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.