How Do You Pitch?

Regardless of your locale or client base, one thing most PR pros have in common is that they pitch a variety of media contacts on a daily basis.

Pitching can take the form of a phone call, email, Facebook message, tweet or text message.

All PR pros have their own styles and know what does work and doesn't work with their primary targets, but sometimes it's good to hear what others have to say. It could be that they have just the advice to help form a relationship with that editor that you've been striving to foster for a few months.


One agency, WiredPR, recently wrote a blog post that gave some good advice on the best ways to follow up with media pitches. A couple of these included choosing one way to pitch for each contact and sticking with that method, and if the topic is obscure, mentioning a more prominent publication that covered the topic and explaining the angle the writer took with the story.

It may seem like common sense, but some of the most important things we can do are to be relevant, show respect of a journalists' time and know when to push and when to back off.

What have you found to be your most effective ways of pitching?

Press Kits: Are They Obsolete?

If you're thinking about moving away from having a press kit because you have a web site that provides information about your company, don't do it.

A press kit remains an invaluable tool for working with media to get that all-important editorial coverage. Even more importantly, it is a targeted tool to convey those points about your business that you want the media to cover.

At its very least, a well-structured press kit should contain an overview of your company, fact sheets about the company and its products, and a bio of you primary spokesperson.

Offer it on your web site and on CD, but don't neglect that all important paper copy. Media Relations is about helping the media, so be prepared to provide your press kit in any way that the media requests it.

After all, it's just good customer service — and the media is your customer.

Working With The Media: They're Doing a Job Just Like You

If you want to get good publicity, respect the media.

That means answering their phone calls and acknowledging their inquiries. You can't have a “relationship” with the media if it's all one-sided. Someday, you'll want to make a press announcement that will cast your company in a good light. But don't expect great coverage if you've got a reputation for snubbing the media or treating them unprofessionally.

Like any relationship, media relations is a two-way street. There will be times when they ask you questions you don't want to answer. Before you rush to “no comment,” consider crafting a reply that shows you cared enough about their inquiry to actually think about it.

That doesn't mean you have to give away the store. “Acknowledging” a reporters inquiry is not the same as responding to it. You don't need to provide a direct response to the question at hand. But relationships begin with interaction and respect for each other, so step back and think about how you will respond.

Remember, the media is doing a job just like you. You might feel they are adversarial when they are being inquisitive. You could feel their approach is confrontational when they see themselves as aggressively pursuing a story. But you don't have to choose between fighting or taking flight with a “no comment.” You can interact with the media in an intelligent way that will build you some capital with them for when you need them to help you get a story out.

If you don't know how to do this, get with a good PR firm and get some advice and counsel and some media training fast. You'll be glad you did.

WHAT A WASTE: PURSUIT OF NEWS COVERAGE WITHOUT A NEWS HOOK

You know how you feel when you're pressured to do something you don't want to do? Now think about the media. They feel that pressure every day.

You've got a story and you think the media should want to report it. Why? Because you think it's important news.

Not good enough. Unless you're the President of the good old USA, you've got some splainin' to do before you get your story covered.

Before you make that media call, spend some quality time thinking about why your story is newsworthy. What's your news hook? Why is your news of interest to others? What reader-friendly angle could the writer use? Think strategically — you may only get one chance to make your pitch.

Today, the news business is tougher than ever. Many media are short-staffed and stretched to the limit. So here are some tips:

Don’t call the media unless you have real news to report.

Don’t call the media to complain that they don’t ever call you or that a story contained news about your competition but not you.

Don’t call the media and ask them to publicize your sale — they’ll send you to the advertising department to buy an ad.

Do call the media when you have genuine news to report.

Do call the media after you have given serious thought to why your news would be of interest to the media and their public.

Do thank a writer for positive coverage when you get it.