7 valuable tips we learnt at Journo Question Time

On Tuesday 19th January JournoLink hosted the second Journo Question Time in the City of London, at not-for-profit incubator Bathtub 2 Boardroom. 

With journalists from BBC Business News, The Times, Business Matters & The Fintech Times speaking on the panel, and over 30 small businesses armed with a variety of PR questions, we discovered 7 creative ways to grab a journalist’s attention when sharing content...

• Journalists are keen to see a new take on old content, such as the founder's backstory and how that affected the brand that exists today. This hones in on the first point that was made: less selling, and more storytelling. Remember, your journey as an entrepreneur can inspire other businesses during early stages of growth, so don’t leave it out
  
• If you’re sharing a press release on crowd-funding, there’s no harm in sending out a short promotion piece pre-fund; this way they can add it to their calendar and follow your campaign.
  
• When sending out a press release, journalists may not choose to feature you at that moment in time but they might store your details for later. So make sure a set of content ideas for upcoming feature ideas are included at the bottom of your release, and you may find a journalist calling you for quotes and more information in the near future!
  
• Do your research! Work out what time slots work best for each of your target publications and the journalists that write for them. If you place yourself in a journalist’s schedule, you’ve already done half the job for them and they’ll be nothing but grateful.
  
• Make sure you refrain from being overconfident and claiming you can speak about something when really, when it comes to the journalist calling for a quote, you can’t. Ever heard of journalists keeping a Black List?
  
• A press release doesn’t need to be a lengthy essay; quality wins over quantity every time. Think outside the box when creating content and instead create video pitches, unusual images, quantitative research - these can all make for a great PR story.
  
• Last but not least, journalists love Twitter so make sure you actively engage with them and use relevant hashtags (e.g. #news #journorequest #pressrelease) if you have something for them to cover
  

If you’re already signed up to JournoLink but haven't sent a press release yet, this should give you some great inspiration to start writing. Whether you're at the start of your PR journey, have a product launch on the way or something you feel strong enough to shout about, journalists are waiting to hear your story. It’s time.

***

Here's what some of our journalists had to say about the event...

"A great evening meeting businesses from all over the UK. From finding out how to stay relevant and engage with the media, to pitching stories to us on the spot. I know Business Matters Magazine will be featuring a number of these businesses in the future."

"These JournoLink events are a real treat. The startups and businesses get to talk with media contacts in a way they never otherwise could, and the media get to meet new people that they never otherwise would. Spot on."

Written By: Emily Jane Brown, Head of Partnerships

Emily is a core part of the team here at JournoLink. Nurturing key relationships on a daily basis, Emily ensures our voice is heard across a variety of small business networks throughout London and the UK.