When to have your sources preemptively answer questions in a call for sources
We typically tell publicists to hold on having sources answer questions before a writer reaches out to approve them BUT here are a few exceptions to that advice
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Now onto this week’s newsletter, which is inspired by a question we get asked a lot at Top Tier Consulting:
Doesn’t that picture look like some sort of delicious fruity cereal from the 90s that’s definitely not good for you? :-p
Come across a call for sources from a writer — on X, Connectively, Qwoted, Linkedin, via their Substack? Sometimes the request includes a topic and an explanation of the article they are sourcing for. Other times this call for sources may include sample questions that a writer will need answered.
When writers receive responses from publicists regarding sources available, they come in many formats:
Some list out a source’s name and credentials, talking them up as a potential source
Some provide a list of things their expert can speak on pertaining to the topic a writer is sourcing for
And others have their sources answer all of the questions in the initial correspondence
So if you see interview questions included in a call for sources, should you have your source answer them in the initial reach out?
The general rule of thumb is that if writers include sample questions as a guide for what they are looking for, you should only have sources answer them if a writer specifically reaches out and asks you to provide this info from your clients.
Otherwise it could waste your source’s time, as they might not be the right fit (even if you think that they are) and it’s best to let a writer first vet them too see if they make sense for the story, then reach out.
But there are times when having your source answer them ahead of time may get your source ahead of the game. Here’s what to know:
If a writer has a very short deadline, answering at least some of the questions may give your source an edge.
Nobody wants to do work on spec but if a writer posts a same day query and says they need quotes ASAP, it’s likely a last minute assignment that popped up and they are probably panicking about:
A) Identifying the right source and B) Getting an interview done on time.
In this situation if a writer needs, say a veterinarian, they post their query and a vet who has the right credentials answers the query, then they will likely let out a huge exhale and reach out to the publicist and say they want to use that source. They are going to be thrilled to have filled this last minute sourcing request. That means their article will get in on time! Whew!
If a writer asks for quotes in a submission then they are looking to get those questions answered asap.
Sometimes writers will need multiple sources for stories and need to again get moving fast on an assignment. If they specifically call out that they need answers submitted in the first round for consideration, they are going to prioritize potential sources that do this. In this case, if you snooze on questions, you’ll likely miss out on the opportunity.
BUT if you don’t have time to get answers back from your sources in this type of situation and you think they are the right fit, it’s still worth submitting them. Just know that if your source gets approved, you’ll likely have to move fast with getting quotes over.
Those are the two exceptions to the rule but in general, it’s a good idea to hold off on answering questions and wait to see if a writer is interested in your source before asking them to take time out of their schedule to answer questions that may not get used.
Again, if your source wants to answer them, doing so may put then at a an advantage but just know that if it’s happening in a situation outside of the above two examples, there is a chance the quotes won’t make it into the story, as a writer may go with a different source.
Here are some things that you want to do in general when responding to a writer’s call for sources to give your source the best chance of being selected:
Tell us their full name, professional title, place of business
Include their website link
Include any pertinent bio information
BONUS things to include:
If you’re not having your source answer email questions, there are other ways they can stand out when answering calls for sources.
It can be beneficial to include talking points that your source could speak on.
For example, if the topic is tips to help people save money when shopping over the holidays, you could submit something like this:
“I rep X shopping expert who could talk about:
Where to score the best deals online this holiday season
How waiting till 5 days before Christmas can land you a bigger discount than buying something earlier
Which items to buy online vs. in stores
The question to always ask the cashier when you’re checking out”
You can also include a sample quote or two from your source
If you don’t want to have your source spend time answering ALL the questions, have them give a few sample quotes. For instance on the topic above, you could say: “Hi, I have this source and they would be great to talk about this topic because of XYZ. I connected with them briefly and here is one thing they could talk about, such as:
“Which items to buy online vs. in stores: When purchasing gifts, there are some things that are much better deals online. For instance never buy THIS PRODUCT in stores because of this reason. One trick I always like to tell clients in this department is XYZ.”
This gives a writer an idea of the type of content that a source could provide and shows their personality and tone. Note: Writers want to use sources who have unique and interesting things to say and who make topics exciting and not cut and dry.
*Additional note on this one: Please make sure the sample quote is either an original quote or let a writer know if it’s something from a source’s blog or has been previously published. Writers in a hurry may grab a quote like this and it could put them in hot water with an editor if they use something that’s already been published.
Tell us why your source is a good fit
A writer needs a therapist to talk about anxiety and you have a therapist. Instead of just saying you have a therapist and mentioning her name and title, take things a step further and tell then why your therapist in particular would be a good fit— out of all of the other therapists they are being submitted.
Some examples here look like:
“I have an anxiety expert who says 75% of her clients are anxiety patients.”
“My expert just did a big TED talk or podcast appearance on this very topic.”
“I rep a therapist who has learned to reduce anxiety in herself and helps patients through it so she knows much about this topic both personally and professionally.”
“My expert just did a big blog post on this” - note we can’t use the blog post here but something like this does let us know that the expert has some interesting thoughts on this topic.
For a deeper dive into how to answer these query questions, check out this past Substack newsletter from our archive:
How to Help Your Clients Rock Email Interviews
And don’t forget to check out our most popular post of 2024 so far, in which we share some of our favorite tips for boosting your pitch ROI this year and beyond:
Top Tier's Top Tips to Kick Off 2024: Start the New Year Strong with These 17 PR Best Practices
Thanks again for being a part of this wonderful community we’re building. If you know a colleague who could benefit from this, please share this newsletter with them. We’re putting so much time and effort into these weekly articles and are thrilled to be able to get them in front of people who are benefiting from them.
Jill & Nicole
PS: You can always email us with any questions: info@toptierconsulting.NET
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Very helpful, as always. Thank you so much for sharing!