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If you have technology with enterprise-level applications, you
need to be in touch with the editors at ZDNet who reach 5.3 million
corporate technology buyers every month.
The Web site includes news, analysis, product reviews and a host
of ancillary products (like Webcasts and white papers) to help IT
decision-makers make wise investments.
The site is now conducting monthly research among its target
audience to find out exactly what's top-of-mind. "We've always had
good understanding of what's important to our readers by having a
wide bandwidth of communications with them and looking at our logs
to find out what people are searching for," says Dan Farber,
editor-in-chief. "Now we've taken it a step further with IT
Priorities research." The monthly survey of a random sample of 500
IT execs at companies with more than 500 employees provides vital
feedback on what is of most concern to enterprise technology buyers
- and therefore what needs to be on ZDNet.
Content/Contacts/Deadlines
The site focuses on the enterprise buyer, with news on issues
like Web technology, networking upgrades, server technology and
other topics. Along with the news, editors provide commentary and
analysis. "We do a reality check," says Farber. If readers want
more, there's a repository of white papers and reviews.
Contact Farber at [email protected]. Get
information to him and other editors like David Berlind ([email protected]) as soon
as possible. Farber says he can't be more specific about deadlines
because they vary dramatically. If important technology news
breaks, it needs to go online almost instantaneously, whereas an
analysis piece could require some research time. The rule of thumb
for this site: get the editors the news as soon as you have it and
can distribute it.
Pitch Tips
Editors prefer email communications, but Farber says he never
objects to follow-ups. "We have a great appreciation for what PR
professionals are trying to do. Their job is to make sure we're
informed as journalists. I appreciate persistence." His
appreciation does have its limits, however. If you haven't heard
back about an email pitch in about a week, feel free to follow-up
with another message to nudge the editors. But if after three
messages you haven't heard anything, it's probably time to let this
one go. Farber says common sense should be your guide and that you
should never push it if you feel another follow-up might set the
stage for an adversarial relationship with the editorial team.
Comments
Farber and team are very interested in hearing real-world case
studies, so when pitching a technology, if you can provide an
example of how it has been applied successfully, they'll want to
hear it. And if you can provide an enterprise technology executive
who's willing to share what didn't work for his company and how he
solved the problem, they'll be intrigued, as well.
In The Pipeline
ZDNet is in the process of putting together a new series of
Webcasts entitled "Wireless Works." The Webcasts will focus on the
challenges, benefits and best practices for going wireless. Check
out the first in the series at http://wirelessthatworks1.
zdnet.com. Case studies on the big successes and failures behind
wireless implementations are in demand among the ZDNet editors.