Rules for Pitching your News to the Media

Getting your news out to the media is one thing. Getting stories written about you is quite another.

If you want to create a firestorm of interest in your story as opposed to a forgettable fizzle, then it’s best to keep in mind some basic rules of the Pitch. While there’s no one formula for success in getting your story published – be it in a newspaper, blog, ezine or on TV – you can’t go wrong by adhering to these basic tips.

Newsworthiness: You can improve your chances of getting coverage in the media by making sure your story is newsworthy. Stories related to hiring, particularly executive new-hires, make for good journalistic fodder. So do new product launches, geographic expansion into a new market, an event you're sponsoring, a major customer win, etc.

Big Picture: Is there a big picture storyline to which you can associate your news? For instance, say you are targeting military personnel with a new promotion. You might consider a press release tied to Veteran’s Day or July 4^th and make a public announcement to which you can invite important guests such as leaders of military veterans’ associations or the mayor of a town where a military base is located. One company I worked with rode the “coattails” of a nationally syndicated story all the way to a different article in a related national publication.

 Know the Target Audience: Before you pitch your story to a certain publication, journalist or blogger, make sure you know the type of content they’re looking for. In other words, don’t try to pitch a story about real estate investing to a writer for a data storage technology ezine. It frustrates the writer and gets you nowhere fast. Research the writer first by reading some of his or her content, or the content of the publication. Only when you’re certain your story fits the writer’s audience profile should proceed with the pitch.

Write a Succinct Pitch Email: The email pitch you send out with a press release is equally as important as the press release itself. Jeremy Porter, whose influential blog about PR and journalism (aptly titled Journalistics), goes a step further by saying that press releases should take a back seat to the pitch itself. Jeremy’s personal preference? A real-live conversation with a journalist. His point is you shouldn’t expect a press release blasted hither and thither over the Internet to yield any significant media coverage. Quality trumps quantity, so make sure you’re pitch is on target with their story preferences and succinctly states the value of the news to their audience.

Follow Up: When you send out an email pitch, or get voicemail on a phone pitch, be sure to follow up if you don’t hear back from the media person you’re trying to reach. Whatever you do, don’t take it personally. These are very busy people who receive way too many pitches to respond back to all of them. Sometimes, all it takes is a little extra push in order to get your news noticed. So pick up the phone and make the call. (Word of warning: limit your call backs as you don’t want to annoy and create a negative impression.)

Take Rejection in Stride: Not every journalist is going to write about your story. My approach has been to talk with each and every journalist to learn how my news fell short. Usually, I end up learning more about what the journalist likes to publish, and it’s a great way to build a relationship with the journalist for future pitches. You can also revisit your news release and pitch to rework them based on the feedback. It’s possible you can bring to light additional information or cite some notable statistics that will sufficiently pique the journalist’s interest.

Blog your Pitch: Blogs are a perfect way to get the news out to your customer and prospects, but they’re also good for journalists in search of a story. Granted, journalists probably don’t follow your blog the way they follow famous blogs like TechCrunch and Mashable. But if you use social media to spread the word about your blog and can get the buzz started in your own network, then a journalist may stumble over the blog link and reach out to you. It’s still a pretty uncommon happening but why rule out the possibility?

Be Nice: Often overlooked but incredibly important, etiquette and manners are serious matters when it comes to pitching your message to journalists and other media outlets. They’re busy professionals who get pitched daily by people just like you who think that their message will set the world on fire. All the more reason to be pleasant and mindful of their busy schedule. Ask if this is a good time to talk; if it’s not, set up a time to call back. Keep your pitch focused and succinct. Ask (politely!) if they wouldn’t mind giving you more detail on stories they like to publish. And when the call is over, thank them profusely. It will make your next pitch even easier if you’re able to establish a friendly rapport.

Think you’re ready to pitch your story to the media? Don’t worry if your first efforts yield no tangible results. Just keep on pitching and pretty soon you’ll be amazed at how many stories you’ll see published, filmed and recorded for public consumption.

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