How to Pitch Your Business to Media with Sarah Bray West

Sarah Bray West, small business owner and former editor at Town & Country, ELLE, House Beautiful, Veranda, among others, dishes her top tips on how to stand out and land media coverage in top publications. 

Getting your small business featured in a magazine, newspaper, or online outlet can be absolutely invaluable. However, it is easier said than done. Even if you have a news announcement or a new product launch, there is a lot outside of your control. Understanding the editorial side - what editors are looking for, what is considered news, and how to stand out and get their attention - should always inform your PR outreach. A few key aspects of working with editors to keep in mind:

1. Editors receive thousands of PR pitches a week, sometimes a day. They are inundated. Do not get discouraged if you send a pitch or an email and don’t hear back right away.

2. The media landscape has changed significantly. There are fewer publications with smaller staffs, which means editors are managing multiple categories - or “beats” - and are more swamped than ever before. Keep your pitches short, to the point, and do your research to make sure you sending timely and relevant ideas to the right person.

3. The line between advertising and “earned media” is getting blurry. If you have a consumer product, many publications require affiliate links for consideration in product roundups or gift guides. Affiliate links allow the publication to track click throughs and receive a commission from product purchases placed through their article. 

That said, seeing your small business in your favorite publication is exciting and can lead to increased brand awareness, credibility, and sales. We chatted with Sarah Bray West, small business owner and former editor at Town & Country, ELLE, House Beautiful, Veranda, among others, for her top tips on how to make your pitches to editors stand out. 

1. Keep It Short & Sweet

“Be clear and specific in your subject line, and get straight to the point in your email. If a writer or editor opens your email, you have to grab their attention in two seconds or they are going to hit delete.”

2. Don’t Be Afraid to Follow Up 

“Writers and editors get countless emails a day. When I was a writer at Town & Country, ELLE Decor, House Beautiful and Veranda, I would typically receive over 500 emails a day. Most of which I didn’t open unless I personally knew the sender. Don’t be offended if an editor doesn’t respond to your email, they probably didn’t have time to open it. So send another one!” 

3. Include Images

“Always link to high res images in your pitch. Typically, the first thing I would check when considering a product to cover was the quality of their high res images. Most magazines and online publications do not have a budget to shoot these days, so they want to immediately see what kind of image assets you can provide them.”

4. Build a Personal Connection 

“It’s important to build personal connections with editors in real life, whenever possible. I know that’s difficult with the pandemic, so try to grab their attention on Instagram with quality content on your page, and by liking and thoughtfully commenting below their posts.”

Thank you, Sarah for your insight! Be sure to follow her on Instagram @sarahbraywest to swoon over her life in Bermuda and gorgeous hat line Sarah Bray Bermuda.

For more tips on how to reach out to media and influencers, be sure to join our Free LIVE Workshop on Friday, 4/23 from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. CT!