personality, which is the most unique thing about you. If done correctly, personal branding has the power to shine a positive spotlight over you. It can help you stand out from the crowd and give you the professional boost you need.

But why is personal branding important?

In today’s world, where everything is shared and discussed on social media, it’s more important than ever to mould your public persona in ways that work for you. Personal branding allows you to communicate exactly who you are and what it is that you do. Ignoring your personal branding may lead to you unnecessarily missing out on opportunities relating to employment, partnerships and/or even networking. According to CareerBuilder (link here), more than half of employers won’t hire potential candidates without some sort of online presence.

The good news about personal branding is that, for the most part, you can be in control of it. You have the ability to mould your image to whatever it is you are wanting to project to the public. It does take time and patience. Always remember that you are leaving an online footprint that might be tricky to get rid of in the future, so always be mindful of what you decide to share.

How to get started on your personal branding journey 

Developing your personal brand is hard work but essential to your online presence. Luckily, due to the increase in social media platforms, it has never been easier to get started. Here are some important tips to remember when considering your personal branding journey.

Be genuine 

The difference between branding a business and branding yourself as a person is that it is easier for people to build trust with actual human beings than with other businesses. This means it is easier for authentic relationships to be built via personal branding.  By sharing stories, you can better build connections and allow others to create bonds through similarities they have or have experienced. Be authentic by always matching your actions to the way you are branding yourself, and most importantly, aim to provide others with some sort of value.

Have a plan

Note down what it is you aim to achieve. Now decide on how you plan to get there. Be aware of what your strengths are and use them to your advantage! Be proud of the skills and experience that set you apart from the rest and let this knowledge guide you. Believe in yourself but remember that it is equally important to be aware of your weaknesses to allow for further growth.

Consistency is key

Be sure to have a presence and to post consistently across all social media platforms. Keep the theme unified as this establishes your personal branding amongst a variety of audiences. You will likely find that different platforms will bring you different opportunities and have different benefits, so it’s important to be a part of them all.

Remember, it doesn’t happen overnight! So be patient and most importantly, have fun with it.

In a recent blog post, we shared our top tips on what you should avoid when pitching to journalists. There we talked about the common errors PR professionals or companies can make when pitching to a journalist, and gave some advice on what to avoid to ensure your news is featured by the target publication. Today we wanted to delve even deeper and teach you how to craft the perfect pitch.

In today’s world, securing the PR you desire can be tricky; journalists are busy with endless press releases flooding their inboxes making it hard to stand out from the crowd. We’re going to make your life a little easier by teaching you how to find and connect with the right publication for your business, and how to write the perfect pitch.

Finding the perfect publication for your business!

You’re about to start your PR campaign but you find yourself stuck on the first hurdle; Where do I pitch my news? Well, this is where we can help you! You’re going to need to do your research to find publications, journalists and relevant websites or bloggers to pitch to. To make sure this publication is right for you, you’ll need to have a thorough understanding of your ‘ideal‘ target market and identify the publishers who match your needs. Remember to keep track of these as they can stack up quickly.

The five W’s

A great place to start when creating your perfect pitch is with the five w’s: who, what, where, when and why. Ask yourself; what is it that you want to achieve through this PR push?

When you have set yourself a clear objective, you will find it much easier to identify your target audience and craft the key message you are looking to communicate.

List out the themes or topics and then begin your research on specific publications that cover your key themes – make sure you fit your story around what they would typically write about!

Research, Research, Research!

When you are happy you have identified your target audience, start researching other industry-specific journalists. Familiarise yourself with the stories they cover, keep a note of journalists’ contact details who cover relevant topics and research them before reaching out. Taking some time out to network with these key people will prove key to the success of your campaign.

If you find yourself at a loss at this stage, try looking into what publications your competitors are featured in. Detail these publications along with the specific journalist contact information for that story. This will help you get a feel for the news they feature whilst providing details of target publications.

Keep a detailed and up-to-date media list

Once you are happy you have identified your target publications, you will need to ensure you keep track of them. Keep the key information stored within a document that allows you to update and amend regularly (such as an Excel doc). At Carnsight Communications, we do just this with our media lists.

Within this tracker, the basics are needed such as publication title, journalist contact details and key themes or topics they cover etc. Never be afraid of targeting the bigger titles either. Often, smaller businesses feel they aren’t as interesting as the larger organisations out there, but this is not true. If you have a fresh perspective or a new idea – make sure you do your research and then reach out!

Engage and build on the relationships

OK, so you now have your list of target publications to pitch to (media list). What’s the best way to get in touch?

At Carnsight Communications, we’re all about building relationships with you, our clients and also with journalists. Building and maintaining these key relationships is a huge part of what we do and the results we achieve.

When you have found your target publications and journalists – look them up on social media, follow them and engage regularly. Never underestimate the importance of this. It’s vital to expand your network.

You will often find a link to the reporter’s contact information within their social media bio. This allows you to pitch to them directly or just to introduce yourself. Being present and engaging often will have many benefits.

Start crafting your perfect pitch

Now you have researched and sourced the target publications for your business, and you’ve started networking with these contacts – you’re ready to start crafting the perfect pitch!

Keep in mind the five w’s (who, what, where, when and why)

It’s all in the storytelling. What is the news you’re sharing about? Remember to always keep your target audience in mind.

• Provide all the information that makes the story. By providing all the information, reporters are more likely to feature because they have less work to do.
• Make sure to clearly define your purpose: What problem does your product or service solve? Who is your audience and who has that problem? 
• Why you’re the expert in this field? What experience do you have on this specific topic and what sets you apart from others in your field of work? 

Present the perfect pitch; professional and concise.

Some other great tips for reaching out to target journalists are:

• Check out where that journalist is most active online (such as Twitter or LinkedIn) and keep a note on your media list.
• Draft out a personalised and detailed pitch. Remember to keep it short and sweet.
• Use a subject line that grabs attention – don’t leave it to chance! Now is the time to be noticed.
• Include a ‘boiler plate’ of your ancillary materials in case these are needed. These include a short company bio, links to the website and social channels alongside a folder of different sized images. Ensure these images are labelled to support the journalist.
• Respond quickly – don’t leave them hanging. If you send out a release, make sure you keep an eye on communications and respond as quickly as you can. Don’t leave the journalist hanging on for days as they will not want to work with you again.
• Get to the point – bullet points are often preferred.
• Be polite and personalised. Remember journalists are people and we all like to be greeted nicely, try to research a little about them as individuals. Do they share details of their personal lives on social media such as likes or interests? If so, tailor your greeting around these details.

Keep it consistent!

Last but by no means least – let’s look at how you’re going to make the above happen!

It may seem difficult to get time in your diary to get pitching but our best advice to you is for you to schedule an hour or so every couple of weeks that is solely dedicated to researching your target publications, cultivating your existing contacts, and staying in regular contact.

Remember to regularly update your media lists and engage often on social platforms. Get involved with those conversations online, add your valuable input and stay fresh in your target audience and journalist’s mind. Be consistent with this and the results will speak for themselves.

We hope you have enjoyed reading through these tips on crafting your perfect pitch. If you need more advice on what a pitch is and how to craft a winning pitch, MuckRack has outlined some great pointers here.

As PR professionals, pitching to a journalist is part of our every day and is almost second nature. It’s key to remember when pitching to journalists that there are a few things we must avoid. In this blog, we will be sharing with you our top tips covering what to avoid when sharing a potential story, and some expert tips on nurturing a positive relationship with the media.

Journalists get a daily barrage of press releases and sorting through them can be challenging. They will spend the majority of their time filtering through emails with the aim of finding content that is actually newsworthy. That’s why it’s important that we assist their duties by sending through details that they need or want whilst making that journey for them as smooth as possible.

It’s vital as PR professionals that we recognise habits and other little things that frustrate journalists and aim to avoid them where we can.

1. Make sure your pitch is relevant!

Before sending any email through to a publication or journalist, make sure to do some research on them beforehand. Have they covered a similar topic or theme previously? Is the pitch relevant to that publication’s readership or audience? Does your pitch stand out from the others? Make sure your pitch is relevant before proceeding any further.

2. Avoid sending a pitch without detailing why it is relevant

If you want to make sure you give your pitch the best chance of being seen and featured, ensure to include an explanation of why this story is relevant to them. This can help journalists to save valuable time and will increase your chances of receiving a response to your pitch. Be it a yes or a no, a response to a pitch is great for future networking possibilities.

Remember to keep your pitch snappy and to the point. You can also explain why your pitch is perfect for the audience within the first few lines of your pitch.

3. Time that follow-up call correctly!

Most journalists will be happy to receive a call from a PR professional. But there is a time and a place for a follow up after sending a pitch email. Don’t overdo it!

There is nothing more annoying than having your head deep in a document only for your phone to start ringing, right? You lose your train of thought and can often be sidetracked elsewhere. Keeping this in mind, it’s absolutely vital that we keep these follow-up calls to a minimum. This saves time for both you and the journalist.

Personally, after pitching a release, if I haven’t had a response within the first three to four days – then I will make a follow-up call. Upon making this call, I keep in mind that the journalist is likely to be busy so will always start off the conversation with ‘I hope this is a good time for you to take my call?’. Once confirmed – now is the time to stand out. Ensure to ask the journalist how they are, get to know them a little and start building that relationship. Avoid too much time-wasting and small talk, however.

Another tip when it comes to making that call; NEVER call a journalist outside of their working hours or whilst they are on annual leave. Research their specific working hours and contact during these times. Calling outside of these times shows a lack of respect.

4. Be personable

When sending out a pitch make sure you include a name and a snappy but relevant greeting and tailor the copy to that specific publication. This shows the journalist that you know who they are, what they write about and importantly, that you know your stuff. If you stand out to them and engage with them like a colleague, they are more likely to reply to you.

5. Keep the load to a minimum

Avoid overloading a journalist with several pitches as this can be harmful to your relationship.

If you have more than one release to share at one time, select the most relevant for now and give that release enough ‘air time’ before proceeding to send on more.

Also, keep the email chasing to a minimum. Don’t keep sending your pitch so that it’s floating at the top of the journalist’s inbox. Journalists don’t have time to respond to every pitch they get individually. So, if you don’t hear back assume it’s a no.

Sometimes we may not ever hear back from a publication after pitching news or we may even get a straight ‘no’. That’s OK. Never argue with a journalist about the decision. Respect the decision and move on. There is no harm in trying again with your next story.

6. Proof, proof and proof again!

This point can not be stated loudly enough! When sending a release to a journalist make sure you have gone through your copy with a fine-tooth comb. Nothing looks more unprofessional than a release full of typos. Double-check your email before sending it to any journalist making sure their name and the company they work for are correct.

We all make mistakes from time to time. Even PR professionals will make mistakes but when a press release is filled with grammatical and factual errors, a journalist is more likely to simply delete it. Remember to proof, proof and proof again. You can never proof too many times.

7. Offer interviews/ speakers

Another vital step in ensuring a response to your pitch is to make sure there is someone that the journalist can talk to if they wish to do so. Most often than not a journalist will want to put their own spin on the story in order to make it different or unique, so having the option to collate more details is a must.

We hope you have enjoyed our top tips on what to avoid when pitching to a journalist. By following these steps you will maximise your chances of organic media placement whilst maintaining great relationships with the media.

A biography (or bio) is a great way to give potential clients, customers, or employers a quick snapshot of who you are. It’s a chance to show off your experience in the industry and share whatever it is that makes you different. In PR, biographies are essentially used for pitching purposes but can be edited slightly and used as a branding tool on other platforms such as on your website or social media pages.

A good bio should be a summary of your resume/CV, consisting of approximately four to eight sentences that read in a creative fashion. As readers are usually short on time, your biography needs to be concise and able to pack a punch.  Here are four things to include when writing a good biography:

Start with the basics

Start your biography with your name along with your current job role or profession. Think of this as the title of your biography.

List your experience

A good way to start your biography is to list the experience you have had in your industry and how it has led you to where you are today. A brief history tells readers where you’ve come from and allows you to list your biggest accomplishments.

Your current role

Once you’ve managed to fit your past work experience into a couple of creative sentences, it’s time to fast forward to the present. Let readers know what your current job role is and how long you’ve been there. You do not have to follow this format. Feel free to start with your current role and work backwards if you prefer. However, it’s important to show readers what makes you special and what it is that you offer your industry that others may not.

End with some personality

Although this part is optional, ending your biography with some personality is a great way to stand out amongst the crowd. Feel free to mention a fun fact about yourself such as ‘speaks five languages, or ‘is a karate blackbelt’. Unlike resumes/CVs which are usually quite formal, you can be a little more flexible when writing your biography.

If you’re still stuck on how to write a good biography, here is an example from Jessica Morgan, founder of Carnsight Communications:

Jessica Morgan

In 2016, after 15 years of working with high-profile clients at TEQUILA\, Craik Jones and Proximity and then as Director of PR agency Pumpkin, where she worked with M&C Saatchi among other global brands, Jess founded PR consultancy, Carnsight Communications.

Passionate about the benefits well-executed PR brings to businesses big and small, Jess loves working directly with Carnsight clients and the media to create campaigns that resonate and deliver beyond expectation. 

Since setting up Carnsight, Jess and her family moved from London to the West Country where she is the proud owner of a lively cockapoo (Clifford) and a burgeoning vegetable plot.

What is a press release?

First things first, a press release is a clear, written summary of a piece of your news, aimed at journalists. It should give the reader all of the key information they need to write a story. A press release is usually accompanied by good images (more about why images matter to the media in our post).

Are press releases still useful?

There’s been talk of the death of the press release recently but, written in the right way, we still think they’re an incredibly useful tool. As a PR consultancy, it gives us the chance to sum up a story in the way that works for clients (we always seek approval before pitching one out) and journalists.

When should you write a press release?

Think about writing a press release when you have something clear and interesting to communicate. Before launching into writing a press release document, make sure you’re clear on what the news or angle actually is. Can you articulate the nub of the news in one or two lines?

Always bear your target audience in mind when writing – not just the publication but your end target. Is this relevant to them? And why?

And think about the media you’d like to get it featured in. Do they definitely feature news and not just opinion pieces or features? Have a good look at the paper, magazine, channel or site and see if they use similar stories to yours.

How should you write a press release?

You can vary the format depending on what you’re trying to communicate (for example, bringing a quote in earlier or leading with images). You can also tailor it to specific publications – for example making it more about your local area to local press. We keep the tone straightforward and clear – not too punny or boastful! But here’s a simple structure to kick you off.

Your company logo

Headline

What’s your news in a nutshell? Think snappy and eye-catching

Statistics or figures always stand out here

Date, your location

First paragraph

This is a key one. What’s the overall story in 3 – 4 sentences?

Keep it clear and simple.

We include a strong image high up in the release for interest (make sure you also include a link to a high resolution (300dpi) version of it or a selection of images).

Subsequent paragraphs

Give further detail on the story. Ensure it’s based on facts rather than superlatives – save that for the quote.

Try to make one specific point with each paragraph.

Useful questions to answer in these:

What?

Where?

Why is it relevant?

How?

Any further details?

A quote

Include a quote from you or the relevant person. What would you really like to say or highlight alongside this news? This is where you can be more effervescent and excited.

Keep it pithy, to-the-point and in your brand tone of voice.

Remember, journalists might just pick up on certain phrases so think about neat soundbites rather than long, explanatory sentences.

Contact details

Include your content details for further info – name, email, phone number?

About us

We include a “boiler plate” – this gives information about your business – like an About Us on a website. Your business elevator pitch and when was it founded, who buy, awards won etc. Also include website and social links here.

Press release points to remember

• There should always be a clear angle in the release, meaning a journalist should have a reason to cover the news.
• Remember to tailor it depending on who you’re pitching to.
• And never, ever send it out to a blanket list. No “Hey buddy” openers – always research who you’re sending it to and make sure it’s relevant. Otherwise, you’re likely to be junked.