Small Business Public Relations Tips: contacting an editor for press on your product

When contacting an editor for press you can do a lot of research right on your computer and it is free. If you have ten minutes you can find out a lot of information and contact an editor or newspaper.

First Google the magazine or newspaper -for the newspaper google also the section you are interested in such as "technology, business, style, " or put in a buzz word like " Apple + New York Times" or " handbags + WSJ."

And articles should pop up involving those words. Now notice the editor and reporter who is writing this story/article.

Notice the content of the article, what do they write about, and in what style. Then search the reporter or editor.

Notice other articles the reporter/editor writes, not just the one that intrigued you but the others he or she has written.

Next, write your cover letter, or put together your press release, remember short and sweet is best. Pitch your company, and the story around your brand. Your goal is to pick an editor that writes or reports on topics related to your product and pitch it to the editor or reporter as content for an article. Offer quotes on the industry you are in, offer insight on your expertise as well. Promoting your business is also about promoting you. Trying to get quoted in newspapers and magazines is also great press too. Being included in stories, even if the story isn't only about you is good too.

Getting featured involves you thinking "how is my product interesting and how can people benefit by using it or knowing about it."

I have a radio show called Model Talk, and I promote it with offering tips and advice on how to podcast and also how it is a unique show for models and those in the entertainment business. So I think of pitches and headlines that I could submit to the reporters editors and writers, who write articles on topics similar to what my show involves and I pitch to give a quote on the business of podcasting, women who podcast and using web 2.0 as a business, along with women's magazines on a feature based on the show to the tech, business and features editorial editors.