How Do You Get in Top Tier Publications?
To help you navigate the world of top-tier publications, we’ve gathered insights from ten industry experts, including CEOs and editors-in-chief. Their advice ranges from offering journalists exclusive stories to creating newsworthy and target data. Dive into these ten expert tips to enhance your chances of landing in top-tier publications.
- Offer Journalists Exclusive Stories
- Nail the Pitch, Network, and Present Unique Content
- Build Personal Connections With Journalists
- Leverage Google Trends and Creative Pitches
- Understand and Cater to the Publication’s Needs
- Present Fresh Perspectives and Valuable Insights
- Identify Targets and Create Quality Content
- Utilize Newsjacking for Unique Insights
- Provide Timely Information Across Platforms
- Create Newsworthy and Targeted Data
Offer Journalists Exclusive Stories
The best way to land in top-tier publications is by offering exclusives to journalists. When pitching your announcement, consider whether to present it as an exclusive or under embargo. Tier-1 reporters increasingly prefer exclusive stories over embargoed ones, as they garner more attention and engagement.
While embargoed stories can still be covered, focusing on exclusives increases your chances of being featured in high-profile media. Remember that Tier-1 reporters are particularly interested in age-defining or agenda-setting announcements, while funding rounds may not capture the same level of interest.
By tailoring your approach and being flexible with timelines, you enhance your opportunities for top-tier media coverage.
Matias Rodsevich
CEO, PRLab
Nail the Pitch, Network, and Present Unique Content
Over 80% of PR pros struggle to get into the A-list club. But fear not, we’ve got the golden ticket!
Step 1: Nail that pitch! Craft a jaw-dropping, mind-blowing story that editors can’t resist. Think fireworks, not fizzle!
Step 2: Build connections like a pro! Network with industry influencers, journalists, and editors. Wine and dine if you must!
Step 3: Show off your unicorn magic! Whip up exclusive, eye-popping content they won’t find anywhere else.
Now, grab that golden ticket, hop on the PR rollercoaster, and brace for media stardom! Major publications, here we come
Himanshu Sharma
CEO and Founder, Academy of Digital Marketing
Build Personal Connections With Journalists
Personal connection is always a perfect touch if you want to land in top-tier publications. Find journalists you admire (or who work for publications you want to feature in) and follow them on websites like X, Threads, and LinkedIn, where they might share articles they are writing and need sources or product samples for. It pays to be knowledgeable about these channels.
Before you think just pouncing into their DMs to push your product is a good idea, though, start by getting involved in the conversations they are having on their social apps and build an engagement trend with them, so that when they share a story they need help with, they already recognize you and you aren’t a stranger simply begging for their attention.
Sometimes it pays to dig deeper and go the extra level to be recognized.
Bobby Lawson
Technology Editor and Publisher, Earth Web
Leverage Google Trends and Creative Pitches
Google Trends are great for landing in top-tier publications. To increase the chances of success, the recipe is simple: Based on your researched keywords and topics, look for the top-tier publications that are covering the same topics or trending on the same keywords or topics.
Write contextually appealing content with relevant data inputs. Approach journalists on paid databases like Muck Rack, Cision, and Roxhill, for example.
To grab journalists’ attention and increase the chances of your success, come up with creative angles and stories. The more creative angles and stories you pitch to the journalists, the better your chances are of landing in top-tier publications.
Glen Maguire
Founder and Marketing Director, Clickthrough
Understand and Cater to the Publication’s Needs
The best way to land in top-tier publications is by gleaning an understanding of what the magazine is looking for and catering submissions accordingly. For example, many articles in a top-tier publication require extensive primary research combined with immaculate writing; however, some may select work simply because of its topical relevance and timely nature.
With this in mind, it is worthwhile researching trends related to your chosen topics, as well as understanding the editorial team behind the publication. This provides a tangible opportunity to grasp what they are looking for and devise content most likely to encourage approval.
Kate Duske
Editor-in-Chief, Escape Room Data
Present Fresh Perspectives and Valuable Insights
My work has been featured in top media outlets, including Forbes, BBC, Fast Company, Inc., The Motley Fool, HR Dive, GOBankingRates, HRReporter, and more. I design and conduct studies on career-oriented topics. Participants are usually a group of over 1,000 US workers.
I look for fresh perspectives, jaw-dropping statistics, and valuable insights. The research findings are presented in the articles I write. With the help of dedicated data analysts and graphic designers, the whole is not only reliable but also has an attractive form.
The process always takes time, but it’s worth all the effort. The originality of the topics and innovative, multi-angle approach to the issues in question let me land in top-tier publications.
Agata Szczepanek
Community Manager, MyPerfectResume
Identify Targets and Create Quality Content
Identify Your Target Publications: Start by identifying the top-tier publications where you’d like your content to appear. These should be outlets that apply to your industry and where your target audience is likely to be found.
Leverage Data and Expertise: If possible, include unique data or expert insights in your content. This can make your content more valuable and exciting to top-tier publications.
Create High-Quality Content: Top-tier publications will only feature high-quality, unique, and valuable content to their readers. Ensure your content meets these criteria. It should be well-researched, well-written, and offer a fresh perspective or valuable insights.
Follow Up: Journalists are busy people, so don’t be discouraged if you don’t get a response right away. Follow up a couple of times, but don’t be too pushy.
Consider Hiring an Agency: If you have the budget, consider hiring an agency that handles digital PR, such as Bulldog Digital Media.
George Patient
SEO Executive, Bulldog Digital Media
Utilize Newsjacking for Unique Insights
Newsjacking can help you get into the best magazines and newspapers out there. Monitor the latest news and trends. When a relevant topic comes up, quickly pitch your unique insights to journalists and make it stand out.
For instance, when a big supply-chain problem hit the healthcare sector, we wasted no time sharing our smart solution with journalists. We introduced an automated system that managed medical supply inventory efficiently, ensuring quick delivery of critical items during emergencies.
The journalist loved it and featured us in a top healthcare magazine. The exposure boosted our reputation and brought great partnerships to support healthcare providers and patients.
Normand Chevrette
President and CEO, CME Corp.
Provide Timely Information Across Platforms
Provide timely and interesting information that speaks to consumers, and use a variety of platforms and sources, including press releases and services such as HARO (Help a Reporter Out).
For example, our digital media company, which provides the latest insurance information to consumers, frequently appears in top-tier publications.
Our recent press release about Progressive offering more car insurance discounts than any other provider was picked up by publishers more than any other press release we have done to date.
We also recently appeared in articles from Yahoo! Finance about combating gas prices and from Consumer Reports on why home insurance costs so much and how to pay less.
Michelle Robbins
Licensed Insurance Agent, Clearsurance.com
Create Newsworthy and Targeted Data
Hands down, the best way to be featured in top-tier publications is by creating new data that applies to their audience.
Whether it’s data, you’ve researched or compiled using raw data, you’ll want to use that to craft a story that you can then use to pitch to journalists. It’s important to remember that data on its own is just data, but data with a story is newsworthy.
Taylor Scher
SEO Associate, TaylorscherSEO
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