Earlier this week, I landed two last-minute freelance assignments requiring experts in the corporate finance and credit card industries. At first, it felt like a mad scramble to track down expert sources and pull everything together in a matter of days. Somehow, I managed to beat the clock and meet my deadlines. Here are some strategies for finding sources on short notice.
1. Ask your editor.One of my editors regularly covers this beat, so she was happy to send along suggested sources. That speeds up reporting and ensures that your chosen sources hit the mark. Instead of fishing for sources, I’d ask, “What type of sources did you have in mind?” or “Who do you think might be responsive to a quick turnaround request?” Can’t hurt to ask but also do some of your own brainstorming, too.
2. Pick up the phone. I usually send interview requests via email because it’s less intrusive, but if I need to do interviews in the next 48 hours, I’ll call instead. Many large brands have media hotlines where you can leave a message with your name, publication, deadline, and other info, and they’ll call you back within a few hours. But if you can track down a direct line, that’s often even better. Sometimes a source is willing to talk on the spot or I can offer to call back in a few hours when they’ve had a chance to pull some data or look into the topic. Also include your phone number in any email correspondence so the source can reach you right away.
3. Say you’re on deadline. Whether emailing or calling, tell sources and publicists right away, “I need to complete interviews by 2pm tomorrow” or “I’m trying to reach a spokesperson this afternoon.” (Whatever deadline you give them should build in at least a few extra hours so you can actually write the article.) When I sent out a second round of requests for interviews the day before my story was due, I put “urgent interview request from __.com” in the subject line, and responses came within an hour or two. I also contacted more sources than I needed instead of waiting for people to get back to me.
4. Contact sources and PR reps you trust. Instead of starting from scratch, think back to the experts you’ve interviewed or the publicists or article writing services you’ve worked with before. For one of my articles, I remembered a PR firm that specializes in higher ed, so I emailed my contact and asked if she could help me track down a finance professor. She came through the next day, and I’m sure the fact that we’d worked together before helped speed things along.
5. Post on social media. Update your LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook accounts with a quick description of the type of info you need. Often you’ll get silly or off-topic responses, but who knows? Someone in your network may know the perfect source or they may be an authority themselves. Publicists and experts looking to boost their media presence sometimes troll Twitter looking for opportunities, too.
