Every day, journalists are flooded with emails, and if you’re not thinking about your pitches strategically, they’ll be buried within minutes. Here are some tactics to ensure your pitch stands out.
- Do your homework. Before you pitch anything, do your due diligence. Who is the most appropriate journalist for this particular pitch? Do they have a beat? Have they covered your topic previously? What was the sentiment? Pitches should be highly targeted and customized to the needs of the individual journalist. Your pitch won’t go anywhere if you’re not targeting the right person at the right time.
- Make sure your pitch is newsworthy. So often a media pitch centers on an announcement or random milestone that, frankly, isn’t news. Consider what makes a story newsworthy. Is it timely? Does it involve someone prominent? Does it have proximity to the audience? Without these elements, the likelihood of a journalist taking interest in your pitch is minimal – if not an automatic delete from the inbox.
- Pitch an actual story. Let’s assume your pitch is newsworthy. It still needs to be framed and presented as a story. Not only do you quickly need to be able to summarize the who, what, where, when and – most importantly – why, but you also need to package the content so it’s appealing, relevant and easy to say yes to. A good pitch makes a journalist’s job easier.
- Answer The Big Question. To ensure your pitch stands out, have a compelling answer to this question: “So what?” In addition to checking all of the other boxes, explain the impact of your pitch and why it matters to the reporter’s audience.
- Ensure a unique point of view. This is always important, but especially in late fall when so many journalists are developing end-of-year roundups or previewing trends for the year ahead. Everyone thinks they have a hot take, but in reality, most are saying the same thing. Journalists seek fresh perspectives, so if you can be bold, it can pay off.
- Consider visuals. This is something most people think about when pitching a broadcast story, but now most publications incorporate multimedia storytelling in their coverage. Ensure your pitches reference available creative assets or opportunities that can help bring the story to life.
- Keep it short. Time is of the essence. You have seconds to make an impression and stand out. Keep things short and to the point.
Successful media pitching is no longer about who you know. It’s about having a pitch that can really add value. When you prioritize the journalist’s needs, you exponentially increase your odds of breaking through the noise.
-- Mandi Kane, Associate Vice President
A perfect checklist!