They say everything’s bigger in Texas. And that must include brains at least some of the time, because my Fort Worth–based pal Lauren Kwedar (pronounced like “queen” 👑) Cockerell is a PR ace.

She’s a fellow StoryBrand Certified Guide and the brains (and heart) of her strategic PR and marketing operation, Kwedar & Co.

Lauren also hosts The Impatient Entrepreneur podcast, a storytelling podcast for entrepreneurs and business owners chomping at the bit to make their mark on the world. (Which I was a guest on, so…here’s a little nudge to listen to the best episode she’s ever released.)

She never fails to surprise and delight me in every Slack conversation we have, and I hope you find her every bit as surprising and delightful as I do. Find her at @kwedarco everywhere, and scroll for the knowledge she’s dropping.

It’s 2003. Facebook doesn’t exist. There are no podcasts. The iPhone is still a glimmer in Steve Jobs’s eye.

And I’m starting my PR career as a baby intern. I’ve got a lot to learn. 

Fast-forward more than 20 years, and I’ve never stopped learning. Because a lot has changed.

Case in point: We sent news releases via fax. At 5 p.m., we’d load the release into the machine, connect it to a list of newsroom numbers, and whistle on our way out the door. 

We’d start the next day with irate middle-of-the-night voicemails from people whose landlines our little release robot had mistakenly called off the hook for hours.

Traumatic faxing aside, the biggest change is the number of channels we had to communicate with in 2003 versus today. We had far more print options, and legacy publications were much easier to communicate with. 

Now, we have near-infinite channels to consider — today, Kwedar & Co. helps our clients get coverage in niche online and print publications (including the front cover of Meatingplace, the Vogue of the meat industry), trade-specific and standalone podcasts, blogs, social media features, and more.

And it’s harder than ever to find an actual human’s contact information.

Here’s what’s stayed the same: Finding the right contact to pitch is only the first step. 

Here is the tried-and-true process I’ve been honing since the dawn of the century:

1️⃣ Research who you’re pitching.

What stories do they cover? Is your news a fit? Why? Why should their audience care? How can what you’re promoting help THEM get more clicks, sell more magazines, get more downloads, etc.? 

2️⃣ Craft a killer subject line. 

It needs to be clear, succinct, relevant, and unique to the recipient.

3️⃣ Write a great pitch.

Acknowledge the research you did, and quickly make your case for why your news matters to them. Keep it short and punchy. 

If you have a news release, paste it below your signature so they can read it if they’re interested. For artwork, including logos and headshots, create an online folder they can access and download what they need. Don’t send attachments.

4️⃣ Follow up…respectfully. 

Many folks will publish your news without telling you, so check before you contact them again. Ask them how you can help, or share another detail that may tip the scales in your favor. Kindly ask them to tell you if your story’s not of interest.

If it sounds simple, that’s because it is. But not everyone takes the time to do all these steps.

That’s why this method — combined with great newsworthy content — is what helps us earn our clients more coverage than ever before, even in a fractured media landscape. 

Now get out there and pitch yourself. And count yourself lucky that you don’t have to send your announcement via fax.

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Want more press buzz for your biz? Lauren’s company has some great freebies for ya over on her website.
(I loved How to Send a News Release!) Check ’em out.