Best for
Companies with knowledgeable leaders, startups between announcements, and any client whose expertise lines up with stories reporters write often, such as health, money, work or technology.
Lead-service monitoring
Lead-service monitoring that turns expertise into coverage
Lead-service monitoring means watching the places journalists ask for sources, then pitching the requests that fit a client.
Susan von Seggern monitors five lead service feeds daily, plus emails and Substacks from journalists looking for leads directly. When a request matches a client’s expertise, she pitches it. This has placed lead service coverage in Good Housekeeping, Yahoo, the New York Times, HuffPost, Best Life and many other outlets.
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What is a lead service in PR?
A lead service is a feed where journalists post requests for expert sources on stories they are writing. Publicists who watch these feeds can offer a client as a source while the story is still being reported.
The advantage is relevance: the reporter has already said what they need. That makes lead-service pitching one of the most efficient tactics when newsrooms are stretched; OBA PR reports 40% fewer reporters covering more beats.
How the daily routine works
Scan five feeds
Every day, Susan checks five lead service feeds for new journalist requests.
Watch direct channels
She also reads emails and Substacks where journalists ask for leads directly.
Match to clients
Requests are matched against each client’s expertise, not pitched blindly.
Pitch fast
A short, specific pitch goes out while the reporter is still on deadline.
Where lead-service monitoring fits
Less suited for
Hard news with a fixed date, such as a launch or event, which is better served by a press release and sustained outreach. Most campaigns use lead monitoring alongside those pillars.
Part of the corporate PR services overview from Susan von Seggern.
Common questions
What is lead-service monitoring?
Lead-service monitoring means watching services where journalists post requests for expert sources, then pitching the ones that match a client. Susan von Seggern monitors five lead service feeds daily, plus emails and Substacks from journalists looking for leads directly. She has placed lead service coverage in Good Housekeeping, Yahoo, the New York Times, HuffPost and Best Life.
Is it harder to get press coverage now?
It can be, because newsrooms are smaller: OBA PR reports 40% fewer reporters covering more beats. That makes relevance more important, such as matching stories to what journalists wrote in the last 30 to 90 days, as OBA PR recommends, and answering requests reporters post themselves, which is what Susan von Seggern’s lead-service monitoring does.
Is corporate PR worth it for a startup?
It can be, when the startup has real news to share. Susan von Seggern’s portfolio includes early-stage work such as IceWind’s pre-product buzz campaign and Geoship’s equity crowdfunding campaign. Startups with nothing announceable yet may get more from lead-service pitching, where a founder’s expertise answers journalist requests, than from a full release program.
Can you guarantee media coverage?
No. Coverage cannot be guaranteed, because journalists and editors decide what runs. What Susan von Seggern offers is a framework built to improve the odds: sustained outreach to the right contacts, well-timed releases, daily lead-service pitching and events. Her lead service work has produced coverage in outlets including the New York Times, Yahoo and Good Housekeeping.
Which PR tactics should we start with?
Start with the tactic that matches what you have. A dated milestone calls for a press release. An expert leader suits lead-service monitoring and podcast pitching. A gathering suits event PR. Ongoing visibility needs sustained media outreach. Susan von Seggern combines these four pillars into one individualized campaign for each client.