Write to help the reader, not to promote yourself

Write to help the reader, not to promote yourself

The fastest way to get ignored is to make your pitch an advertisement. Reporters smell it instantly and move on.

Their job is to help their reader. When you help the reader too, you and the reporter are on the same team.

Think of it like helping a lost tourist. If you genuinely point the way, they thank you. If you secretly steer them to your cousin's shop, they feel it.

Here's how to stay reader-first:

— 1. Answer the question fully, even the parts that don't flatter you.
— 2. Share a tip the reader can use without buying anything.
— 3. Mention your company once, plainly, as context — not a sales line.

Ironically, the less you sell, the more often you get quoted, and the quote does the selling for you.

Try this today: read your latest pitch and delete any sentence that only promotes you.