by Andreea Ayers | Featured Contributor
There are a few things that help to catapult your brand into the public eye more than being featured in the media, whether it’s in a national magazine, on a TV show or on an influential blog. As an entrepreneur, it can seem overwhelming to try to get your products featured in magazines, especially if you don’t have any contacts or the help of an established PR firm.
However, magazines are always looking for products to feature, so you’re in luck. With a little bit of research and work, you, too, can get your products featured in national magazines.
Here are five steps for getting your products in magazines:
1. Craft your story
While magazine editors love stories, what they love even more is the story behind a particular product. Before you reach out to magazines, make sure you know your story really well – what is the inspiration behind your brand, why you do what you do, why your products are unique and anything else that helps to set them apart from other similar products out there.
2. Do your research
Before you pitch a particular magazine with your story, take some time to read through the publication and familiarize yourself with the content, the different sections of the magazine and the magazine’s writing style. When you find a section that you think your products would be a great fit for, make a note of that and call the magazine’s editorial office to find out who is in charge of curating products for that specific section.
3. Pitch the right story to the right editor
After you find out who is in charge of editing the specific section you’d like to have your products featured in, it’s time to send a short email (3-4 paragraphs of 3-4 sentences each paragraph) to that editor. Let them know that you love their work and that you think your products would make a great fit for that specific section. Sending a generic press release to a random editor won’t get you far. Sending a specific pitch to a specific editor will get you much farther – hopefully in the pages of that magazine!
4. Follow up
Chances are that you won’t hear back from that editor the first time you reach out to them, which is why it’s so important to follow up. After about a week from your initial email, send a followup email to the same editor. Keep it short and reference your previous email. I’ve personally had more magazine mentions as a result of following up on an initial email than from the initial email itself!
5. Respond in a timely manner
If an editor is interested in knowing more about your products, they’ll most likely request product samples from you, in addition to high resolution photos. Having these ready to ship and responding to sample requests in a timely manner is critical to your publicity success. Magazine editors work on very tight deadlines and the quicker you can respond to them and give them what they need, the more likely they are to feature you!
There you have it! With some research and determination, you’ll soon start seeing your products featured in more magazines.
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Product Marketing Expert at Launch Grow Joy – Andreea Ayers in Boulder, CO
Andreea Ayers is a successful entrepreneur who has started and sold three companies over the last few years. Now, as the founder of www.launchgrowjoy.com, she helps entrepreneurs who wish to launch a consumer product line through retail outlets and the media. A frequent contributor and guest author, Andreea has been featured in Yahoo! Small Business, Entrepreneur.com, Design Sponge, Gift Shop Magazine and many others. She is also the founder of www.soapstoliveby.com, a line of eco-friendly inspirational soaps. You can find her on Facebook and Twitter.
