One of the many factors of public relations (PR) is media pitching, and at Fort Lauderdale-based public relations agency Durée & Company, media pitching is a daily occurrence. A media pitch can be an email, phone call or in-person conversation with a journalist, editor, producer or blogger with the intention of captivating their attention on a potential topic or news angle.
A PR strategy is put into place internally before pitching all the journalists. We have created a cheat sheet covering the basics of pitching to help get your brand on journalists’ radar.
- Develop a Story: The first step in pitching media is to identify your angle. In order to earn potential coverage for your client, you need to develop a story that you can pitch or sell to journalists. Media is not interested in selling your product or service, they are looking for stories that their readers will find interesting. Also, your story must be newsworthy because brands are competing for limited space or broadcasting time with other pitches.
- Create a Media List: Once you have determined your angle, the next step is to create the perfect media list. A media list highlights the key media contacts who could potentially be interested in showcasing your story. The contacts may include reporters, journalists, producers, editors, freelance writers, bloggers, etc. It is important to selectively target the media by reviewing the contact’s beat and tying your story angle to their specific beat. Media contacts often change roles, so it is best to read the news to keep an eye out for these changes and continue to update your media list.
- Write a pitch: The key to writing a pitch is to stand out! Editors and writers see hundreds of emails per day and press releases can start to run together. Know who you are pitching and try to cater the pitch to the specific writer. When creating a pitch, press release or media alert, be concise, be honest in what you are looking for, include real facts and link the website and social media.
- Follow Up: This goes back to editors and writers seeing hundreds of emails per day. After sending your initial pitch, it is important to follow up with the media contact that you sent to within three or four days. Follow ups can be an email or a phone call. The media is very busy, and they can’t always read or respond to every email. Consider offering something different in your follow up whether it is new photos or links to additional information.
When it comes to pitching stories, think of the reporters. Figure out who you want to target, anticipate their needs and follow through. Use our media pitching cheat sheet to master the art of PR or just give us a ring and have us handle your next PR campaign!
About Durée & Company
Durée & Company, Inc. is an award-winning full-service public relations, marketing and special events firm with offices in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and Aspen, Colorado. The firm serves the corporate, agency and non-profit arenas for local, national and international clients focusing on public relations for real estate, public relations for restaurants, public relations for law firms, public relations for charities, public relations for healthcare, and many more. Durée & Company services include Public Relations, Social Media, Marketing, Advertising, Special Events, and Radio Promotions and Outreach.
