Shop Owner Challenge Day 18: How to Pitch Your 3D Printed Products to the Press

The task of pitching media can seem ominous at first. Today, I want to ease your fears and give you the tools to feel confident getting the press exposure you and your shop deserve. Here are six tips for product pitching success: 

The more you know about a reporter and their beats (what they cover) the better off you are. Knowing what is timely and topical to them shows that you value their reporting and deserve their attention. I typically start by doing a Google news search for whatever I’m pitching to get a feel of what existing conversations are happening. I then figure out the key voices in that conversation and they become the top of my pitch list. This may sound extensive, but it will pay off. You would like them to learn more about you, right?

Now that you’ve done your homework, send a personal email to the writers you want the attention of. Did you love the last piece they wrote on 3D Printing? Great, let them know. You can usually find a reporters contact on the publication’s website, or if you’re like me and prefer stalking them on social media, Twitter is an invaluable resource. 

Alexis Ohanian, founder of Reddit and author of “Without Their Permission,” keeps his emails to five sentences or less. You can do this (or close to this) with your emails to press. Most reporters get dozens, if not hundreds, of pitches a day. Be personal, poignant and direct them to your Shop so they can do nothing but write about you after seeing your awesome products.

Make a list of the publications you would like to be featured in. Do you solve a unique need or cater to a specific niche? There are hundreds of blogs and forums specific to almost every topic you can imagine, in addition to the “top tier” outlets we’re all familiar with. Don’t discount the little guys, often the more specific the subject matter, the more sales a press mention drives. Treat each pitch equally and you’ll certainly be rewarded.

So you want to go big time? Well the first question a reporter is going to ask after interviewing you is, “do you have an high-res photos of your products?” Likely followed by, “and a headshot?” Do yourself a favor and have both. It translates well in your Shop and in the news. 

No one appreciates an entitled attitude and your best bet for getting reporter’s attention is to be patient, persistent and positive. Try not to get frustrated if you don’t hear back right away or at all. Some reporters take content and run with it (so make sure you have a google alert set up for yourself) and others will conduct a thorough interview. Keeping a smile on your face will help with every step of the process.

Let us know when you get featured so we can share it with our community! Don’t hesitate to reach out if you want a pitch reviewed or have any questions as you begin press outreach.

Have a great weekend, Shapies!