It's Time To Have A Talk With Your Clients
It's Time To Have A Talk With Your Clients
Plus, tons of calls for pitches.
Hey subscribers,
I’ve spent the last few weeks traveling around Portugal, eating all the olives and drinking all the fresh-squeezed orange juice in sight. But there are more important things to talk about…
It’s Time…
We’ve heard the saying, “print is dead” for years, but does freelance journalism have one foot in the grave, too? I think every freelancer I’ve spoken to lately has asked themselves this question.
The answer is, of course, no, it’s not dead, but it is changing. With AI and the countless/neverending layoffs, things need to evolve in a positive way, or writers can’t continue in this industry. Exactly how isn’t clear yet, but we freelancers are notoriously resilient, pivoting and adapting as necessary.
And now, it’s time for PR professionals and their clients to do the same.
Clients may not want to hear this, but they need to be informed about what is happening in the industry. No one expects them to know the ins and outs, but it’s PR’s job to educate them on the changes and serious challenges journalists are facing right now. This will also make your job easier as journalists push back more, coverage patterns start to change, and extra patience is required.
So, what do you need to inform them about?
To us, it feels harder than ever to secure an assignment.
Why…
Thanks to layoffs, there have never been more freelancers in the pool.
And now there are fewer editors to commission stories.
On top of that, budgets are continuing to shrink.
Publications continue to fold.
The cost of living continues to go up, but our rates continue to get worse, so asking journalists to pay for any portion of a trip (taxis, flights, tips, food) has to stop.
These are all realities we ask you to educate your clients on when they are looking to work with journalists on editorial coverage.
When it comes to press trips and coverage, expectations and treatment have to shift. While it may have seemed OK to ask for a confirmed assignment from a freelancer a few years ago, that is no longer acceptable in any shape or form. Plus, we all know the best stories are found after you experience something! Expecting coverage within a month or two of a trip also needs to be wiped from clients’ brains. And asking journalists to fund any portion of the press trips, whether it be flights, taxis, tips, or food, is a major no-no.
If the thought is, “they don’t listen” or “we tell them, but they don’t understand,” try a different approach. Hire a freelancer (ehem me) for a private consultation session to talk with your client about the realities of working with journalists in 2024. This will help them to better understand and know what to expect when it comes to editorial vs. advertorial.
So, while the press trips continue to pour in, many journalists, including myself, are now prioritizing PR that understands this and is excited to work with us without demands.
The Next Ask Me Anything For Paid Subscribers
Our next AMA will be Wednesday, February 21, at 12:00 noon EST!
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Call For Pitches
Deadline for pitches: Feb 7
Looking to interview a female chef from a restaurant or bar in the US with STRONG opinions about a topic facing her industry
Pitch MUST include a specific topic the chef can speak passionately about
Deadline for pitches: Feb 8
Looking for the best restaurants in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Portland, Oregon.
Deadline for pitches: Feb 20
Looking for amazing hotel products you can buy for your bedroom
Deadline for pitches: Feb 22
Looking for unique activities & festivals happening during the off-season in the following locations: Tromso, Norway, Maldives, Chiang Mai, Nantucket and Dubai
Please, no other destinations at this time!
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Lonely Planet: 9 places in Bhutan that should be on your itinerary
When you share coverage I’ve written on social media, please tag me on: LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter. Don’t forget to connect with me there too!
Upcoming Travels
February - Portugal
March - Portugal
April - UK
May - UK
June - UK
If you’d like to work together while I’m in any of these locations, please send me an email at klockhart14@gmail.com
1:1 Consulting Sessions
PR folks tell me these private consulting sessions are seriously useful.
We get to build a relationship while talking about everything from new industry trends to who to pitch to how to get your emails opened to tough clients.
Please get in touch if you’d like to organize a session to ask any and all questions.
Please Share This Newsletter With Your Colleagues
I’m always looking to grow and develop my network of travel and food publicists and friends. If you find my newsletter helpful, or if you know someone who might, please share it with them. Thanks!
Other journalist newsletters you should subscribe to: Follow my friends and colleagues so you can stay up-to-date on their pitching needs too: Jill Schildhouse, Alice Dubin, Aly Walansky, Cassandra Brooklyn, Jacqueline Kehoe, Chris Dong, Ali Wunderman and Elen Turner.
This is so helpful. I have been trying to have conversations with all my clients about the state of the media universe over the past week - preparing them for a time of extra patience and creativity!