If you are a freelance journalist you know some publications are sexier than others.
You might write for a newspaper that has half a million readers, but the chic website or the hot, underground magazine that’s available in one central London location, somehow feels more desirable, and thus more significant, to you and your clients.
I know that for me, keeping a high low mix is essential in keeping you engaged. I may lose money from certain writing gigs (by the time I’ve invested time and travel) but I consider them a loss leader.
It’s the same for you right? You know there are brands/spaces/people/events that us hacks love. And then there are those that are more mainstream, less interesting, less wantable, less high status.
The right mix of clients is crucial in getting hacks to engage. I know those big brands pay the bills, but they don’t hold so much allure. I’m much more likely to react to a new artisan candle/hip make-up brand than a drug store shampoo.
Oh yes, I’d love to meet you to talk about the new age spa where the hottest Hollywood couple has just resurrected their marriage.
A clever tactic is to use your hottest brands as bait. Use them to lure hacks into meeting/engaging – then take the opportunity bamboozle us with facts about the mass market’s brand exceptional R & D or the quirky angle about the non descript hotel.
This is where your true PR nous comes in. Can you find what will peak our interest? What makes something a bit dull, interesting?
