How to Get Press Coverage for Your Coaching

April 20, 2020

This guide will show you how to get press coverage for your coaching.

Specifically, we’ll cover how to get featured in local and specialty media.

Local media includes your hometown paper, local TV stations, and local business magazines.

These outlets are always looking for stories about interesting hometown heroes — like you.

Specialty media include niche blogs and magazines.

If you specialize in coaching ADHD, for instance, you can reach out to ADHD bloggers.

Keep on reading, and you’ll learn how to find the right outlets and how to pitch them.

How to Get Press Coverage for Your Coaching

Two types of media make good targets for a story about your experience and expertise as a coach.

These are the best outlets to get press coverage for your coaching:

Local media – daily and weekly newspapers, local business journals, and local radio shows.
Specialty media — magazines, websites, blogs, and podcasts that target a specific audience.

Start by compiling a list of your local media outlets.

Then think about specialty media related to your coaching topic.

You can also do a general Google search, like, for example, “top meditation podcasts.”

The more outlets on your list, the better your chance of getting coverage.

When we teach coaches how to approach media, we say the right number of outlets is either one or ten.

If you approach just one person, you can research that person and reference a lot of their previous work when you reach out.

If you are going for volume, 3 or 7 people is too few.

You should contact at least ten, although reaching out to twenty or even a hundred is even better.

Use Your Connections

Once your media target list is ready, you need to find the best person to pitch at each outlet.

Ask yourself if you know someone at the publication, or if you know anyone who does.

If you do have a connection, reach out and ask them who the best person would be at the outlet to pitch our story.

Let’s say, for example, that you know a sports writer at the Fresno Bee, and you reach out to him.

If he is willing to make an introduction to the right reporter, that would be best.

Next best would be to use that person’s name in your email subject line, such as “Mark Swann referral: Intro to Coach.me.”

If you know someone who’s been interviewed by a reporter or podcast host, you can ask them for an introduction or permission to use their name as a referral.

Prepare for Cold Pitching

If you don’t have a direct referral to an outlet, you can still get press coverage for your coaching.

You’ll just send a written cold pitch instead.

That requires some good old-fashioned research.

At a daily newspaper, look for a beat reporter in your area of expertise.

If you’re a fitness coach, for instance, check the publication’s website for a health or lifestyle reporter.

At weekly papers, they don’t have specialized staff.

So, look for someone who writes profiles of local business people or human interest pieces.

For podcasts, the host is usually the best person to reach out to, unless their website points you to a producer.

Once you’ve found the person you think is the best match for your story, you need to find their email address.

Some sites make it easy, including a link to the reporter’s email at the end of their story, or as part of a by-line.

If not, look for a “contact,” “about us,” or “staff” link at the bottom of the web page and see if you can find the address there.

Another place to search is Twitter — many reporters include their email address in their Twitter profile.

In addition, some publications have a standard email format, such as [email protected].

If you spot a pattern, you can use that format.

Some podcasts have a contact form that they request that you use, which is fine.

If you are having a hard time finding an address, another option is to call the publication’s main number and ask for the reporter’s email address.

Write a Pitch Letter to Get Press Coverage for Your Coaching

Below are guidelines for how to write a compelling pitch letter via email, broken down by sections.

1. Subject line

Journalists and bloggers receive dozens of pitches a day via email, many of which are never even opened.

Having a clear, concise subject line that gets the writer’s attention is critical.

Here are some ways to do that:

Mention if you were referred by a friend or another journalist.
Explain why you are getting in touch.
Include the company name if the writer is familiar with the space.
Reference a past article.

For example, if you’re a productivity coach and a writer did a story on tech overload, this would be a good subject line:

“Your 6-12 story: How to use technology to be more productive.”

With a subject line like this, you’d want to lead your letter referencing to the past story:

“After reading your June 12 story about tech overload, I wanted to introduce myself and Coach.me…”

Do not:

Use the word “Urgent.”
WRITE IN ALL CAPS.
Use vague subject lines like “story idea.”

2. Opening paragraph

Your email should always begin with a personalized greeting such as “Hello, Mark.”

When a site requests that email be sent to some general tips or news address, you can still personalize by saying, “Hello, Indianapolis Business Journal editors.”

The goal here is to be friendly and make it clear that you haven’t sent out a blast email.

Once a journalist opens your mail, you have just a few lines to hook them into reading the rest of your pitch.

You also need to be clear, early on, as to why you are writing, what action you want, and why this story is relevant to the recipient.

Example 1: Opening pitch to a productivity podcast host

Hello Hal,

I’m writing to introduce you to Tony Stubblebine, the founder of Coach.me, who I think would be a great guest for the Achieve Your Goals podcast. Featured last month as a Best New App by Apple, Coach.me has helped millions of people achieve goals ranging from productivity to fitness to stopping drinking to meditation.

As you can see, there’s no hiding the ask: the paragraph is asking for a guest spot on the podcast.

Of course, you won’t have a professional PR person representing you.

So, you’ll be introducing yourself.

Example 2: Opening pitch to a site helping people in recovery

Hello Tim,

I am Cecily Kellogg, and I am one of the most popular sobriety coaches on Coach.me (featured this month as a Top New App by Apple). I’ve been sober for 19 years and helped dozens of clients work on reducing or stopping drinking. I think your Sober Nation readers would be interested in my story, and how an emerging field of behavioral coaching can help your readers stay or get sober.

You can also include a one-line story or statistic as a hook.

If you are pitching a local paper or business journal, be sure to let the reporter know where you are from.

3. Body

Unless you’ve had prior contact with the recipient, do not send an attachment.

Many spam filters will automatically block your email.

And even if you make it through, people are hesitant to open attachments unless you are a trusted source.

Therefore, the information you include in the body should support your goal for the letter.

If you want an interview, the body needs to explain who you are and why you’re a subject area expert.

Include any links to more information.

Avoid hype and cliches (including words like revolutionary, game-changing, etc.).

4. Closing

Finally, thank the recipient.

This is another good place for personalization.

You can say something like, “Thank you, Kris, for your consideration.”

Include your contact information in your signature.

After your signature, you can also include additional information, such as a top tip or a client testimonial, and reference to it in the email.

The entire email should be no more than five paragraphs.

Sample Pitch Letters to Get Press Coverage for Your Coaching

Here are several examples of pitch letters from Coach.me coaches that resulted in interest from journalists.

Use them as inspiration whenever you’re looking to get press coverage for your coaching.

Pitch to the Cleveland Plain Dealer’s tech columnist

Subject: Coach.me – Apple app of the week’s Cleveland connection

Hello Michael,

I’m writing to introduce you to Coach.me, which is being featured this week as a Top New App by Apple, and to Rob Kovacs, a Cleveland-based musician who is one of the most popular coaches on the site.

Forming new habits is hard to do in isolation – Coach.me (backed by Twitter founders Ev Williams and Biz Stone) offers a combination of free daily reminders, community support, and advice. You can also, for 14.99 a week, choose one-on-one coaching. Coach.me has helped hundreds of thousands of people achieve goals ranging from productivity to fitness to stopping drinking to meditation.

Rob has a fascinating back story – several years ago, he developed arthritis throughout his body, including his hands. As a pianist, this was threatening his career. After a year of research, he was able to regain his health through diet and exercise. He now coaches others in two areas: music (practicing and writing) and health (exercise and the paleo diet). This coaching supplements his income and, according to Rob, also greatly inspires him. You can check out his coaching profile and testimonials from some of his clients here: https://www.coach.me/robkovacs.

I’d be happy to put you in touch with Rob, Coach .me’s founder Tony Stubblebine, or Cleveland-area people who have used the app to reach their goals. Or, if you’d be interested in having a coach to help you achieve a goal of your own, I can pair you up.

Thanks, Michael, for your consideration.

Best,
Debbie Pfeifer
(206) 669-0000
www.coach.me
In the App Store: http://apple.co/1OY3kHM

Pitch to Memeburn – a South African tech site

Hello, Memeburn editors.

I’m writing to introduce myself. I’m a director at a Cape Town digital agency who is also one of the most popular productivity coaches on Coach.me (a pioneer in the new field of behavioral coaching). I’ve worked with over one hundred clients around the globe, helping them set and accomplish priorities, wake up on time, tame their email inboxes, and create effective to-do lists.

Behavioral coaching works is designed entirely for mobile phones with no need for long face-to-face sessions. I think your Memeburn readers would be interested in learning about how hundreds of thousands of people have used behavioral coaching via Coach.me to accomplish their goals. I can also share some of my tips on how to be more productive and get the most out of your day. You can check out my coaching profile here: https://www.coach.me/willemvzyl.

Regards,
Willem

“Since working for myself, I started finding it really hard to stay focused during the day. I put off important tasks and procrastinated badly and some days totally avoided work altogether. After three days with Will’s advice and support, I had implemented some incredibly powerful strategies, systems, and processes into the way I worked, and have to say it has completely changed the way I work. I now produce three times (I’ve tracked this) more work, consistently.” ~ Dan (one of my clients)

Sample New Year Resolution Pitch for Local Press

Subject: INSERT TWIST ON NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION

Hello (Journalist First Name),

I’m writing to introduce myself in the hopes of being included in your New Year’s Resolution coverage. I’ve been a (AREA) coach for the past (X) months on Coach.me. Many of my clients are planning on INSERT RESOLUTION, and I would welcome the opportunity to share my experiences and tips so that your readers can also succeed at that Resolution.

I’m (background on what makes you an expert in your area). I’ve coached (a number/dozens) of people around the (country/globe). One thing I’ve found is that (include an interesting fact about what people want to accomplish in this area or what holds them back). In coaching, the most helpful advice I give clients is (TIP). Here’s a link to my profile: (LINK), and I’ve included several testimonials at the end of this mail.

I’d be happy to talk about (give topics of interest to you/listeners) and to share tips on how to (goal related to the podcast). I can also talk about how and why having a coach on your phone works.

As background, Coach.me is a pioneer in behavioral coaching and is backed by Tim Ferriss, Tony Robbins, David Allen, and Twitter founders Ev Williams and Biz Stone. Coach.me offers a combination of free daily reminders, community support, and advice. You can also, for 4.99 a week, choose one-on-one coaching. Coach.me users have achieved goals ranging from fitness to stopping drinking to productivity to meditation.

Thank you, (HOST NAME), for your consideration.

Best,
(NAME)
(EMAIL)
(CONTACT NUMBER)

(If you have testimonials, include them here)

Sample Pitch Letter for Podcasts

Hello (Journalist First Name),

I’m writing to introduce myself in the hopes of being a guest on the (NAME) podcast. I’ve been a (AREA) coach for the past (X) months on Coach.me (recently named a Top New App by Apple), and I would welcome the opportunity to share my experiences and tips with your listeners.

I’m (background on what makes you an expert in your area). I’ve coached (a number/dozens) of people around the (country/globe). One thing I’ve found is that (include an interesting fact about what people want to accomplish in this area or what holds them back). In coaching, the most helpful advice I give clients is (TIP). Here’s a link to my profile: (LINK), and I’ve included several testimonials at the end of this mail.

I’d be happy to talk about (give topics of interest to you/listeners) and to share tips on how to (goal related to the podcast). I can also talk about how and why having a coach on your phone works.

As background, Coach.me (backed by Tim Ferriss and Twitter founders Ev Williams and Biz Stone) offers a combination of free daily reminders, community support, and advice. You can also, for 4.99 a week, choose one-on-one coaching. Coach.me users have achieved goals ranging from fitness to stopping drinking to productivity to meditation.

Thank you, (HOST NAME), for your consideration.

Best,
(NAME)
(EMAIL)
(CONTACT NUMBER)

(If you have testimonials, include them here)

Follow Up

You wrote the pitch, crafted a catchy subject line, sent the email, and then… nothing.

In my experience, when I hear back from pitches, about a third of replies come the first day, about a third come two to four days after sending the pitch, and a third comes from reaching out a second time.

It’s very likely that the reporter either missed your first email entirely, or that the mail is buried in her inbox.

So, if you haven’t heard back from a reporter, you should:

Wait five to seven days after sending your message.
Find your original message.
Forward that message to the reporter with brief intro including your name and contact number in the signature.

For example:

Hello Hal,

I wanted to circle back regarding the following message about Coach.me, the online coaching app, and its founder, Tony Stubblebine. Would you be interested in having Tony as a guest?

Thanks for your consideration.

Best,
Debbie Pfeifer
www.coach.me
(206) 669-0000

Following up once is perfectly acceptable.

More than that is not unless the reporter expressed initial interest and then dropped off.

If the outlet you are pitching has several possible targets (for example, several business columnists), move on to the next if you don’t hear back.

In the case of small publications or podcasts with a single point of contact, you can try again in 4-6 months with a new angle.

Set Up the Interview

When you’ve heard back from a reporter who would like to speak with you, make sure you are clear on the following:

Date and time (including time zone) of the interview.
Who will be initiating the contact.
Format of the call (Skype-video or audio-only, phone, etc.).
Approximate length of the interview.

It’s helpful to send a calendar invite to the reporter detailing the logistics.

How to Get Press Coverage for Your Coaching, In Summary

The best outlets to get press coverage for your coaching are local and specialty media.
Start by compiling a list of relevant outlets in your area.
If you have a connection, reach out and ask them who to pitch your story to.
If you don’t have a connection, research a relevant reporter, and send them a cold pitch.
The subject line needs to be clear, concise, and appealing.
The opening paragraph should be friendly and make it clear that you haven’t sent out a blast email.
The body should support your goal for the email.
The closing should include a thank you, your signature, and additional information.
You do not have to reinvent the wheel — use sample pitch letters for inspiration.
If you haven’t heard back in five to seven days, follow up with the reporter.
When you’ve heard back, make sure to clearly establish the details of the call.