For public relations professionals, there’s no better rush of excitement than seeing a client appear in a news story. One way to get coverage for clients is to develop and distribute a proactive pitch, which is a great way to secure interest from journalists in the absence of hard news. Pitches succinctly share a story idea or angle that could add value to a journalist’s reporting. But how do we get our clients in front of journalists when they receive on average 500 pitches a day?
Here’s the secret: You must demonstrate why the story idea is newsworthy. It’s a daunting task, but there are several ways you can boost the probability of garnering a response. Below are some tips to keep in mind when assembling your pitch:
The Anatomy of a Pitch
When developing your pitch make sure that it’s succinct, relevant and timely. A pitch should streamline the key messages and verbiage that clients want to be associated with while also effectively presenting the argument for why the story idea is unique. Given the influx of emails journalists receive daily, spend time creating an attention-grabbing introduction that will hook the reporter and spark their interest in learning more about what you can offer. A solid pitch will only stand out if the claims are backed up by proof points, such as experiences or data. If the pitch includes data, it should be from a reliable source that journalists can trust or verify.
Identify Relevant Journalists
Compiling a list of journalists can sometimes be the hardest part of putting together a pitch. Be cautious of who you send a pitch to so you’re not spamming reporters, which can often damage your relationships with the media. Take time to dive below the surface level to uncover whether or not the reporter’s recent coverage aligns with the topic of your story idea. Use Twitter to learn more about their interests or solutions like Cision, TechNews and Muck Rack to make sure you’ve selected the appropriate journalists. In addition, it never hurts to Google them to guarantee that a reporter hasn’t recently changed roles or publications. You should feel confident that the story idea or information you’re sharing will be relevant to the journalists on your list.
Personalize the Notes
To make your pitch appealing to the tailored list of journalists you identified, consider customizing each note. Recent data shows that the No. 1 reason journalists reject a pitch is because of the lack of personalization, so frontloading the work by individualizing each note can save you from the dreaded sound of crickets that sometimes follow media outreach. Whether it’s sharing how your story idea fits into the reporter’s beat or acknowledging a profound article they recently wrote, this will show journalists that you’ve taken the time to consider their work and how your idea fits into their reporting.
While these tips won’t guarantee a response from a journalist or coverage for your clients, they will allow you to feel more confident about reaching out to reporters. Keep these tips in mind the next time you’re distributing a pitch and you’ll be one step closer to knocking the socks off any reporter and landing coverage in the media for clients.