It’s a harsh reality for today’s media industry — newsrooms are getting leaner and fewer journalists are covering more beats. They are strapped for time and resources, so how do you get your pitch coverage in today’s hustle-and-bustle world? Follow these four tips to get your pitch noticed and your news covered.
Research is the first step to any successful media pitch. Do your homework to make sure you’re pitching the right journalist with the right story. Spend time reading their past stories to make sure they cover your topic. Nothing sinks a pitch faster than sending a good pitch to the wrong journalist.
Once you’ve identified the right journalist, be sure to keep them in mind when crafting your message. If they’ve covered similar topics in the past, mention it and offer a fresh new take. Pitching is an opportunity to surprise and delight with a well-tailored message.
Keep your pitch short and to the point. No one wants to read lengthy emails, especially journalists who are working on tight deadlines. After writing your pitch, go back and edit out any unnecessary filler and keep it simple.
The most forgotten rule of media relations is sometimes the hardest to apply. Figure out how your pitch serves the journalist’s needs and not your own. It’s easy to send a self-serving pitch. What’s hard is finding the right message that helps a journalist meet their deadline and doesn’t just, clutter up their inbox. If you can craft a custom message to the right journalists, in a manner that is timely and relevant, you’ll grab their attention and provide a valuable service that should result in earned media coverage.Do you find yourself spinning your wheels and not gaining any traction when it comes to earned media? Allow us to help! We’d love to help you get your story moving.
Communicate better. That’s what we help you do. Because better communication means better business.