Episode 50: Dos And Don'ts of Pitching to Journalists to Get PR for Your Small Business with Jessica Toscano
What would it take for you to do so that journalists will finally notice your small business?
What steps do you need to take to feature your product on that famous gift guide?
Is it a compelling background story? A catchy subject line? Or do you need to send samples of your product?
You might have already tried searching for the answers almost everywhere. From their responses, most of them would say, "you do this" and "you don't do that."
However, instead of gaining clarity, you end up confused with their answers about PR.
But if you've been closely following our Small Business PR Podcast, you will have noticed that the PR themes and topics we consistently share are unconventional yet proven to produce results.
Whether that's keeping your pitch to a certain length, optimizing your website, or knowing the best time of year to pitch before journalists—we can genuinely say to you that these are the exact steps you must do and not do, so you can get all the recognition you deserve!
Most importantly, that's because the people we're bringing to our podcasts serve as experts in their fields, continue pitching their products and services, and eventually sow the fruits of their PR activities.
In this episode, our guest, Jessica Toscano, a journalist, and business founder, will discuss and emphasize the Dos and Don'ts that will put you not only on top of the journalists' minds but even propel your business further.
"You have a strength in pitching as yourself because nobody knows your product, company, or brand better than you do. And it's personable. You're not relying on anybody else to do that for you. So, you really do want to take that time to own it."
-Jessica Toscano
Jessica Toscano is a skilled content creator and editor with experience in print and digital media. She founded digital unisex lifestyle publication, IntrigueMag in 2014. She continues to serve as CEO and Editor-in-Chief. Additionally, her articles have been published in Cosmopolitan, Men's Health, SELF, SHAPE, SheKnows, InsideHook, Giddy, and Cliché, with branded content featured in a variety of outlets, including Buffalo News.
Join us as we dive deep inside the mind of a journalist to understand how they think and what they are exactly doing with your PR pitches. Once you know the dos and don’ts of PR, you will be more confident in your organic PR efforts.
Topics We Cover in This Episode:
An insider's view of what a journalist's inbox looks like
Keeping your pitches concise yet meaningful
Why are you the best person to pitch your product or service
The elements that matter most in your pitch for journalists
How envisioning your life leads to better pitches and messages
Following the right timing and timeline when pitching
If you want to land your first feature for free without any connections, I want to invite you to watch my PR Secrets Masterclass where I reveal the exact methods thousands of bootstrapping small businesses use to hack their own PR and go from unknown to being a credible and sought-after industry expert. Register now at www.gloriachou.com/masterclass.
Resources Mentioned:
Gloria Chou's Masterclass: PR Masterclass
Follow Jessica Toscano on Instagram: Jessica Toscano IG
Connect with Jessica Toscano on LinkedIn: Jessica Toscano
Follow Jessica Toscano on Twitter: @msjtoscano
Additional Resources:
Join the Small Biz PR Pros FB group
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Here’s a glance at this episode…
[2:12] So, for me, when I am pitching an editor, I want to make sure that my tone and my style and my voice matches their publication. I want to make sure that the subject matter also matches something that they would typically feature. And I want to make sure that the pitch is timely.
[6:27] Outside of that, any studies that have been conducted that will help prove your point, or hyperlinks back to the website, the company website, that's super important. Because if I'm interested in the pitch, I definitely want to go back to the company website and I want to review it further.
[9:58] I think one of the things you really want to think about when you're creating a subject line is, if you're going to go onto a publication's website, or you're going to open up a magazine, what interests you? What type of subject is going to stand out to you?
[11:19] So one thing I definitely recommend is anytime that you can include a list, so any sort of bulleted list, 100%, absolutely go for it. It's easy on the eyes. You're giving me information upfront that is super important to know. Maybe you're gonna put a statistic for one of the bullets.
[14:11] Do not try to mislead your audience. In my opinion, that's one of the worst things that you can do. Because as journalists, we're going to do the research. And we're going to make sure that it's something that is in line with our audience.
[22:48] You want to focus on what, if you are successful in this pitch, what if you are successful in your idea, envision what you want your life to look like five years, ten years down the line.
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Jessica Toscano 0:00
I think knowing who you are as a person definitely comes into play here. If you have a vision, and you've conducted the market research necessary to deem your idea potentially successful, all you really have to do is believe in yourself. I know that sounds super cliche, but I'm telling you, for me, I have this tunnel vision, right? So that everyone, everything that doesn't have to do with my ultimate goal is in my peripherals. And that way, I'm able to focus on my goal. I don't think about you know, the potential failure like am I nervous? Totally, totally. We all are. It's totally okay to be nervous.
Gloria Chou 0:37
Hey, friends, I'm Gloria Chou, small business PR expert, award winning pitch writer and your unofficial hype woman. Nothing makes me happier than seeing people get the recognition they deserve. And that starts with feeling more confident to go bigger with your message. So on this podcast, I will share with you the untraditional, yet proven strategies for PR marketing and creating more opportunity in your business. If you are ready to take control of your narrative and be your most unapologetic and confident self, you're in the right place. This is the Small Business PR podcast. Alright, everyone, if you've ever wanted to get into a gift guide, or maybe wondering what a journalist inbox looks like, today, we have Jessica Toscano, she is the editor and founder and creator of intrigue mag, she's also written for some of the most top tier outlets such as Cosmo, Men's Health, SELF magazine shape, you name it, she's probably done it. She's an all around media and content expert. So thank you for being here and answering our questions. I'm so thrilled you're here.
Jessica Toscano 1:39
Thank you so much, Gloria, I'm so excited to be a part of this.
Gloria Chou 1:43
So you've written for so many of the most like all of the cool lifestyle, wellness, outlet outlets, and you also have your own publication. So you have been on both sides of pitching, you've received pitches, and you're also pitching yourself. So can you tell me a little bit about what that experience has been like for you?
Jessica Toscano 2:02
Yes, absolutely. So it's a little bit different if you're pitching an editor versus reviewing a pitch from a PR rep or from somebody who's starting their own business. So for me, when I am pitching an editor, I want to make sure that my tone edge and my style and my voice matches their publication, I want to make sure that the subject matter also matches something that they would typically feature. And I want to make sure that the pitch is timely. And it is very similar for pitches that I'm receiving. But the difference is I'm pitching an article idea versus receiving a pitch for a product or a wellness resort or something along those lines. So you want to make sure if you're the one doing the pitching for a product or for a service or something along those lines that you're including backup information, such as the benefits of your product, or any studies that have been recently conducted that show the benefits of your product, or why your product is important or relevant. And that that's going to be the main focus versus an article idea.
Gloria Chou 3:12
Now you get pitched all the time, I want to know what your inbox looks like, you must get tons of crazy emails do you actually.
Jessica Toscano 3:18
So I read I at least I try to read every single email, I try to respond whether I'm interested or I'm not interested. And I would say I get anywhere between 50 and 100 emails a day, which I guess wouldn't be a lie in comparison to some editors who've been in the industry far longer than I have. But it definitely feels like a lot when I'm going through them. So when I'm receiving pitches, I definitely am looking for something that's super concise, straight to the point. Otherwise, I'm likely not going to read the whole thing, nor retain the information.
Gloria Chou 3:53
Yeah, I love that. I'm all about making it easy for the person who's reading the email to know exactly what the pitch is. We'll definitely go into subject lines in a little bit. But I want to just focus on the fact that so you do have a crazy inbox. But you do read your emails. So just because you don't respond doesn't mean you haven't read it, right, correct. Yeah. Now let's actually go into like how you organize it because someone might be sending you a story you might be interested in, it might not work for you right now. How do you go back and like find them again.
Jessica Toscano 4:25
So my inbox is a little chaotic. And I know that this is super unorthodox, but I actually will go back and put my email the email of interest back to unread so I know to go back to it almost as if like, I haven't read it at all. And I'll even star it if it's something that I think that I could potentially use in the near future.
Gloria Chou 4:46
Now, how many of the pitches that actually lead to somewhere are sent via email versus a phone call or a text or on social media?
Jessica Toscano 4:57
So me personally, I never want any Are you ready to pitch me via phone call or via texts, that, that would just get too crazy. So, email is the preferred method, I've had a few PR reps reach out to me via LinkedIn. And I think that's actually really smart. Because you're letting me know, hey, I'm here, I'm also going to send you via email. But I just wanted to send a quick intro and let you know that you can expect this from me. I also wouldn't mind that on social media as well. But I would save the pitch, the actual pitch for email, just send me a quick message. Hey, I just want to introduce myself, I have this client that I think that would be perfect for you X, Y, and Z reasons. And then follow up with me via email for sure.
Gloria Chou 5:39
You know, I love how concise and to the point it is. It's not this whole autobiography, intro, all this stuff, right? So how long would you say ideally, the best pitches, how many sentences, how many paragraphs?
Jessica Toscano 5:52
I would keep it to no more than eight to 10 sentences. So just a few paragraphs, I just want to know the basics. What are you pitching me? Why is it relevant? Has it been featured in any other publications, I don't know if any other editors look for that. But that's something I definitely look for, because it gives me an idea that, okay, you know, this could potentially be trending right now, or, you know, this, this particular product or this particular service is of interest to other audiences. Let me review it to see if it could be of interest to mine. Outside of that, any studies that have been conducted that will help prove your point, or hyperlinks back to the website, the company website, that's super important, because if I'm interested in the pitch, I definitely want to go back to the company website, and I want to review it further, you know, I want to see, okay, is this potentially something we can use? If it's a product, I'm going to look at ingredients, I'm going to look at any studies that have been conducted and featured on the website, I'm going to look to see the About Me page, and you know about the organization if they have a really awesome backstory, things of that nature.
Gloria Chou 7:00
You know, I love that so much. Literally everything you said, Jessica is like what I teach in my PR masterclass, that's amazing. So hyperlinks over over attachments, right? Because sometimes it can trigger your spam filters. How do you feel about attachments?
Jessica Toscano 7:15
I'm not a big fan of attachments. To be honest, I usually don't read them. And if they do end up in my inbox, most of the time, it's a press release. And the pitch tells me everything I need to know. It's just, you know, additional information. And if I want additional information, if I'm interested, I'm going to reach out to you regardless.
Gloria Chou 7:33
I love it. So you've given us such detailed information about eight to 10 sentences, keep it super concise, and hyperlinks over attachments. What about founders who are listening right now and they say, I have an incredible product, I just don't have the budget to get a really fancy website, do you care if the website doesn't look like super jazzed up?
Jessica Toscano 7:57
The website is actually a really big thing for me, because it shows me well, it shows me a couple of things. It shows me who you are as a professional. So I am somebody who has built several websites, I'm not familiar with HTML coding, I haven't had a big budget. So I know that it really doesn't require too much other than some time and effort. So if you know I go on your website, and it shows a lack of dedication, that's already telling me what type of professional you are, and the effort you probably put into your product. And immediately I'm disinterested.
Gloria Chou 8:33
Right? So you're saying it's not about how fancy it is, but it has so maybe like a good story or an about section like can it be just kind of plain without anything, but it has a great story.
Jessica Toscano 8:44
Yeah, so sorry, if that was confusing, so it doesn't have to be anything like super advanced. It has the basic information there. You know, it shows that you put in effort to explain your backstory, you're really often backstory, and you have pictures of your product or your your service or the location that you're trying to show off that those are all key features. You want to include as much information as possible in as concise of a way as possible. And if you have a specific look to your brand, I definitely say reflect that via your website because you want consistency. You want your brand to stand out, you know, to be able to go on your website and say, oh, okay, like for me, that's what intrigue looks like you know, intrigues website matches the business cards, which matches, you know, merchandise and whatever else.
Gloria Chou 9:34
Yeah, I love that. I mean, that's really marketing one on one. I love how you just reminded us. It's not about how fancy it is, but it's the consistency and how strong your brand voice is. So I love that. Now I want to talk about subject lines. I am like so focused on subject lines in my PR community because we know that if your subject line is not good, it's just not the email is not going to get open. So can you talk to me about subject line best practices?
Jessica Toscano 9:58
I think one of the things you really want to think about when you're creating a subject line is, if you're gonna go onto a publication's website, or you're going to open up a magazine, what interests you what type of subject is going to stand out to you and make you think, hmm, I want to read this article, same idea. So keep it super concise. You don't want to have a huge subject line, I've gotten pitches that are like 12 Plus words long, and I'm like, Okay, I already lost interest. Like, I'm not gonna sit here and read all of that. You also don't want to include words like media inquiry, media opportunity, timely resources, they're filler words, they're not telling me anything about your pitch. And it's, in my opinion, it's a waste of space. And one thing that I definitely would avoid is sending a pitch to someone that is out of their scope out of their realm. So I've had people reach out to me about, you know, children's education, for example, I'm a health and sexual wellness writer. That's not of relevance to me at all.
Gloria Chou 10:56
Yeah, that's it's like, do your research people come on, it takes like one second. And you can you can do research so easily on Twitter, on LinkedIn, and just do a quick Google search. So let's say we got past the subject line, we got your attention. Now there is the email. Are there any do's and don'ts? I know you told me eight to 10 sentences, is there anything else that founders can do to make their pitch stand out from the crowd?
Jessica Toscano 11:19
So one thing I definitely recommend is anytime that you can include a list, so any sort of bulleted list 100%, absolutely go for it, it's easy on the eyes, you're giving the information upfront, that is super important to know, you know, like, maybe you're gonna put a statistic for one of the bullets. And then in the next bullet, you're gonna list key ingredients in the product. That is all super helpful information. And it's not overwhelming to the eyes, because it's not all these bulky sentences and paragraphs. And it's still conveying the information that you need to convey.
Gloria Chou 11:53
Oh, my gosh, I love it. You're validating like everything that I say in my PR community. So thank you for that. I love bullets. I love threes. What is a good tone or way to kind of close the email, that's not an energy of begging. But it's also like a strong ask.
Jessica Toscano 12:10
One thing that I really do think is important, especially if you're pitching a product is offering to send samples, or high resolution images, please let me know if you're interested in receiving a sample or a high resolution image. And that's basically saying to the person, I'm really serious about, you know, getting this product into your publication, definitely consider us we're going to do everything we possibly can to make it worth your while. So it's worth checking out.
Gloria Chou 12:38
I love that. Okay, so so that could be very simple. Now, what about if they don't have a product? What if they're a Wellness Educator? How would they go about offering that to you?
Jessica Toscano 12:48
I would recommend anytime that you can put any sort of background in there. So if there's like a short video clip, or something fun that they can click back to an editor can click back to that's not going to take too much time, that way they can get an idea for like, the wellness experts personality or the you know, is there a 3d video of what you know, a resort looks like something like that. That's fun, and still shows the editor kind of firsthand, almost what they're getting into, I think is super helpful.
Gloria Chou 13:22
Yeah, I love that. So I mean, you really receive pitches from whether it's resorts or products or things like that. And I know a lot of our audience are trying to get into a guide. Right? So best products best something? Do you have anything? I know you I know, you've also worked on food and drinks guide, what is the best way to talk about your product in a way that's not like forcing you to include it, but is really convincing.
Jessica Toscano 13:48
Okay, so the one thing I actually want to point out is what not to do, I've had a few companies reach out about this, they're really awesome health products, you know, healthy snack bars, or this drink is better than soda. And then I go onto the website, and I find out that it's misleading. They have ingredients in there that isn't quite sugar, but it's not quite great for you. Do not try to mislead your audience. That's one of in my opinion, that's one of the worst things that you can do. Because as journalists, we're going to do the research and we're going to make sure that it's something that is in line with our audience. It's something that we are being truthful and honest about so definitely be as honest as humanly possible. And that for me, goes a long way. You know, if you honestly say in your pitch, oh, it's not sugar, but it's, you know, a little bit better and x, y and z, then I'm more likely to be like, Okay, so this person was honest, like, yeah, you know, it may not be as bad as sugar and that's just an example of no things sugar is bad. But you know, it's a sugar replacement that isn't as bad as sugar but it's still not great, but I'm being honest with you about it. Like that'll attract me for sure. And I might not be able to use it and like a Health Guide, but I might be able to use it, you know, somewhere else for people who are cutting out sugar, for example, you know, and another niche article.
Gloria Chou 15:08
Yeah. Now another question that comes to mind is, what if you have five or six products in your company? How do you know? How do you know which one to pitch to get into a gift or product guide?
Jessica Toscano 15:18
I think it has a lot to do with relevance. So I'm going to use a company that I recently worked with as example. They introduced non alcoholic beer, and a couple of the beers are perfect for summertime. You know, when you think of beer in the summer, you're thinking of Corona, it's light, it's crisp, it's refreshing, you're gonna pair it with a lime. And this company happened to introduce a light lime non alcoholic beer. I mean, they have, you know, like six or seven other flavors, flavors, but they introduced that one because it's relevant with the season right now.
Gloria Chou 15:52
Yeah. So I love what you said about relevance, right? Because that's something that's so important in my pitching method is how to find that relevance. So do you have another example of someone that led with something that's relevant even though they had all these other things that they could have pitched?
Jessica Toscano 16:06
Sure. So during Christmas time, and Hanukkah, and just around wintertime, in general, there are a lot of holiday gift guides, right. And I had a company reach out about a blanket now they were advertising other items that they sold, you know, like throw pillows, and I think they might have had, I want to say socks at the time. I can't remember because it was a while back. But they did have other things on their website. But this fall for blanket was super important. Because it's around wintertime, you know, your everybody has the heat on, you're getting cold, you want something that's going to warm you up. So what better way to show somebody that you care about them? Or that you're thinking of them than to get them like a really awesome heavy duty fob or blanket that's comfortable, it's going to look pretty on your bed or on your couch.
Gloria Chou 17:00
Yeah, I love that. I mean, that's so easy, right? It seems like product guides. And gift guides are kind of like low hanging fruit that every founder should try at least once. If they have something that's that's a product, I want to switch over to like the difference between a product based pitch like a gift guide, or product guide, where you're talking about actual product, and a pitch that's more thought leadership more about mindset, right? Maybe pitching their own backstory. So in your experience, like, which pitch does better? And like when should founders pitch like a personal background story versus like, here's my product?
Jessica Toscano 17:33
That is actually a really awesome question. So I think it really depends on you, and what you want people to see more of who you are, what your ultimate goal is, do you want people to go onto your website? Do you want a lot of traffic and you want a lot of people buying your product? Or do you want to represent the fact that you are woman owned? Or, you know, you come from an Asian Pacific background or something along those lines? Like, what is it that you're trying to highlight, and then I would go from there. And one of the things I would do from there is look at the type of publications that you want to pitch to. So for example, I know a Lord does a lot of product features, but they also pitch a lot of really awesome backstories. And that's one of the things that attracts me to them. Because I know that you know a lot of their products I'm supporting, you know, a local business, or I'm supporting a small business or even you know, a black owned business. And to me as a consumer, that's super important. So you really want to hone in on your story, your angle.
Gloria Chou 18:39
I love that so much. Now we are we have some we're wearing so many hats, right? A lot of the people in my community, I would say 75% Women of Color, first generation immigrants, whether they're single moms, so is it okay to kind of, like have both those elements in a pitch? So talk a little bit about their backstory, but then also have it be very product focused? Or do you think it should be two separate pitches for two different times?
Jessica Toscano 19:04
Again, I think it really depends on your angle, but I do appreciate it when they're merged. Because the product itself might not immediately captivate me. But if you have your background story, and for example, you're a minority, especially, you know, with everything going on right now, like supporting minorities is super, super important, then yeah, include that. Definitely include that. Because they might make an editor go back and say, Oh, wait, you know what, this didn't immediately captivate me because I don't think it's relevant right now. But I would love to include this in some way shape or form moving forward.
Gloria Chou 19:38
Yeah, I do love merging that as well. But I think that brings up another issue is length because then people get really tied up in the whole backstory. So how can they still walk that line of being very concise, but also talk about themselves and the product?
Jessica Toscano 19:55
So the first time you write about yourself or you you write you know a bio or something along those lines, it might be a little lengthy because you want to be as detailed as possible. And I get it, we've all been there. But you can definitely go back and edit that a second time, edit that a third time edit that afford time, a fourth time. And what I would do is have a certain goal, you know, I want to convey my story in this amount of words, or this many sentences, and see how many words you can cut out from your first draft, so that you're still conveying all the important aspects that you want to convey. But it's not going to be overwhelming for whoever's reading it.
Gloria Chou 20:36
I love that I really think it's the true hallmark of a leader and founder if they've really done the work to, like, perfect their messaging, you know, it's chipping away at it one by one. I mean, I know for me, like, the reason why I became you know, teaching other people about pitching is because I've literally cold pitch like 1000s of times, and I'm still working on it, right. So I think there's no better way to own your power and your story than practice that that pitching, and nothing wrong with PR agencies. But I think that exercise of finding clarity, and your message is like, super transformational.
Jessica Toscano 21:11
So the difference between working with a PR rep and pitching from yourself, or as yourself, I think you have a strength in pitching as yourself because nobody knows your product, your company, your brand better than you do. And it's personable. So you're sending out the message that you want to send, you're not relying on anybody else to do that for you. So you really do want to take that time to to own it, basically. So exactly what you're saying. Absolutely.
Gloria Chou 21:41
I love that. Thank you for validating all of us. I think, for a lot of things. We know that the founders in our community, they are doing incredible things. It's just them getting over the fear of pressing that send button, you know, of just like sending us so how can you encourage our audience who are afraid who think that they're going to be eaten up by journalist? How can you kind of tame their fears a little bit so that they can actually start practicing their pitch and pressing send?
Jessica Toscano 22:07
Okay, so I think knowing who you are, as a person definitely comes into play here. If you have a vision, and you've conducted the market research necessary to deem your idea potentially successful, all you really have to do is believe in yourself. I know that sounds super cliche, but I'm telling you, for me, I have this tunnel vision, right? So that everyone, everything that doesn't have to do with my ultimate goal is in my peripherals. And that way, I'm able to focus on my goal, I don't think about you know, the potential failure like am I nervous? Totally, totally. We all are. It's totally okay to be nervous. But don't focus on that you want to focus on you know, what, if you are successful in this pitch, what if you are successful in your idea, envision what you want your life to look like five years, 10 years down the line, play at, let's keep it 5-10 years, let's keep it you know, super close by because that's what's going to happen. If you envision that in 5-10 years, you can be where you want to be, you just have to ignore everything else.
Gloria Chou 23:12
Oh, you should be a motivational coach. I appreciate that so much, because I've worked with hundreds of founders. And it's not about how much money they've raised, or how many VIPs they know, it's what they believe is possible for themselves and you just hit the nail on the head. It's all about you being in that place of Who do I need to be? What do I need to show up as and not? What are my current limiting circumstances. So thank you so much for that, for reminding us of that. Now, that's talking about if they do follow up, the worst that can happen is what? Like, what is the absolute worst thing if they like pitch, and then it doesn't, it doesn't land?
Jessica Toscano 23:49
So I'm going to tell you, the worst thing that can happen is not them responding and passing. It's them not responding at all reason why, if they responded, and they told you, we're not interested, you did something right. You did something right in your subject in your pitch that they opened it and they read it. So take that as a good thing, not a failure. That's one of the first things I learned in my journalism career. If they don't answer, though, doesn't necessarily mean they weren't interested. They could just have a crazier inbox than I do. And he might have just not gotten to it. Because I can't tell you how many editors that I've spoken to. And they, they know me, they don't answer my email sometimes. And they're like, just I'm so sorry, I'm not ignoring you. My inbox is crazy. So either way, don't take it personally. It's not personal. They're not choosing to ignore you. Or, you know, if they are ignoring you, it's, it's because they have to move on with their day. It's just it's not personal, so don't take it as that.
Gloria Chou 24:50
Exactly. I mean, the upside to it is you get to learn or maybe get feedback, or maybe it's not right now but then later on you go into your inbox and do it To search. So that's why I say that like, knowing how to pitch on your own and not depending on an outsider, is such a worthwhile exercise. And I'm so glad that you affirm that you actually learned this in Journalism School. Nobody taught me this, I just kind of figured it out by bike by cold pitching. What are some of the other ways that founders who do not have an agency or don't have a big budget? How can they get through to your inbox?
Jessica Toscano 25:27
Again, I would utilize social media, I would utilize probably, whatever social media, that specific journalist who you want to pitch to, is most active on. And again, I wouldn't send the pitch via social media, I would send a quick message and say, hey, you know, this is who I am, this is what I do. I think that this might be of interest to you, because Can I send you an email and keep it again, super, super concise, you don't want more than I would say, three, four sentences Max. That way, you're not overwhelming them, they don't feel obligated to read this whole big thing. And you'll likely get a response and end up in their inbox, and they'll most likely read that email.
Gloria Chou 26:09
Oh, I love that so much. Have you ever gotten multiple follow ups and you didn't respond? But then a few months later, something happens in the news? And then you actually go back and say, Hey, are you available for a chat?
Jessica Toscano 26:23
There are times where I do miss an email that it's a relevant pitch, or it's a pitch of interest. And for whatever reason, you know, maybe I accidentally clicked on it. And so it was no longer it no longer appeared is like unread in my inbox. And yeah, like, I reached out, oh, my gosh, I'm so sorry. Like, I would definitely love to learn more. Or maybe you know, it's not of interest at that time. And I forgot to respond. And I start it. And I get a follow up. And it's like, oh, my gosh, I totally forgot about this. It wasn't relevant four months ago, but it's super relevant to me right now. And I will respond. So yes, 100%, you need to follow up?
Gloria Chou 26:58
Yeah, I mean, I've never personally or in my community, I've heard of anyone getting written up about unless they followed me, especially if you get 100 pitches a day, just imagine, now you've given us so many gems, I hope whoever's listening that you come back to this episode, because Jessica dropped all the tips for us. So take notes. Before we go, though, I get a lot of questions about timing. So if you want to get into a gift guide, that's, you know, like an online publication, when should you pitch that? How far in advance? And is there such a thing as too late to get included in a gift guide?
Jessica Toscano 27:30
Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. I've had several PR, PR reps mainly, reach out to me a week, a week and a half before, you know, a social media holiday or an upcoming holiday and say, Hey, I have this time for you. And I'm like, That's great. Consider me for next year, because I don't have time to, you know, learn about this product, do the research that I need to research and test it to include it in an upcoming gift guide. So too late. Absolutely. I would rather have somebody reached out to me for months in advance than a week before we're getting ready to publish. That being said, that being said that there is such a thing as too early, you know, the way it works with digital is a little bit different with print. So for print publications, typically, they're piecing together the publication, four to six months in advance, depending on the publication. Whereas with digital, you can pitch something you know, like a couple of weeks before an article goes live, and you can end up in that gift guide, you can end up in that lineup. So it's two completely different worlds. I think it's worth pitching a week in advance anyway. But there's no guarantee ever. So to play it safe. I'd give it like two, three months. I think that's enough time to pitch, follow up and send out whatever materials you need to send out.
Gloria Chou 28:58
That is awesome. So it's always better to be early. Right? And just just keep pitching.
Jessica Toscano 29:02
Absolutely. Yes.
Gloria Chou 29:05
Now tell us a little bit about intrigue mag, you've given us so much value here. How can people find you learn more about what you're building at intrigue mag? And what types of stories that they can pitch you What are you looking for?
Jessica Toscano 29:15
Yes, absolutely. So intrigue. Mag is the first digital unisex lifestyle publication. And we are looking for anything in self care sex and relationships, food, drinks, fitness and health. And it would be super helpful if it's from a unisex approach. But it doesn't necessarily have to be and when I say that, I mean if your product can be used on both men and women, but it's not specific to men and women pitch me totally fine. And our age group is 18 to 35. So anything in that realm is our target audience but anything that can be used for anyone we would love to hear about it.
Gloria Chou 29:58
Oh, I love that so much. So we're gonna be looking out for you I want to read I'm very intrigued about and treat.
Jessica Toscano 30:04
Actually, I get that a lot, and I'm not gonna lie, I kind of love it.
Gloria Chou 30:08
kind of corny, kind of corny, but uh, well, I did it to someone, how can people find you on social media?
Jessica Toscano 30:13
Yes. So I am on Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn at @msjtoscano. So please follow me, reach out. If you have any ideas, I would love to hear them. If you have any further questions, by all means, like, that's what I'm here for. I would love to help you guys out.
Gloria Chou 30:30
I love you, I'm gonna have to invite you for our member calls. We do calls every quarter with journalists. And it's in a small group setting where I invite you on as a kind of like a coach. And we actually get to ask you questions in a small group setting and maybe submit pitches. So we're definitely going to try to get you on that call. Because I just feel like, we just have so many founders who would just love to pick your brain.
Jessica Toscano 30:53
No, I absolutely love that real quick. Like, let me just tell you, a lot of what I learned in this industry was first hand experience. And I love helping people because I, there's so much that I wish somebody would have told me when I first started out. And if I could be that person for somebody else, please, that makes me so happy.
Gloria Chou 31:15
Yes, we are cut from the same cloth. And we have the same value driven approach. So thank you so much for being on the show, Jessica. And I look forward to reading about intrigue.
Jessica Toscano 31:26
Well, Gloria, thank you so much for having me. It's been a pleasure.
Gloria Chou 31:29
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