How to get a press pass and attend events for free
Just want to say up front that this post is going to appeal more to the bloggers and social media users out there, but I still wanted to share with everyone because it’s neat to see the background of some of my (and other bloggers’) Â activities. Learning how to get a press pass isn’t difficult, but it takes some effort to position the pitch just right.
When I pitch the idea of covering an event, I think long and hard about the organizer and what they want. The needs of an event planner are fairly simple (I should know).
- Want people/sponsors to attend
- Want publicity
- Want next year to be even better
With those thoughts in mind, I start drafting my pitch. Things I want to cover:
- Talk about my target audience.
- Give them some traffic stats.
- Point to previous event coverage.
- Give a name or two as referrals to help prove authenticity.
- Pitch SEO value for future events (when people Google the event, these posts will show up).
- Tell them exactly what I will provide in exchange for a press pass, comped ticket, etc. (My usual coverage is 3 posts.)
- Check out this event I am attending and what I expect from the experience
- Live post during the event or review of a session immediately after
- Final wrap up, parting words, and recommendation for the next year Continue reading
