Educational Brief

Module: PR Pitch
Section: Methods of Contact

As your media list may contain an array of different types of contacts (journalists from established publishers and newer media outlets, freelancers, bloggers, etc.), be aware that each one will want to be pitched according to their preferred means of communication, based on each topic or area of interest he/she covers. If you don't do your homework here, no matter how relevant your pitch, chances are high it, and future pitches, will end up ignored.

Keep in mind, though, that for journalists — even those with a heavy social media presence — ninety percent would rather receive a story idea via email, as it allows for a single message containing the information they need to make a rapid judgment call, and which they can review on their own time schedule. In addition, regardless of how ubiquitous it may seem, journalists are less likely to trust what comes from social media. Plus, their social media activity could be specific to their own personal interests (and not the topics for which they get paid).

Also, most journalists do not want to get pitched by phone, given that newsroom resources, and the time they can spend on individual stories, keeps shrinking. Unless it is urgent breaking news (or a tip about a highly sensitive topic), many journalists perceive phone calls, especially follow up calls, as a nuisance and a sign that you do not respect their time. With regard to following up, do so by email, and only once, if you have not heard anything back after a few days.

Educational Brief

Module: PR Pitch
Section: Overall Formatting

Developing a media pitch is a basic element of public relations, but there are right and wrong ways to go about it. Place yourself in a reporter's shoes when writing a pitch and understand that on an average day, reporters receive up to 200 pitches via email. As such, you will need to make sure that yours stands out.

In regard to an e-mailed pitch, do not include attachments or embed graphics or HTML in the pitch. A plain text format is best. It should be fairly short and to-the-point (2-3 paragraphs at most), and designed to pique the media contact/reporter's interest so that he or she will want to contact you for additional information.

You should have background information ready to send (when a reporter contacts you), but you do not need to include ALL the information on the product or announcement in the media pitch. Shorter is better.

Address a reporter with whom you do not have a relationship and when circumstances require more formality, by using a title, such as "Dear Mr./Ms. XX." For a less formal context, even if you have not had prior contact with the reporter, it is acceptable to address the reporter with "Hi [First Name]." Make sure to include your full name, as well as your contact information (best two methods) in the pitch.

If you will be traveling when you send the pitch, make sure to include a cell phone number, or some way that the reporter can get in touch with you. Nothing is more frustrating than to miss a story opportunity because the reporter was on deadline and you couldn't be reached because you were out of the office. It is perfectly OK for you to send the pitch, but do include both your and another contact's information so that the reporter can reach at least one of you if he/she is on deadline.

Spell-check and proof your pitch. It is best to draft the pitch, look it over, then walk away from it for a while. Come back to it later and proof it again before sending it out. Also, remember that a second pair of eyes is also useful in reviewing your media pitch.

Educational Brief

Module: PR Pitch
Section: Content

Get to the point early. Some reporters will not even open the message if the subject line doesn't intrigue them. Try to include why the reporter should care in the subject line and first sentence or two of the pitch. Otherwise, the reporter may not continue reading, and you will have lost your opportunity.

You can also include a "call to action" in the pitch, such as requesting a meeting at a trade show you will both be attending.

Reporters also like to know you have their interests and their readers' interests in mind, so you can open the pitch with a line such as, "I thought your readers might be interested in the following story idea...," or, "I'd like to query your interest in X topic..."

Be selective about pitching the media. In fact, before you pitch any media, study it. Check out the publication/show/outlet. Figure out the media that covers similar topics and the formats they prefer. Whether pitching to a conservative newspaper, a women's fashion magazine or a morning talk show, determine whether your pitch: has news value for the reporter; helps build a relationship by bringing this information to his/her attention; and allows your company to serve as a resource to the reporter, by sharing this information.

Try to customize/personalize the pitch to the specific reporter's interest or beat. For example, don't send a reporter who covers healthcare issues a story idea focused on the manufacturing industry. Try to research the reporter online at the publication's website, or invest in an online service which provides such information as a reporter's beat, the way he/she prefers to be contacted, etc.

If you've seen an article the reporter wrote on the industry, feel free to mention that in the opening paragraph. "I saw your article on XX and thought this might be of interest." Or "I saw an article you recently wrote which covered our competitor X, and thought you might like to know that our company also offers solutions in this industry. We hope the next time you are writing about this topic, you might think of us as a resource."

Educational Brief

Module: PR Pitch
Section: Style

Media contacts/journalists appreciate honesty in your pitch — understandable when you consider the number of pitches they receive every day. While you want to avoid the overuse of hyperbole, a certain amount of excitement in explaining your product or service is acceptable. However, keep your pitch within the constraints of professionalism.

Be honest about the newsworthiness of your article. Don't exaggerate or come across as melodramatic. Doing so will make your company look so desperate that you will stoop to anything to get publicity. You will also badly jeopardize your future relationship and PR possibilities with that media, since you may not be able to get publicity when you do actually have something substantial and interesting to report.

When you pitch, keep in mind that, the more and deeper you get involved in explaining secondary advantages, the more impact you take away from highlighting the primary advantages. Media contacts/journalists, like anyone else, have a limited memory and retention capacity. Therefore, you should pitch your primary advantages first. Be very succinct and to-the-point. Don't cloud their retention of these primary advantages with information that isn't that important. You can always refer them to supportive information sources (or links) for more details.

At the end of your pitch, whether written or verbal, briefly recap the major advantages of your product or service. However, be careful — don't repeat yourself too much to the point where it can get condescending.

Keep in mind that the "tone" of your pitch, whether written or verbal, will also influence the media. Select words that speak up to the people you are pitching to: i.e., "Speak to them, not at them." If you have a difficult product to understand, don't come off as a schoolteacher giving instruction — inform them in a way that acknowledges their qualifications and level of comprehension.

Strive to be different and create the unexpected. If you can capture the imagination and interest of your media contact/journalist, he/she will realize that your news will elicit the same reaction from his/her media target market.

Educational Brief

Module: PR Pitch
Section: Verbal Contact

Even though email will likely be the usual means of communication between you and the media contact/journalist, you should have a condensed version of the pitch that is ready to give over the phone in approximately 20-30 seconds. This concise pitch can also come in handy if you should be face-to-face with your contact.

Also, make sure you have spokespeople (two or three is probably a safe number, in case of travel, etc.) who are prepared to give this pitch over the phone, have practiced it, and are ready to answer questions that the pitch may raise.

Preparing an internal Q&A document can help guide your spokespeople, and make them feel more comfortable in fielding questions. Basically, no matter what you or they have to say, make sure that it's said simply, and to-the-point: Beating around the bush, or overusing cliches and hyperbole, effectively tell the reporter that you have nothing pertinent to say.

Know your story well. You'll need to know how to revise your pitch when objections come up: And they will come up. You don't want to be in the position where you don't have an answer. Have practice sessions, where you and the spokespeople (and other members of your staff) pelt each other with questions so you can get used to providing off-the-cuff answers.

Journalists/media contacts, like anyone else, have personal preferences about how to contact them. While researching online, obtaining contact info through a specialized service, or via a variety of other techniques are solid practices, if you do get them one-on-one, don't forget to ask about their preference. Not only will this verify the information you have, but also help you avoid looking pushy.

If your verbal pitch develops into a request for additional info, always remember to ask if a reporter is on deadline. In most cases, they will appreciate your being considerate. Your aim is to get a relationship going with them that will benefit your company. Since they regularly confront people that get on their nerves, your being considerate could end up being valuable.

When pitching to reporters that you do not know, be up front: Say "We haven't spoken before," instead of pretending to know the reporter. If you do otherwise, the journalist will miss the first valuable minutes of your pitch in trying to figure out who you are, and will be irritated. However, if you've gotten to know them, be a little more relaxed, particularly with your tone of voice. In turn the journalist will end up being more relaxed with you, which could improve your chances of getting published.