Using Personas to Improve Pitching Results

IMPROVE YOUR PITCHING RESULTS WITH PERSONAS

Bonnie HarrisFounder, Wax Marketingwaxmarketing.com@waxmarketing

@waxgirl333

The ProblemThe NumbersCreating PersonasPersonalizing the Pitch

REMEMBER THE GOOD OLD DAYS?

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The good old days.

What’s changed:

• Proliferation of media outlets• Job hopping media• Content marketing

What’s REALLY changed:

• Business people try to duplicate a consumer experience

• Forrester: 75% of people want a self-directed experience

• Think with Google: 57% get to the buy on their own

• 4, 257, 773 blog posts posted YESTERDAY

THE NUMBERS ARE SHOCKING

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• 20% of journalists rely less on PR for stories (Cision)

• 37% say we need to respect their pitching preferences more (Shut up Cision)

AND A LITTLE DEPRESSING

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What’s the solution?

What’s the real solution?

GO NARROW.

Forget the firehose

• Choose fewer outlets

• Know your targets• Personalize your

pitching

Improve your pitch to placement ratio.

THIS IS WHERE PERSONAS CAN HELP

So what is a persona?

• A persona is a semi-fictitious representative of your ideal customer media person

PERSONAS HELP US GET SPECIFIC –PERSONALIZE THE EXPERIENCE.

BECAUSE NOW WE’RE INFLUENCING. NOT PITCHING.

WE’RE INFLUENCING THEM THROUGH THEIR BUYING CYCLE.

Media Archetypes

Blogger ProducerInfluencerOnline WriterPrint Reporter

QUESTIONS TO THINK ABOUT

• What % of the cycle is self-directed?

• How & when do they build relationships?

• Who/what influences them?

Some demographics will help visualize your new persona.

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WHAT’S THEIR BEHAVIOR?

JON FULTON, ONLINE REPORTER

• Writes for several tech websites

• Up super early

• Hates being pitched

• Seriously into Twitter & Reddit

• Writes latest news

• Needs to be “first” to get something

• In a competitive pitch environment

JON FULTON, ONLINE REPORTER

Pitch Plan

• Share his stories

• Determine his influencers

• Develop his editors

• Provide a favor

• Give exclusives

How do I get this info?

1. LURKING

ASKING

• Where do you find your stories?• What’s the best story you’ve done? • What are you working on?• Who are your influences?

Etc.

2. ASKING

LURKING 101• Observe social media accounts

• Who do they follow?

• Who do they curate?

• When do they post?

• What’s their tone?

• If personal, what are their interests?

• Read articles

• Who are their sources?

• When do they publish?

• How many publications do they publish in?

PREPARE YOUR PITCH PLAN FOR EACH PERSONA

• Think long-term

• Reach them before you need to pitch them

• Watch them (lurk)

• Ask them

• Influence their “buying” cycle

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SUMMARY

• Narrow down your pitching targets

• Update your personas

• Personalize your pitch plan

• Measure your pitch to placement ratio

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Bonnie Harris

WaxMarketing.com

waxmarketing@gmail.com

612-801-0912

@waxgirl333