Welcome to the HARO Limelight Series (HLS), where we will highlight either a reporter or source who has had success(es) with our service each week.

Our purpose with this series is to educate readers on how to more effectively pitch reporters and garner media hits.

We hope you find this series useful. Please leave any comments or questions below!

In this HLS, we interviewed Daniel Sentell, the Director of Communications for Broad Financial.

1.     Please give the Blogging PRWeb readers a little background information about yourself/your business.

Broad Financial is a company that specializes in self-directed IRAs and Solo 401(k)s. These are products that allow individuals to move their retirement funds off of Wall Street and into investments they know and understand (e.g. local real estate, private business, etc.)

I’m the Director of Communications for Broad. I handle their website, social media, and advertising.

2.     How did you first hear about HARO and why did you decide to sign up?

This is a hesitant admission, but I ran across HARO in Ryan Holiday’s book “Trust Me, I’m Lying”. I looked into the service and it sounded like a slam dunk for our business. We have expertise in a number of niche financial areas, and this sounded like a great way to get that expertise out there.

3.     How has HARO changed the way you market yourself/your business?

We’re still following our previous work with PPC, social media, and in-house presentations. HARO has benefited us by adding another powerful tool in our arsenal. It also gives me a break from bothering reporters with an appropriate piece of “hi, I’m still here” entertainment every month.

4.     How many times have you acquired media placements through HARO?

We just started recently, and it looks like there are a few in the works. The first one to go live was our COO, Daniel Gleich, being #18 on Forbes Top 100 Aha! Moments list: http://www.forbes.com/sites/alanhall/2012/10/15/100-founders-share-their-top-aha-moments-guess-how-many-jobs-theyve-created-so-far/2/

5.     From your experience with getting media placements, what are some tips/pointers you can give to people looking to pitch themselves or their businesses to the media?

1.  Pitch the reporter specifically, and find ways to be creatively (yet unobtrusively) very flattering.
2.  Develop personal relationships with reporters who have similar outside interests to you. This makes for a new friend, and just so happens to be a good PR connection as well. Most people understand today that friendships can form from business connections.

6.     What are some no-nos when pitching the media?

Don’t give up. It can take a long time before a reporter gets a chance to cover your specific topic. Also, don’t come in cold expecting to wing your first interview or Q&A. Nothing is more off-putting than somebody who sounds like they don’t know what they’re talking about.

 

If you’d like to be featured in the HARO Limelight series as a member of the media or a source, email: laura(at)helpareporter(dot)com.

Filed under: Strategy by Laura Spaventa