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Lisa Shepherd

tone and length of past articles and the inclusion of any
supplemental material, such as images or charts.

Step 5: Develop A Process For Pitching Article Topics.
Your “pitch kit” should include a brief biography of your
company and the author, and 2 or 3 article ideas. Each
idea should be a specific topic and include the title and
key points readers will take away from it. Include previous
writing samples—a few past white papers or blog posts
will give the publication an idea of how well you can
communicate to an audience.

Step 6: Pitch Your Article. Send your pitch kit via e-mail
directly to the editor of the publication. Personalize the
greeting; common courtesy goes a long way toward getting
your email and attachments read.

Step 7: Pitch Again. Depending on your industry and
your relationships with key media, plan to send anywhere
between 3-5 pitches before one is accepted.

Step 8: Select An Author and Complete the Article.
Once you’ve been accepted, select your author (usually the
president or other senior executive) and write the complete
article, customized for the publication’s audience.

Once you’ve had your first article published, you can reap the
rewards. PR has a momentum effect—once you’ve appeared
in one publication, you’re likely to get picked up by others, and
possibly be asked to become a columnist for future issues.

METRICS
# of articles pitched
# of articles published

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© 2012 Lisa Shepherd