Wolf Craft isn't a media outlet, but we do write a blog, and every so often we get a pitch to write a guest post.

The pitch below was so bad that we wanted to share it with you as a...

What Not To Do checklist when writing pitch emails:

❌ Leaving out the person's name you're writing to

❌ Starting with a cheeky generic opening line

❌ Omiting specifics- what same business? What similar audiences?

❌ Not mentioning the editors previous work and how it relates to what you're pitching

❌ Including a heart emoji

It's almost worse because they called out generic email openings couched inside of an incredibly unspecific email. Needless to say we had zero interest in working with them.

Now! Onwards to our bi-weekly advice on how to get folks interested in your work!

Show, Don't Tell

How to Create a Press Page and... Why Everyone Needs One

Every creative business must have a press page and it should be image-first. Press pages help build credibility in your industry, plus you’ve worked hard for those placements and it's important to feature them. As we always say, PR your PR.

Using the best examples from brands and businesses across industrial design, ceramics, furniture, interior design, home goods, and graphic design, we break down 7 key elements of successful press pages and how to implement them on your own site.

Good Links Round Up

1. Are you making common mistakes when reaching out to influencers?
This twitter thread outlines the do’s and don’ts of influencer outreach and includes a template for your first contact. Similar to our advice on how to build relationships with editors, the building blocks of a successful influencer relationship is based on giving, not asking. Tailor your messages to speak to the influencer’s needs and why your brand is a perfect fit. PS- we found this in the Bootstrapped Branding newsletter.

2. How to write brand stories as compelling as iconic authors
While corporate jargon plays a part in the meeting room, it has no place in your brand’s storytelling efforts. If you want to engage your audience, speak to them like a human, plus four other marketing storytelling tips to steal from prolific writers. Storytelling bonds humans and is a great relationship building tool.

3. How to achieve deep focus aka your flow state
What's the secret to great productive work? Stop multitasking. Watch this 2-minute video to learn the three steps of dropping into a flow state. Utilize task-management tools like the Pomodoro method to time your flow state and breaks, which allow for reflection on how well you focused and identify any distractions that took you out of the flow.

4. The best design practices to follow for creating a better product page
While it's tempting to throw up some photos, a name, and the price to sell your products online, this isn’t the formula for a great e-commerce site, aka converting site traffic into sales. Instead, explore this excellent design advice on creating a user-friendly product page. Like many of the pages within your business website, the product page is an extension of your brand story. Need better photos for your product pages? Check out our photography guides.

5. How to pick the right SEO keywords for your business.
Many small businesses are DIY digital marketers. But the process of capturing qualified leads can be elusive. Robbie Richards breaks down four steps to optimizing your SEO strategy via profitable keywords. Our ears perked up reading Robbie's approach to SEO: research your competitors and refine your keywords to be industry specific. We recommend bookmarking this in-depth article to refer to the explanatory screenshots and step-by-step instructions when you’re ready to launch a SEO campaign.

Work With Us!

If you want to get really good at telling your business' story, we can help!

-Tweak and Edit- for when you need a critically constructive second set of eyeballs to look at what you're doing and tell you exactly what to fix, and then show you best-in-show examples to help you get there. We're so happy to say that people LOVE this service and find a lot of value.

-1-1 sessions- for when you want to learn how to tighten up your business and pitch it to the media yourself, and you want guidance informed by 15+ years of experience and someone to hold you accountable.

-List building- for when you want a fully customized media list built to fit your specific needs and timing as it involves launches and other company initiatives- AND you want it to include suggestions for press materials, stories to develop, order of operations for embargos and/or exclusives, and other activities for the biggest media impact.

and finally

-How to Pitch For Holiday Gift Guides- for when you want to truly knock it out of the park with holiday gift guide pitching, but also secretly learn how to pitch for all the other year round holidays as well.

Thanks for giving us some time in your inbox! If you have any questions send us a note, we'll always reply.

Cheers,
Nora & Kirsten

PS - If you liked the newsletter, we’d be so happy if you shared it with others who might find it useful. Anyone new can subscribe here.

How to create a high impact press page for your website

Show, Don't Tell

Good Links Round Up

Work With Us!

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