It doesn't matter whether you're a seasoned PR professional or a newbie, you'll need to know how to pitch the media correctly if you want to get publicity, interviews, articles and write ups about your business.
With all the bad pitches and PR spamming, it is time to teach you how to do it the right way. By pitching the media correctly, you will see your name in ink in no time. Trust me, when I first started, I hadn't a clue as to how to draft a pitch, but now I've become a media professional.
Create variations of the story for different media outlets, but don't embellish. Keep each variation concise and to the point because media professionals do not have a lot of time to review your story, if it is as long as a book.
You must know your story inside out and backwards before you even attempt to build a media list. Get every angel of the story covered by conducting interviews with the people involved, industry professionals, and any other research you can find. Pursue the story as the same way a journalist would.
Research each contact at each publication you think would be interested in your story. Read the journalist's work to determine what he or she is looking for. Research and find out their writing style and contact preference. Keep a top ten list of the journalists you think would be interested in covering the story.
The first and most important things you need to have are patience and persistence. The media gets flooded with millions of pitches per day.
Most journalists get dozens of pitches per day, which is why good follow up skills are essential. You should follow up in a day or two after you sent the first pitch. It is very rare a story gets picked up with one pitch. If you haven't heard from them, then follow up with a phone call. Don't afraid of being annoying, just tell them you are working on a strict deadline. If they are not interested, they will tell you.
Test your pitch with one or two journalists. You can email or call the journalist. Keep the pitch to three or sentences at most if you call. Keep in mind that most journalists preferred to be contacted by email.
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