Get connected suddenly with Qwoted - unless it’s the free version
Do you ever wonder how journalists find experts on any particular subject on any given day? And how you can amplify your client’s voice amid all the noise?
Cue the music because I have discovered an app that offers the answers: Qwoted.
Qwoted is a media networking tool that connects journalists and reporters with experts, brands and smalls business owners. Essentially, it’s the bridge a public relations professional needs to connect their clients with the media and establish or position clients as thought leaders in their field.
How to sign up
Signing up for a Qwoted PR account is easy peasy and free for the basic plan. But the free plan has its hiccups, which I’ll get to later. All you do is fill out a short form and include up to 50 hashtags of topics in which your client(s) is an expert and submit.
When you are given access into the platform, you should see a screen that looks like this:
Image of screen when I first signed up.
Once inside the platform, click under opportunities in the top left corner to see what reporters on the platform are looking for and deadlines for their stories.
When I first signed up, I saw a post – or a pitch – right away from a reporter that was working on a story about a subject that piqued my interest and would help my employer. But I could not respond right away because with a free account, you have to wait two hours before you can access more information on the pitch and contact the reporter. That’s the hiccup and my least favorite thing about this tool thus far. The paid version gives you immediate access.
The free version also only allows you to make two pitches per month to a media outlet. But the company is granting an extra five pitches for new accounts, but I’m not sure if it’s for a limited time or permanent. Nonetheless, I have seven pitches in the bank.
Screenshot of the opportunities page.
A few hours after I first signed up, I received an email alert from Qwoted based on one of my hashtag topics. Now it’s up to me to decide if I want to use one of my seven pitches for this story or wait for another one.
The app is currently for computer use only as there is not an app. But you don’t need one because the alerts come to your email and you can access your email from your phone.
I am looking forward to utilizing this app to elevate the voice and brand of my employer with media outlets that I would not have had a contact with otherwise. With the tagline, “Suddenly, Connected,” I am suddenly, impressed.
PROS:
I love the fact that you can add so many hashtags as relevant topics that your clients are interested in and I love the bonus pitches for signing up.
CONS:
The free account doesn’t allow you to fully utilize all of the features. It feels like it’s punishing free account holders with the two-hour delay in responding to a pitch. Another agency or PR professional could beat you to it. The cost for the Pro plan is $99 per month. And the teams plan asks that you contact them for pricing, which generally means, it’s pricey.
Qwoted is a great link building tool that can help reporters quicky find sources for their stories and can help PR professionals pitch stories to reporters.
References
Qwoted.com. Tell Your Story. Suddenly, Connected. qwoted.com
2023. Big Fish PR. HARO VS. Qwoted, Finding the Right Journalist Request Platform For You. https://bigfishpr.com/haro-vs-qwoted-finding-the-right-journalist-request-platform-for-you/