My top 3 tips for responding to a #journorequest (that actually work)

...And how to use them to boost your profile

I’m sure you’re already familiar with #journorequest - a social media hashtag used by journalists looking for experts and case studies*. These requests are brilliant because they mean you don’t need to come up with story ideas or pitches yourself to get featured in your dream publications. The journalist already knows what they want to write, you just need to show them why they should include you in their article.

Putting yourself (or your PR client) forward in response to a #journorequest can be a great opportunity to get some easy publicity - and if you’re a freelance journalist they can also be a chance to pitch first-person/ghostwritten pieces or position yourself as an expert on a topic.

But competition can be fierce (I often get inundated with emails in response to a #journorequest) - so how can you make sure you’re the one who gets picked?

To be completely honest, journalists like me usually make a request for help with an article when we’re a little bit desperate... We might need an expert or case study on a niche topic and none of our usual contacts can help. Or we might be on a short deadline, or have lots of other deadlines to juggle that day, and just need the right person to come forward to save us hours of looking. Or, often, all of the above.

Photo by John Schnobrich on Unsplash

All this means the more efficiently you can respond, the better. That doesn’t mean you necessarily have to be the first to email (although speedy responses typically stand a higher chance of success) but you should ensure your email gives the journalist everything they need to establish in seconds whether you’re a good fit for the piece.

I’ve been looking back at the responses I’ve received to recent requests and realised there are a few classic mistakes people make all the time - and some clever things others do to stand out from the crowd. Based on these, here are my top tips for responding to #journorequests:

1. Be clear upfront about who you are and how you can help

If you’re responding as an expert (i.e. you want to boost your profile as an expert in an area and/or promote a brand in a certain field), you’ll need to spell out what you do (not just your job title as these can be vague), what qualifies you to comment and how you’ll answer their questions. Be as concise as possible while getting all the info across - think of this as your elevator pitch. Here’s an example: