In this webinar, Chief Evangelist of Twenty Over Ten & FMG Suite Samantha Russell and FinTech Reporter at InvestmentNews, Nicole Casperson discuss all the insider tips when it comes to media coverage in the financial services industry. They answer questions, such as how you can become a trusted resource in the industry, how to get quoted in a major publication, how to share it when you do make it into a publication and much more.
Agenda [6:12]
- Do’s and Dont’s of Working With Journalists
- How to Feature Where You’ve Been Quoted on Your Website
- How to Promote on Social Media
- What Constitutes News That Should Be Put Into a Press Release
- How to Get Yourself or your CEO, etc. Quoted in Major Publications
Do’s And Dont’s [7:03]
Do [7:19]
Introduce yourself via email or Twitter
It’s a great way to show who is in the community and who is available
Share your area of expertise so the journalist is aware of what you can speak on
Reach out with availability to comment on big headlining news
Timeliness is incredibly important in the industry, so if an advisor reaches out to and tells you what the topic is and how they can speak on it, then this helps a lot. But even if there isn’t something timely, still feel free to reach out. Everyday she writes a story that contains short bites of information, and she is behind the scenes working on a bigger story. Remember that patience is key, however, because she doesn’t know when a follow-up story might happen.
Also, approach the journalist with the motive to be helpful, not just someone who wants to talk about how great their firm is.
And remember that every industry is evolving, people want to work with people.
Be persistent with outreach
Nicole usually gets around 30-40 email pitches a day, so it can be difficult to get to the emails. For this reason, it’s important to be patient and persistent but not pushy. And remember that an interview is not a guaranteed quote. And the quote that you give, may be used for an entirely different story, especially if the quote is evergreen and can be used in other pieces.
Share relevant stories you find interesting, story ideas that relate to the journalists beat!
Try and connect with multiple journalists at multiple publications that are covering multiple topics.
Be a human! Just say hi and let’s set up a catch up/intro to get to know each other
Know that advisors are interested in seeing what other advisors are up to.
Don’t [14:41]
- Get upset at the reporter if your comments/quote doesn’t make it in the article
- Get mad at the journalist if she doesn’t respond to an email
- Peddle your firm when speaking to a journalist for a story comment
- Bombard a journalist with ideas that aren’t timely or relevant but just push your firm’s agenda (it’ll be very obvious)
- Blast a reporter’s article on social media if there’s something you don’t like (DM us privately, or email us so we can hash it out)
Nicole wants her readers to see the credibility of the advisors, so linking back is important. It boosts not only Nicole’s credibility but also the credibility of the advisor. And everyone journalist will have their main beat, but they will also cover topics outside of their beat. So, what do you do if you get quoted? Include it on your website, and one way to do this is by including an “As Featured In” section on your website or at the top of your blog page.
How to Add a “Featured In” Section To Your Website to Boost Credibility [30:04]
Add it right below the fold on your homepage and you can use the logo of the publication, but you don’t need to include the entire article.
- Visuals communicate faster
- Easily showcase expertise
- Reinforce credibility
You Can Add Features at the Top of your Blog Page [30:15]
Highlight niche-specific publications your audience would be aware of too and make sure that you don’t hyperlink to the publications, as this could cause broken links down the road.
How Do You Promote the Article that You Are Included in on your Social Platforms?
Make sure you are tagging the reporter and the publication on your social post. If you are able to tell a story or include a connection or tell the “why” that you do things, then social is a great way to do this. The article below on NerdWallet is a great example fo sharing a piece on Twitter.
When it comes to press releases, rather than having Nicole find a press release or just emailing it to her, having someone email them the topic and provide them with exclusive content. When you send them a press release, the first thing a reporter is asking is, “Who Is Available to Speak With Them?” So, by offering this up automatically, you are making it so much easier for the reporter. Or if you reach out and tell her, that “We are going to drop this ahead of time, we have our CEO to discuss this topic at this time.” And when it comes to trade publications, it’s so important to take the valuable information and relate it back to why it matters.
Final Tips:
- If you are reaching out to somebody for the first time, be willing to put your answer in writing and talk to them on the phone.
- Timeliness is important. Breaking news is related to timely content
Don’t forget to follow Nicole and Sam on Twitter:
Nicole: https://twitter.com/nicolecasperson
Samantha: https://twitter.com/SamanthaTwenty
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About the author
Blair Kelly
Blair is a social media and marketing coordinator at Twenty Over Ten and has a passion for uncovering what drives online traffic and the highest engagement. She follows more animals on Instagram than humans and her greatest achievement is her daughter, Grey.