how to get press for your skillshare class
DESCRIPTION
I spoke with a group of Skillshare Master Teachers about how they could get press for their classes, including tips on how to pitch journalists, as well as how to become a guest writer to boost their reputations.TRANSCRIPT
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How To Get Press forYour Skillshare Class
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Potential Obstacles
• No reputation• No budget• No time• No PR experience
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Strengths
• Interesting topic• Passion• Reviews
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1. Invite Press
• Is your class easily coverable by a reporter?• Is the subject area easy to understand and translate into
written word?• Is there a sizable audience that may be interested?
– If so, what type of media do they read?– Which reporters at those media outlets should you pitch?
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Lifehacker Needs You!1. Invite Press
Ari Meisel
Scott Britton
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Mashable Needs You!1. Invite Press
Lukasz Dmowski
Avi Flombaum
Dan Kozikowski
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Entrepreneur Needs You!1. Invite Press
Steve Schlafman
Scott Pollack
Carla Lynne Hall
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Pitch It Like You’d See It
• Pitch the story in the way you’d expect the journalist to cover it– Don’t expect journalists to be all-knowing
creatures. You’re the expert!
1. Invite Press
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Formulas That Work
•How-Tos•Tips•Studies•Data•Top Lists
1. Invite Press
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Understand Coverage Area & Audience
• Try to avoid this sentence:– “I read your recent post called ‘XYZ,’ and I think you’d be interested
in covering my Skillshare class.”
• Instead, be personable and welcoming
• Explain why your class is a fit for his/her audience
• How to find journalists: Google, Twitter, MuckRack.com
1. Invite Press
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Customize Your Pitches
• Journalist’s name• Mention of his or her publication• True interest in recent coverage / coverage area• Details on why your class is relevant
1. Invite Press
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Avoid Press Releases
• 95% of press releases are useless• If you use one…
– Be informative, not sales-y– Omit quotes (good publications don’t use them)– Attach or copy-and-paste it below the email– Embed a link to the press release– Or offer to send the press release later
• If you don’t use one…– 1 sentence defining your Skillshare class– 2-3 sentences explaining the relevance of your class
• EMAIL SUBJECT LINES ARE VERY IMPORTANT!
1. Invite Press
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Composing a Subject Line1. Invite Press
• How To Learn To Program In 120 Minutes (Event Invite)• 30+ Life Hacks for Being Awesome (Pitch)• Top 10 Social Media Branding Tips for Small Businesses
(Story Idea)
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Have Useful Assets Available
• Useful assets include:– Link to your Skillshare class– Class photos– Video recording of your class– PowerPoint deck– Class reviews
1. Invite Press
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Follow Reporters on Twitter
“It’s amazing to me that I get a MUCH higher response rate when pitching reporters via Twitter than email. I would actually go as far as to say that every time I’ve pitched a reporter via Twitter, I have gotten some sort of response (often resulting in a story for my client). Via email, I have maybe a 50% response rate. The phone call response rate would be my lowest.”
- Nicole Denton, PR, Pyxl
1. Invite Press
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Reverse Pitch with HARO & NewsBasis1. Invite Press
helpareporter.com newsbasis.com
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Stories I’ve Written with HARO
• 13 Branded iPhone Apps That Enhance Their Company’s Products• 13 Ways to Improve Your International SEM Strategy• 7 Unique Eco-Friendly Company Transportation Alternatives• 6 New & Innovative Social Media Campaigns to Learn From• 7 Twitter Marketing Campaigns to Learn From• How The iPad Is Helping Businesses Go Green
1. Invite Press
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2. Write Guests Posts
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Tips for Guest Writing
• Research who manages a publication’s guest writing program• Submit a pitch, not a full story
– Different publications have different procedures
• Understand the terms of the deal.– Byline or no byline? – Paid or unpaid?
• Either way, you’re building your reputation.
2. Write Guest Posts
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Final Tips
• Be concise.
• Have a very clear message.
• Think like the reader.
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Questions?