Journalist and founder Monty Munford spoke recently at a dinner sharing his thoughts and tips on how to secure media coverage for your business. One thing he spoke on was the fact that he rejects 98% of emails that are sent to him.

To be the 2% that makes it through – Monty had these tips for his fellow diners:

• Open with a good reference to what the journalist has written. E.g. I really enjoyed your article on…
• Second paragraph: The product
• Third paragraph: Shall we meet up?
• Send three paragraphs only
• Make the Subject line interesting. (This is crucial for most journalists.) Write a headline for a story to get their attention
• Find out where the journalist goes and what events they attend
• PR is important but for a low budget it’s not worth having as you won’t get the focus you need. Expect to spend at least £3k to make it worthwhile.
• Have a page on your website to your press articles and have the latest story at the top
• You may find a journalist is more likely to publish if the email comes from the CEO
• Figure out the best time to contact them (avoiding high-pressure moments in the press cycle). For Monty, it’s best to contact him between 11am to 1pm (avoid Mondays altogether)

Get more fab tips from our speakers right here on our blog  – or better yet – hear first-hand by joining us for dinner!