How to pitch to journalists and earn media

𝗘𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮: The Free Marketing ‘𝗠𝗶𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗹𝗲’ you should try to leverage.

Unlike paid ads, you can’t buy earned media. You have to EARN it. And that’s exactly why it’s very powerful.

When people hear about your brand from a trusted source (like a media outlet, a 5-star review, or a customer testimonial), they LISTEN.

In fact, 90% of consumers trust earned media over traditional ads.

Here’s why earned media is important for your brand:

𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗢𝗻 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗼𝗶𝗱𝘀
When your brand is featured in the media, people believe it. It’s authentic, unbiased, and far more credible than a paid ad. Mainstream media comes with a special kind of ‘kudos’.

It’s like getting a personal recommendation from a trusted friend — only now, that friend is a journalist, a major publication, or a well-known influencer.

𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗳𝗼𝗿 £𝟬
Earned media can spread like wildfire. Sometimes. Positive mentions, third-party reviews, and PR coverage bring your brand to audiences you never even targeted. No ad budget required.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗙𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿
Of all the media types (paid, owned, and earned), earned media builds the most trust. When people see others raving about your brand, they’re more likely to follow suit. It’s human nature.

𝗕𝗼𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀 & 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀
People buy from brands they trust. Earned media is the ultimate form of social proof. If your product gets featured on a respected site or gets glowing reviews, it can directly impact conversions.

Think about it: How many times have you bought something just because it had a ton of 5-star reviews?

𝗖𝗼𝘀𝘁-𝗘𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵
Paid ads cost money. Earned media costs effort.
You can’t “pause” earned media like a paid ad. It’s there, building trust and driving awareness.

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘁?
Formula in carousel below.

This helps you put a pound value on that free media exposure so you can compare it to your paid campaigns.
And spoiler alert: It’s almost always higher. If you can attach value to earned media you can use it to offset from your overall cost per acquisition metrics.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗱𝗼 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆?

1️⃣ Pitch your story to relevant media outlets.
2️⃣ Focus on customer reviews and testimonials.
3️⃣ Leverage influencer collaborations for authentic exposure.

Don’t just rely on ads. Earn it. Own it.

If there happenned to be AI that helped increase your chances of securing earned media?

I think that would be handy 😉

Want to Get Featured in Mainstream Media? Here’s How I Scale My Chances of Getting Media Coverage for my personal or company brand.

Getting your name or brand into big media outlets isn’t easy. Journalists are swamped with pitches, and standing out feels impossible.

Without a PR agency, responding to journalist requests can feel overwhelming — especially when 100s of opportunities land in your inbox daily. It’s easy to miss deadlines or submit rushed pitches that don’t get picked.

Here’s how I’ve changed that and massively increased my chances of getting featured:

𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹-𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮 𝗥𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘀
Register on these platforms where journalists actively look for sources:

Connectively (HARO)
PRRequest & JournoRequest on X (Twitter)
Qwoted
Featured
Sourcebottle
And more (Editorielle, Press Plugs, Help a B2B Writer, Dot Star Media, ResponseSource, Press Loft, Pitchresponse)

Instead of cold-pitching, you’re responding to direct requests from journalists at outlets like CNN, BBC, CNBC, The Guardian and HubSpot.

𝗣𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿, 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿
In the past, I’d manually write pitches — often too late or not strong enough. Now, I use an AI tool I’ve built to automate and speed up the pitch-writing process. Here’s my process:

– I copy the journalist’s request into my tool.
– I choose the 𝗣𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗧𝘆𝗽𝗲, 𝗧𝗼𝗻𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝘁𝘆𝗹𝗲.
– The AI generates a strong draft pitch. [The AI was trained on actual expertise requests] – I add my personal insights to make it more authentic.
– This lets me submit multiple pitches daily instead of 1-2 a month, increasing my odds of success.

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗜𝘁 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀
Journalists have a need. I have the information. If I don’t pitch, I miss the chance entirely.

In the meantime, register on those media request portals and start seizing media opportunities as they come.

Your story deserves to be seen!

5 reasons why landing a SEO backlink from a major media site should be part of your strategy.

Backlinks from big media sites like CNN, BBC, Forbes etc are super valuable:

1. 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝘀𝘁
When a high-domain authority (DA) site links to you, it’s akin to a public endorsement from a celebrity. Suddenly, your site’s credibility skyrockets. Google takes notice. If CNN trusts you, why shouldn’t Google?

2. 𝗦𝗘𝗢 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 (𝗥𝗮𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗮𝗹)
Google’s algorithm treats backlinks from major sites as “votes of confidence.” More votes = higher rankings.

3. 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰, 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗘𝘆𝗲𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘀
When a major media site mentions you, people click. This means instant traffic to your site, more visibility, and more leads. It’s like tapping into a never-ending source of new visitors.

The dailymail .co .uk site received 𝟰𝟱𝟲.𝟭𝟴 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰!

4. 𝗟𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗘𝗢 𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲
Backlinks from reputable sources don’t just help you globally, they also give you a local SEO boost. If you’re a local business, this could mean higher rankings in your community for relevant searches.

5. 𝗦𝗘𝗢 + 𝗣𝗥 𝗦𝘆𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆
This is where SEO meets PR magic. Getting featured in news articles gives you clout in front of potential clients AND search engines. It’s a two-for-one deal on visibility and trust.

𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆:
Every backlink isn’t created equal. You could get 50 backlinks from random blogs OR one link from CNN and that one link would likely be more powerful than all 50 combined.

Pro tip: Start with media outreach, pitch journalists with a compelling story, use tools like my new AI JournoPitch https://journopitch.co.uk/  to craft your story, and position yourself as an expert source.
If you’re serious about growing your online presence, aim for backlinks from the big leagues.

How to Pitch Journalists and Earn Media And gain valuable SEO backlinks
as part of the process

Craft Pitches Like a Story, Not a Sales Pitch

Most people make one big mistake: They pitch their brand, not their story. Journalists don’t care about your product or service. They care about what’s new, what’s timely, what’s relatable and what is NEWS.

My approach:

I structure my pitch like a mini-story:
Hook (attention-grabbing first line)
Key Insight (the “so what” or unique angle)
Proof (social proof, expertise, or a strong
quote)
I keep it brief and skimmable. No walls of text.

Pro Tip: Before pitching, I ask myself, “If I were
scrolling online, would I stop to read this?” If the
answer is no, I rewrite it.

Position Yourself as an “Expert Source” (Not Just a Founder or CEO)

Journalists don’t just want “business people” to
interview — they want experts.
If you position yourself as a subject-matter expert
(instead of just “CEO of XYZ Co.”), you’re far more
likely to be featured.

My approach:

In my pitches, I highlight my expertise on the
topic, not just my title.
I mention past media appearances, key
insights, or original research I can share.
I offer to be available for follow-ups, live
interviews, or last-minute quotes.

Try This: Add “Media-Ready Expert on [your
topic]” to your LinkedIn headline. You’d be
surprised how many journalists are already lurking
on LinkedIn looking for sources.

Be Quick, But Be Relevant (Don’t Pitch Blindly)

Journalists are on tight deadlines, and speed
matters. But pitching something off-topic is a
probably a way to get ignored.

My approach:
I only pitch if I have a relevant insight or
perspective. If I can’t add value, I don’t waste
the journalist’s time (or mine).
If I can’t provide the exact story they’re
looking for, I’ll pitch an alternative angle that
still fits their brief. This “pivot pitch” has
worked for me a few times!

Build Journalist Relationships (Don’t Pitch, THEN Vanish)

One pitch is not a relationship. I focus on trying to
nurture connections with key journalists in my
industry.
How?
After a successful placement, I follow up with a
quick “thank you” message.
I offer to be a resource for future stories.
I connect with them on LinkedIn and engage
with their content.
It’s not just about landing one feature — it’s about
becoming a go-to source.
Some may not want an ongoing relationship. Thats
also cool.

Its not just about the Big Guns. Think SEO as a secondary objective

Of course we all want to get featured in Big Media.
The popular TV shows or the most read publications. But don’t forget about smaller publications. Local
papers. Trade journals.

You’re still going to get a media backlink.

Golddust for SEO. The backlink from any media
is Golddust btw.

Your ICP might be reading those publications
or watching that channel.

With your pitch, always include a link