Episode 98 - How To Get Your Wellness, Travel, and Food Business Featured in Top-Tier Media with Journalist Annie Lin
Travel, food, and lifestyle – these are three broad categories that will constantly have a spot in some of the world’s most prestigious and recognizable publications and media outlets. And no matter what business you run, there’s a spot for you in the same publications.
Meet Annie Lin – a journalist who has written for Time Out, CNBC, Women’s Health, Elite Daily, and so many more. She’s incredibly passionate about covering stories in the realms of travel, food, and everyday relatable topics.
If you’re not in either the travel, food, or lifestyle industries, don’t be fooled! Annie’s advice is top-tier. As a trained and seasoned journalist, she’s diving into the details of the best pitching practices (and her pet peeves to avoid) to increase your opportunities of getting featured in major publications and outlets.
Here’s what we discuss together:
How journalism and small businesses are changing post-pandemic
How to take your locally known business onto the national (and global) stage
How to pitch a product in an oversaturated market
What credibility means to a journalist reading hundreds of pitches each day
Why it’s so important to draw relevance to your product as a small business
Should you send samples of your product to a journalist?
How to write an attention-grabbing subject line and how long should your pitch be?
Annie’s pitching pet peeves
The CPR Pitching Method™ helped small business-owning entrepreneurs from PR Starter Pack members see themselves as a go-to expert with a point of view, instead of JUST a founder, seller, or consultant – a standout mindset that takes you far in the world of PR.
I hope you take notes throughout this episode and maybe even listen to it again so you can really nail down the three parts of the CPR Pitching Method™ and use it to your advantage!
So get ready to press send and get your message. And I can’t wait to see you featured in the headlines.
P.S. If you want your small business to go from invisible to visible, seen, and valued, register for my FREE PR Secrets Masterclass. Soon enough, your credibility and visibility will skyrocket. Register now at www.gloriachou.com/masterclass.
Resources Mentioned:
Join Gloria Chou's PR Community: Small Biz Pros: By Gloria Chou
Additional Resources:
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Here’s a glance at this episode…
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[00:00:00] Gloria Chou: Hey friends, I'm Gloria Chow, 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 opportunities 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.
[00:00:32] Gloria Chou: Welcome to another episode of the Small Business PR Podcast where we make PR accessible. So today, I'm so happy to have Annie Lin. She is an incredible writer, and a journalist covering a broad range of stories, including travel, lifestyle, food, and really all the fun things in life. So welcome to the show, Annie.
[00:00:50] Annie Lin: Thank you. Yeah.
[00:00:52] Gloria Chou: So can you tell me a little bit about all the things that you do? You're, you do so many, you write, you create, you direct, just give us a little rundown of all the creative projects. But I want to just list out really quick for our audience. You've also written for CNBC, Time Out, Women's Health, Rezzy, and Elite Daily. And right now you are a social editor at Departures Magazine. So can you tell us generally like what types of stories you love to cover?
[00:01:17] Annie Lin: Yeah. So I'm really passionate about covering stories that are about food, about travel. Kind of, I, when I cover these, I want to showcase stories that people can relate to in everyday life, not ones that are so far-fetched. I think that can be the case when it comes to travel, to really bring it back to things that, or even a feeling that people can relate to, whether it is that feeling of discovering something new or trying something new or gathering around food as a community. I think I want to create that sense of feeling through the writing that I do or even through the social coverage that I'm producing for Departures.
[00:01:56] Gloria Chou: Oh, I love that. I mean… This is right up my alley because I can read about travel and lifestyle and food all day. What is one thing that you think is changing about the way that journalism and coverage are happening, especially with social media and all the small businesses that are popping up post-pandemic?
[00:02:13] Annie Lin: Yeah, I think the media landscape is changing vastly right now. I mean, even with a lot of, unfortunately, closures of a couple of titles, I think there's still a lot of media that is thriving and potentially, I think a lot of it has already moved digitally and social media comes like a great component of that. Cause not only are we kind of repurposing a lot of our editorial content in a different way visually on social, but I've been thinking about how social media itself can relate just almost like the new iteration of a publication where people are presenting a lot of compact kind of.
[00:02:54] Annie Lin: guides or listicles that may be driving to like a different online site, like the whole link and bio click to visit. But at the same time, I think a lot of it can just live on social because we are so active on our phones and on social media day to day that to create it more organically and not like to force this upon people because we're so overwhelmed with all the content. A lot of the times, yeah, so I want it to feel really natural, like the way that we describe it at Departures is like, it's your confidant.
[00:03:24] Annie Lin: your person who is in the know, who is really tasteful, who's offer like your friend who is able to offer this insight and knowledge about a city that they particularly love. That's kind of the voice that I try to channel on social.
[00:03:38] Gloria Chou: And I love that, you know, with PR with the earned media, it's not just in the online, like URL, the destination, but it can also be on your social media feed. So it's like double, triple the, the audience, you know, if you will, right, because right now you're editing social media for departures. And you do repurpose a lot of those stories onto your social media channel, right?
[00:03:59] Annie Lin: Yeah, exactly. And it is that audience that I think we're tapping into. And so much of that has potential on social media that we're really trying to kind of gauge the audience interest because there are so many formats you can experiment on social media. It could be stories, it could be photos. Reels, especially, are popping off lately. So that's always a really great area too, I think, for...
[00:04:23] Annie Lin: different people to discover your content. There's really like no limits to the audience because there's no like paywall of sorts that exist in digital media where sometimes you hit that paywall and then like as a consumer, then you're kind of stuck there. But then on social, you could, there's so much opportunity there. And I think Instagram or TikTok or even Pinterest has created that really good line where you can kind of divert or drive this audience. from social to your site itself. So I think that's really helpful for businesses too.
[00:04:57] Gloria Chou: So when we usually think about food and travel and hotels, we're thinking of localized things, right? So I think the first thought that comes to people's minds is, well, if I have a small business that's like brick and mortar, or if I have food, something that is in a location, then maybe I'm first confined to local media. Do you find that to be true? Or like, how can someone who has a very localized. For example, if they make cupcakes in Orlando, how can they still get that earned media for a national publication?
[00:05:26] Annie Lin: That's a really great question. I think starting off with your local community is the best way because people love supporting local small businesses. And I think maybe even building that to be like, if you're pitching a national publication, to be like, we've already been recognized locally. We're so well known that we deserve to be featured as part of
[00:05:49] Annie Lin: whether it's a spotlight on a region or an area, or even like a roundup of small businesses in a particular area, I think use that to your advantage. Why are you unique? Like if it's a product for a specific purpose, how do you stand out from the other products that are being produced nationally? I think it also depends on the kind of your story. So I feel like I love a good old-fashioned story, like how it started, the founders.
[00:06:18] Annie Lin: If you're really highlighting that story about you, I think it's great to push that. Or you can almost if you're trying to push the product, you can almost omit the fact that it is local. You can be like, we are national, we are, you can ship it everywhere, buy it anywhere. And maybe that's the accessibility that is different and you're not focusing so much on like the story and the individuality, but like how this can be helpful to everybody.
[00:06:43] Gloria Chou: Right. So start local, but then if you do ship something like a lot of, I know a lot of restaurants now have their own like curated produce items, like olive oil or something like that. It definitely can be pitched. You can definitely pitch that. So the next question is so many founders think that their story or their product is not new, right? Like there are so many different types of olive oil or there are so many different types of gluten-free bread. So how can you find that one angle that's really going to stand out to someone like you that gets hundreds of pitches a day?
[00:07:12] Annie Lin: Ooh, that's really a tough question. I think, there is so much in each different sector, I would say probably if it comes personally, I feel like I get addressed a lot on products and it's just like, here's the thing, but then I wanna know why is it special to you? Why did you decide on that particular product? And maybe even kind of, I was thinking, this just came to mind, I was going about kind of.
[00:07:39] Annie Lin: not on a tangent, but I was going into this Asian market and the founder of this coconut spread was there and he kind of talked about his Southeast Asian roots and why he produced it. So I think something like that, again, relating to that story, really stands out to me. I think that's also personal, for some people it might just be the packaging or something. It's really on trend. I see a lot of non-alcoholic spirits.
[00:08:03] Annie Lin: that has become super popular and has that like really nice packaging. It could even be like the ingredients, maybe they are like, if they're all-natural, they're organic if they are gluten-free. I think it really depends on like the target audience you're trying to get. And for that target audience, there's always a right publication. So I think if you find the right publication for that target audience, then you kind of have this great formula of like this product that I have is also in line with your audience. So maybe that's something key to note too, in that pitching process.
[00:08:35] Gloria Chou: Yeah. And I love how you said multiple points of uniqueness if you will. Right? So it's not just that it's not alcoholic, but maybe it has an interesting packaging or it has something to do with like adaptogens or a new way of formulating something. I mean, nothing is truly groundbreaking. Like, let's be honest everything is a remake, but it's just about how you present it. So do you have any other ideas of how someone can maybe use a, like do a social media trend or like ride on the coattails of something else to get you, to get their cold pitch to be noticed in the inbox?
[00:09:09] Annie Lin: Yeah, for sure. I think sometimes I do get pictures where it's like, this has gone viral. Like maybe it's been seen in a viral video or you've just had like great social media success. And then it shows to us that it's already trending. So maybe like we want to report on it or hop on that trend because people are talking about it.
[00:09:27] Annie Lin: I know that can be a rare case and it is hard to go viral so I wouldn't say like, oh yeah, strive to go viral. Like, that's definitely not something that I typically do a lot of because I think sticking to your niche really helps. Maybe even if it was to get like, I think I see a lot of testimonials, if it is someone well known, it can be kind of hard to get celebrities or like influencers but maybe even an expert, I think that helps too just to show like, okay, it's backed by...
[00:09:55] Annie Lin: people. While it is something important to you, I think it's helpful to get voices who are experts on that to share it and just kind of boost that. It really helps when multiple people are like, I love this and this is why you should see it.
[00:10:11] Gloria Chou: Great. So if it's not a celebrity, it could be like maybe a scientist or someone that has given a quote, right?
[00:10:18] Annie Lin: Yeah, I think a quote definitely helps. I don't typically do interviews with experts that often. But I think, yeah, if an expert was to speak on it, that's really helpful.
[00:10:29] Gloria Chou: So how do we put that in the pitch, right? Obviously, I have the CPR pitching method that I teach. Let's say if I make a mushroom coffee, right? To get rid of the caffeine habit once and for all. I don't have a celebrity using it. It's pretty new, but I have great results. Would it help if I maybe cited either third-party data about mushroom coffee or if I just say like, oh, I had this one research scientist at NYU who liked it? Like how would I go about leveraging that credibility piece?
[00:10:58] Annie Lin: Yeah, absolutely. I think that's both great ideas. Like I can see how you come up with the ideas and pitching that are really helpful. So yeah, third-party data where it's like backed by a great resource or whether it's like a study that kind of just relates to it. It could be a quote from an expert. And I wouldn't be like, oh, we don't need a massive long quote. I think just like one great line.
[00:11:21] Annie Lin: It could even be like, think of it like when you pick up a book and that the back, it's like, it says the review from like the Washington Post or the New York Times, like if it has already been featured by other publications, like, I'm not going to be offended if you're like, it's been featured in like seven other publications already. And this is what they think about it. So like, you should hop on that too. It kind of is almost like backing that credibility again for me.
[00:11:46] Gloria Chou: Yeah, awesome. What's another way to like, get, get it to be like, is credibility more important or is it more? about like how relevant it is right now. Like what are some of the things you must include in the pitch? Obviously, in my CPR method, it's credibility, point of view, and relevance. And I always say specificity matters, relevance matters, and credibility is not so important, but maybe for food and travel it is. So tell me, what are you looking for in a pitch?
[00:12:09] Annie Lin: Yeah, it definitely depends based on the beat. I think for food, it depends if it's like a restaurant that's different. Like I want to hear about what's new about the restaurant, but if it's a product,
[00:12:19] Annie Lin: then I think the credibility or the visibility of it matters more to me. Is it on shelves? Is it easily accessible? Where can I buy it? If it's only available at this one wellness market in this one town, it's kind of hard for a national publication to be like, I'm gonna promote it because it's not easily accessible. So I think about that under the visibility umbrella of like, okay, I can actually get to it and see it. And the credibility, I think. It comes in maybe a little more for travel, like where it's like, oh yeah, we are super popular. It's in a great location. People are coming to us a lot. It is like maybe a summer-like go-to spot. Yeah, so I kind of lean into trends a little more for social, but it definitely varies based on like publication and the.
[00:13:10] Gloria Chou: Yeah. So what if it's like a hotel, let's say it's like a brick-and-mortar hotel or restaurant? I haven't had any, I haven't really had anyone on the podcast talk about that. How can they leverage the different points of credibility? Is it the number, is it the newness of the dishes they serve? Is it the people that have come in? Is like, how can I get my, let's say small little, let's say dessert or cupcake shop brick and mortar featured?
[00:13:33] Annie Lin: Yeah, it's definitely all of those. I think even the history of it, like has it been around for generations, for families? Or is it a brand new trendy spot in a popular location in town? I'm also thinking, yeah, like new flavors, what are you bringing to the table that's different is always a great point. And I think maybe if it's even a lesser-known location, that is totally okay with me too. Then it's kind of maybe even talking about what else is in the area.
[00:14:07] Annie Lin: Okay, I'm like one business, but this town is really happening or this city is on the map because of so-and-so, and here's where I think you can pull in that data or that research that I will look at and be like, oh, it is like a top five summer, I don't know, travel destination. And this particular place, for some reason, people are really gravitating towards it this summer. And so let me highlight a couple of shops that people can go visit in the area. Maybe it's that, maybe it's even supporting your local community in such a way.
[00:14:43] Gloria Chou: One of the ideas that just popped into my mind is leveraging all of the pop culture things, right? Like White Lotus, Hawaii, Sicily, and all of the towns that are made famous by HBO shows, would that be a good angle? Like if I was in a small little hotel, like in Sicily where White Lotus is filmed, I might not be the one that was filmed. Like, would that be a good angle to lead with?
[00:15:03] Annie Lin: Yeah, that would be a great angle. I personally love that. I see it and I'm like, oh my gosh, I know people are gonna be talking about it so much on social and online. So if people are searching, I constantly look at Google searches as well. So if right now, I think succession has been really popular. So if people are talking about succession, what is the relation there? Maybe even if it's a little kind of far off or far-reaching, it's still possible to, I think, find that connection somehow. But yeah, it is also kind of hard to be in the know of like pop culture. But I think keeping up to date with these like really do help.
[00:15:40] Gloria Chou: Exactly. I think especially if you are, a smaller player, it's really important to draw the connection of relevance. If you cannot maybe leverage the credibility part, how can it be relevant? Right. So I love that we actually have someone in our PR program who makes premium vegan ice cream and she has amazing flavors that are in like these, it looks like ceremonial, like matcha tins almost.
[00:16:00] Gloria Chou:
Everything is organic and she makes this like sumac strawberry and truffle lavender. And I just feel like there are so many angles for her to pitch because it's summertime. So when I was writing her pitch, it was like asking questions like, you know, what are the best flavors out of the 16 to pitch? Because like I always say, journalists don't want your product for short. They don't want an order form, right? So pick one or two standout ones for this season. Would you agree with that?
[00:16:27] Annie Lin: Yeah, I completely agree with that. And I think if it is something like that, that's seasonal. I would totally lean into it. I know previously I think I've gotten a lot of pitches which I do like where it's like around a holiday, whether it's Mother's Day recently or if it's Father's Day, like upcoming, if it's the holidays, if it's just a season, if it's summer or fall, I think a lot of people are paying attention to those change in seasons and the change in products.
[00:16:52] Annie Lin: So there is something that's happening where it is this like amazing strawberry flavor or watermelon flavor for summer. I would totally highlight that. And I agree with you on the like, not kind of packing too much information. I think just highlighting like your best or your favorite top thing is great.
[00:17:10] Gloria Chou: What about numbers? For if I'm writing a pitch for a founder and they make a claim that they are one of the best-selling XYZs or their hotel or restaurant is the most popular, how much do I have to validate that? with numbers or can I just say as a leading destination?
[00:17:26] Annie Lin: Yeah, I think word choice matters a lot there. A leading destination is totally fine. I think a lot of places can be leading. If you are claiming to be the best or the most popular, I would like to see some data backing it. Hopefully, it is even like a local newspaper feature or a local tour guide feature of being like these are the top places or even like linking a separate article that you've been featured in where the article title was like the best. I think that's totally fair as long as you have that credibility has been attributed in some sort of way.
[00:18:02] Gloria Chou: Right. So it doesn't have to be like you being featured in another big publication. It could just be like a local thing.
[00:18:07] Annie Lin: Yeah, for sure. I think if a local site is calling you the best locally, that's fair. It really depends on what you like to claim to be or how you're able to prove that. Yeah.
[00:18:19] Gloria Chou: Now, obviously, we talk a lot about samples and how you don't necessarily need to give a sample. What if you're in a hotel or a restaurant? How do I still give you a taste of what that is without me shipping something that's perishable, for example? What is your take on that?
[00:18:34] Annie Lin: Yeah, I think for destinations, it's really hard. I always typically ask for really high-quality photos or videos, or even just maybe something like you've shared on your social media page. So I think building out social media page is like the first thing I go to. Even when I'm shopping as a consumer, if I'm shopping for something that I've never bought before, my first point, probably this is a personal thing, is I go to their social and I see if it's a legitimate thing. So I think spending time building that out, it helps people who are kind of using that as a reference to like, oh like what does it look like? What does it taste like? What is it kind of, what am I expecting without like just reading about it? So I think having visuals helps.
[00:19:16] Annie Lin: I'm sure that you also suggest sending images or assets that's really common in pictures. I would also say if it's a hotel, I think a short video, I know a lot of places do short 30-second kind of videos, those really help. But other than that, just photos and images.
[00:19:35] Gloria Chou: Yeah. And it's not like you're looking at their follower count. You're just looking for something to be visually portrayed, right? Because followers don't... I mean, do you think that matters? Are you looking at how... No?
[00:19:45] Annie Lin: No. I don't really care about how many followers there are. I think it is the visuals if you have stellar visuals or just showing that insight that I couldn't get if I don't have that product. Maybe even if it's seeing how it's being used. So I know there can be a lot of images, so I think videos help if it is that ceremonial matcha or it is ice cream or whatever it is, seeing it in use being made or even that process of it being made behind the scenes. That's really cool to me too.
[00:20:14] Gloria Chou: Yeah, that's awesome. It's about giving people a feeling of what it is. It doesn't actually have to be the sample, right? Because I and that's another thing like a real journalist, editorial journalist. They're not dying to receive all these samples like they're they have a lot of samples.
[00:20:28] Annie Lin: I think you're feeding up fielding a lot of requests. So sometimes it is helpful to be like, I don't really need a sample, but like I'll still check out your site or your product.
[00:20:38] Gloria Chou: Yeah, exactly. What about OK, so let's get into the nitty gritty of like the actual pitch because we're all about showing, not just telling. I have a whole training on subject lines, like what to write, but just really quickly, what are your tips for reaching out to someone? What should the subject line look like? And then let's move on to the body of the email.
[00:20:55] Annie Lin: Subject lines are super interesting to me because even I noticed it myself where I'm like, oh, I'm more likely to click on this, whereas I'm not as likely to click on something else. I think this is really specific, but I love it when people are really informal in subject lines. If it is almost like I'm texting a friend or they're just sending me something it's like hey like this is the product but in a way where it's not in the typical language that you'd expect because like when I'm looking at my emails whether it's on my phone or on my desktop I'm not just looking at like one inbox I'm looking at like five inboxes and so I think I have a lot of emails coming from just like regular brands who are like emailing me marketing things
[00:21:39] Annie Lin: And I want to distinguish that. Like I want it to look different from the marketing emails. So if it's coming from like, if you're coming from a brand, have your email subject come from a person, like a name. And I think you can do that. You can customize it to be like, it's from a person and then like start with like a hi or a, Hey, it doesn't have to be like, this is the best product. Or have you heard of like, you know, it doesn't have to lean into that, like curiosity aspect where it's making me want to click it's more like a?
[00:22:09] Annie Lin: Hi, nice to meet you. Like where I think that- You're gonna climb into the email? Yeah, even like that. Cause then I'm curious, I'm like, oh, who is this person? It's more likely for me to click on it. And then it's even worth introducing yourself. I think I used, I like as a journalist like I've cold pitched so many people. And I think that's kind of been what's worked well for me is when I'm just introducing myself as a person and then leaning into like, oh, here's why I'm reaching out to you.
[00:22:39] Gloria Chou: So I always teach specificity and relevance. So I like to put the subject line, like exactly what you're writing about instead of something that's a little bit more gimmicky. But I like that, that other perspective. So let's go into the actual email. Like how do you like the, how can we keep it short and concise? Because we all know you don't like long, long pitches where they're talking about the autobiography of their five-year business journey. So what is the ideal length and the way that an email should look?
[00:23:05] Annie Lin: Honestly, the ideal length for me is probably three to five sentences, but this is all very personal. Cause I think, let's say you have an about page, that probably already exists on your website. And if you link it in a sentence, I think I'm more likely to be like, if I'm curious about it, I'm gonna click on it, rather than it being in the email itself, and then it's gonna load up the email to make it look so heavy, and I'm less likely to kind of have the attention span.
[00:23:34] Annie Lin: to read that whole email because just looking at it is overwhelming me. Rather than having like three to five digestible sentences, like linked URLs to be like about, here's a product, here's images, and then I can, if I'm interested, then I'll click through all of them. Again, I don't know if everyone else is doing this, but maybe that's just me, where like if I read an email and I'm actually interested, I'm going to do my own homework and my own research before I respond to you anyway. So it's helpful to have those linked in there.
[00:24:03] Annie Lin: And then I think even a short, like I always say this when I'm talking about pictures to be like, if you're interested, like, let me know and I can share more. I think that helps as a first email, cause then I'm more likely to respond and be like, I would like to know more. And then here's where you can then send the more detailed, like specified information there.
[00:24:25] Gloria Chou: Yeah. I always say it takes more skill to write something in a more concise manner. So I love what you said. So in terms of the email, I always teach like start off with the relevant, like what's happening, what's trending, what season it is, and then put like three bullet points. I personally like bullet points, right? Talks about the insight or the solution, and then conclude with a very kind of casual, but respectful tone, not like begging to be featured, but like, you know, I'm happy to share more X, Y, and Z. So How would you feel about that? That's really kind of what I teach in my program.
[00:24:54] Annie Lin: Yeah, that's a great formula. I think that leans into the like three to five points, like if that's in bullet points, even better. Anything that's easier to read, I think it helps.
[00:25:02] Gloria Chou: What about a website? A lot of people say a lot of people have this fear around like their online presence. And especially for our audience of smaller kind of early-stage bootstrapping businesses, they are like, oh, well, you know, my website's not ready or this is not optimized. And how optimized is there what does online presence have to be before they pitch and get featured?
[00:25:23] Annie Lin: That's a good question. I guess it depends on what stage you're at. I think if the product is readily available and it's accessible again. It's okay if your online presence isn't there as long as you are still able to kind of encapsulate that, whether it is in one or two images, maybe a couple just headlines. It could be like a coming soon. Like, you know, we're so new that I'm telling you about it before everyone knows about it. Maybe it's that that like this is upcoming. It's coming summer of 2024, but I'm telling you about it now. And like, I'm getting it on your radar. That could be cool, too, because I'm like...
[00:26:01] Annie Lin: Then it makes us feel like, oh, we're getting onto something before everyone else knows about it. That's one way to go about it. Or like if it is kind of a more popular thing that has been overdone, like if you're trying to promote like coffee, I think then I want to see it more built out. Because I'm like, okay, coffee is not that new. It's not that unique. So I would love to see a website that has all the information, all the details. Where is it from? What's in it? How are you marketing it? That's what I want to see. I think it depends on the product. Yeah.
[00:26:32] Gloria Chou: Oh, so many, so many good things. What are some of the pet peeves? Because now you've written for so many outlets across the beats. What are some no-nos? When it comes to email when it comes to pitching in general or connecting with journalists.
[00:26:45] Annie Lin: Yeah. I think, like I mentioned before, the really long emails, like if it is going to cause me to scroll like three pages down, it's like, I'm just going to close it. So I think that's one big no-no. And then I think maybe the mistake of following up too quickly. I think it's totally fine to follow up. I would say probably three times is a good maximum. And then let's say maybe trying again in like a couple of months. But I would say a follow-up in like a week is a good time. I think a couple of days might be too short. Sometimes it's fine if your emails are short to be like, hey, just a quick follow-up on the above or the below without
[00:27:30] Annie Lin: three emails of just like the same and you're just copying and pasting it. I'm like, I've already gotten this. I just haven't had a chance to respond. So maybe give me a couple of days and then I'll respond. So it is that I think it's really hard to balance, but I would say like following up three times, max, keeping those follow up short. And then like once I respond, then feel free to like to share more information because I'll likely ask for it, and yeah, like keep them short and sweet.
[00:27:58] Gloria Chou: Was there the best time and what about attachments? Anything else like logistically that they should know?
[00:28:05] Annie Lin: Yeah. The attachments are great. I love attachments. Attach a folder.
[00:28:09] Gloria Chou: You mean like a link to the folder, but if you attach too much, it's going to get into your spam, right?
[00:28:13] Annie Lin: Um, that too, sometimes. Yeah. If it's like a PDF, it might just like getting lost in there somewhere. You can link to it or if it's a couple of images, attach it. And sorry, what was your other question?
[00:28:24] Gloria Chou: Well, I say, I always teach my students to do a hyperlink instead of attaching because of course, so like hyperlinks for more, whether it's like the product or the images, like a hyperlink. And then what about the time of day when sending? Is there an etiquette for that?
[00:28:37] Annie Lin: Oh, time of day. I think mornings are great. I think a lot of people are checking their emails in the mornings and then almost end of the day. Like people, I know people don't love receiving emails at like 5 pm or after 5 pm, but
[00:28:50] Annie Lin: Sometimes I am maybe just lying on my couch and doing nothing after 5 pm, where I am just on my phone, and if by chance, I think most people's emails are linked to their phone, this might not be super healthy of me for the work-life balance, but I'll see if I can work him on, then sometimes I'll click into it. So it depends also on the person's time zone. It could even be interesting to check that out. I know it's hard, but I like to see on their LinkedIn, like where they're based, and be like, okay, this is maybe they're on a West Coast time zone. So emailing them at like 9 a.m., they might not be awake at 6 a.m., or emailing them like late at night might just be like their afternoon where they're like super busy and not looking at it. So I think that helps.
[00:29:38] Gloria Chou: Yeah, definitely. You can also use the schedule send feature on Google, which I love because you can just do all the emails and the schedule send on a Tuesday at 9 a.m. so that if they are in that time zone, it's going to be at the top of their inbox, which is always good. It kind of boosts your chances. Are there any other, any other thing, any other tips or hacks, or strategies that you can share with our audience to get through to all of your busy, competitive inboxes with hundreds of other emails?
[00:30:02] Annie Lin: Yeah, I think my main thing is like to come for it to come from a person to be like the email name is from a person. Like a really friendly intro and a sign-off to like.
[00:30:15] Annie Lin: ask for more information, like let me know, or if you're free for a call, or if you want to know more info, like I'm always open, kind of like leaving a very open-ended for me, because then I can ask for things, I can ask questions, I can maybe hit you up for a phone call, like anything like that. So leaving that option open, rather than kind of being like, let me know by the end of the week, I think that kind of like is a little more stressful. I know people tend to do that if it's like for an interview. But for pitches, I don't need to respond to you by the end of the week if it's a timeless product anyway. I think the attachment tip is great to hyperlink to URLs.
[00:31:00] Gloria Chou: Yeah, I love that. I love how you're validating everything we teach in our PR program. So you've given us so many tips for people who are in travel, wellness, food, and even not. I mean, I hope whoever's listening that you're taking notes and always come back to this. How can people find you? maybe get a chance at pitching to you to get featured in some of the places that you're writing for.
[00:31:18] Annie Lin: Yeah, for sure. Definitely email me. I have a portfolio. That's just my name is AnnieLynn.work. It's not a dot com, it's a dot work. But then my email is there. There's like a contact form there. So, you can message me on LinkedIn too. I'm open to that. So yeah, I think email is probably the best way.
[00:31:38] Gloria Chou: Yay. Thank you so much for being so generous with your time and having your inbox open. We're going to have to have you back on one of our coaching calls for our PR members. Thank you so much for being on the show.
[00:31:46] Annie Lin: Thank you so much for having me, Gloria.
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