Get "Quoted" In Reuters and Similar Publications

Over the last 23 years, my former partner in our agency, generated millions of dollars in free publicity (I honestly lost count. It might even be in the tens of millions). It was a game to him: How quickly can he send an email to a reporter and get them to feverishly respond? (His record was 13 minutes with a revered editor at the Wall Street Journal. That email led to a big COVER STORY on the WSJ on Nov. 6, 2015 worth nearly three to four hundred thousand dollars – or more.)

(I tell you all this to establish credibility not to brag. Everything I just mentioned and will mention he did with proof.)

Back to Reuters…

On June 28th 2016, he sent a reporter from Reuters an email about one of her articles (I believe the article was a few weeks old). Exactly TWO DAYS LATER (June 30th), she sent him an email asking him to comment about a particular news story because she wanted to quote him in an article she was working on.

So how did he do it?

The Bait and Pitch Strategy

This strategy involves "baiting" an email with a question and then seeing if the reporter would bite. When/if they do, He then makes a soft pitch about who he is and his availability to provide quotes if they ever need it.

STEPS:

1. Email a reporter (local or even national) who has written an article in your niche and area of expertise. Compliment the reporter about something SPECIFIC in the article that you liked.

2. In the same email, ask the reporter a question that demonstrates you actually read the article and genuinely want more information.

3. Wait for a reply.

4. If you have followed the steps properly, there is a 80-90% chance you will get a reply to your email. If you don't get a reply, try the process with another reporter. Chances are, there are plenty to choose from.

5. If you DO hear back from the reporter, thank them for responding and tell them you appreciate their time. ALSO, give them a very brief summary of who you are, any impressive things you've done/qualifications you have, and that you would be eager to serve as a reference or source for any future article.

6. Give them your contact information (preferably cell number and direct email).

7. Sit back and wait to get contacted. If they reply, you'll probably hear back from them by email (unless they call and want to do a phone interview). VERY IMPORTANT: You want to be highly responsive and reply to their emails or phone calls pronto.

And that's it!

I know it doesn't sound very elaborate but there's a method to this process. I don’t have time to break it all down here, and the psychology behind the steps, but suffice it to say, my former partner is proof it works. In fact, this method has worked for us and our clients many times.

In closing…

I hope you find what I shared with you helpful. If you have any interest whatsoever in furthering your knowledge in generating free publicity for your business, landing big time media coverage, getting interviewed, etc., you need to focus on primarily three things:

1. Becoming a top notch copywriter

2. Thinking outside the box (stimulate your brain with “crazy” ideas)

3. Thinking like a reporter.

That’s it. Hope this helped.

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