Tis’ the season for pitching holiday cheer!

The holidays are in full swing and for many companies it is the time of year to find ways to give to the less fortunate in the communities that they live and do business in. What organizations often struggle with, however, is how to go about sharing those stories with the general public.

 

What most do not know is that the holiday season is also a time of year when the media is looking for good news stories to share with their viewers. What a prime opportunity for local companies to share these “feel good” stories with the community.

 

But, how do you let the local media know that your organization is participating in such an event? There are a couple of ways.  

 

Send out a media alert to the local newspapers and television stations inviting them to cover your event. Whether it’s a blood drive, holiday party for a local non-profit or spending an afternoon in a soup kitchen, find an interesting angle to the story and pitch away. Make sure to include the details of the event, such as the time; place and a media contact person. Make sure that you have a great visual hook that would partner with the story for video or photo coverage. And always make sure that you have approval from the people or the organization benefiting from your generosity, so they know media may be present.

 

You can also take your own photos or video and submit them to the media or use them in your social media efforts. Does your organization own a Flip camera or is it easy to upload photos to your computer? Make sure to connect this footage to your Web site, e-mail campaigns to customers or your social media accounts often. Many media outlets also encourage you to submit photos with a caption describing the event, which is likely to garner print or Web site coverage.

 

And as always, make sure to think about the following tips for pitching the media, no matter the time of year or event. Is the story timely and involve people in the surrounding community? What is the visual piece attached to the story? Who will be your spokespeople to talk on behalf of the company…and are they prepared for the interview?

 

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and the media is looking for stories to keep their viewers in bright spirits. Don’t let the opportunity of finding ways to garner good news coverage pass you by. 

Patience and Persistence in Pitching

In our technology-centered world we’ve come to expect rapid responses. Instant communication is possible through a variety of channels. I often spend time in areas without cell phone reception and if one of my colleagues can’t call me, she’ll e-mail me; if she can’t reach me via e-mail, she’ll twitter me; if she can’t reach me via twitter, she’ll page me…and on and on…

We become impatient if e-mails aren’t answered within 24 hours – and with certain people I even find myself picking up the phone if I don’t hear back in a few hours. For those in PR, working with the media can often be a reminder that “all good things come to those who wait,” especially when you’re the one with the great story idea.

It goes without saying that when the media calls I move quickly to fulfill requests by their deadlines, but when I’m pitching something, it doesn’t always happen that quickly.

One of Red Shoes’ clients, Affinity Health System, recently began using Barrx, a new technology to prevent esophageal cancer. The expectation was to have a story placed, in addition to blurbs running in local trades. We sent out a release announcing the new technology in October and kept talking about Barrx to the media.

After unsuccessfully pitching the technology to two different media outlets, I finally had a break in June. One of the local TVs had a new reporter from Rochester, Minn. (where the Mayo Clinic is located), with a niche in health care. I told him about Barrx and he was immediately interested. After lining up a patient and the physician, the story went off without a hitch.

After nearly nine months of not getting any coverage, I know a few people had given up, so the satisfaction that came from the story was enormous. The process was a good reminder in the basics of proactive PR: be patient and be persistent.  

Public Relations: The Art of the Pitch

Do you send out news releases and then wonder why your story isn’t getting the placement it deserves?

Many PR professional know and understand the intricacy of the pitch. And the pitch is an important part of the PR process. What I do is more than just send out a news release. Once the release is distributed that’s when the hardest part begins.

While each situation or pitch is different (reporter’s style, preference, angle, etc.), I’ve certainly learned a lot over the years to increase the odds that our clients’ news will get covered.

Here are some basics that you should think about when it’s time to play ball.

Make reading daily global and national news a part of your routine. Every morning I peruse the headlines from multiple sources. I’m always looking for trends taking place globally or nationally that are impacting or have the potential to impact our community regionally or locally. Is what your company talking about or doing tie into to these trends?

Know who you are pitching. This seems the most obvious but maybe the most over-looked principle. It is important to know what and who you are pitching. Reporters want to be pitched stories on beats they cover. You wouldn’t pitch a technology reporter on the latest developments of the credit crisis. Take the time to research who covers the particular topic you want to pitch and review recent stories or blogs they have written. And by all means, don’t pitch the same story to every reporter or every publication in sight.

The lead. These days, the media is forced to do more with less. They don’t have time to read through a 2-page pitch about your company, product or service. You need to get their interest in the first or second sentence. Develop a pitch that is compelling, factual, relevant and interesting.

Timing is key. The time of day you call or send an e-mail to a reporter can be crucial to a successful story pitch. Also, keep in mind holidays, weekends, breaking news and highly publicized events as well. If there is a major political election taking place or a five-alarm fire, it’s most likely your story won’t get the attention it deserves.

Don’t send e-mail attachments. Reporters rarely have time to open news release attachments, look through numerous photos or sort through pages of information. Keep the content of your pitch in the body of an e-mail. Interactive media allows us to add links to outside sites or photos where the reporter can seek out additional information if they want to.

Remember, it’s a two-way street. Keep this in mind with whatever phase of the story pitch and execution you are in. My golden rule is to treat a journalist as you would your client. Don’t just meet their expectations…exceed them.

Put yourself in the shoes of the media. Ask yourself, “Why would my target audience care about this?” Also, if you are pitching for TV, the story must have interesting visuals and the same goes for radio and sound bites. The media is constantly looking for fresh ideas for stories. A good pitch and follow through will often make reporters come back to you in the future, which is good for you and your company.