5 Things You Must Have In Your Press Release Pitch
One way to build a relationship with the media and to get your story covered by the press is to reach out to individual journalists and media representatives. It’s called a pitch. You send them a press release along with a personal email that proposes your story.
As you might suspect, a press release pitch needs to be carefully written if you want to grab the attention of a journalist and to convince them to cover your press release and write a story about your company. There are a few key elements that you must have in your pitch for it to have a chance of being successful.
#1 A Good Reason
Let the journalist know why you’re contacting them. This means you have to do your research about that particular journalist. What stories do they normally cover and why would they be interested in your particular story or news? Make sure you immediately address why the information in your story and press release is relevant to them.
#2 Value and Relevant Information
Why should the journalist care? What is the news that you have to share and how does it change lives? Again, pay attention to the audience of your targeted journalist. Make sure that the audience for your press release and their audience are similar. It makes a difference to the journalist. They want to write about stories that impact their readers. This only happens if your information is relevant to them and you’ve done your homework.
#3 Timeliness
If your information or story has a date or a deadline, you’re more likely to get a quick response from the journalist. For example, if you’re hosting an event next week then they will have to take quick action to make sure the story is published before the event.
#4 A Call to Action
If you want a response to your pitch, then make sure that you give the journalist some action to take. For example, ask if you can send more information, ask if they’d like to see a relevant case study or report, or ask if they’d like photos and other supporting media. Help them take the next step by asking them a question and continuing the conversation.
#5 A Succinct Message
Make sure that your pitch is short – really short. Journalists appreciate the ability to be concise. Keep your pitch to a short paragraph or two, and stick to the point of your message.
Look at your pitch from the journalist’s perspective. What information would they want to know? Give them the basics and help them take the next step. Be professional and courteous.
Follow up your email once and wait a few days before following up. Building a relationship with the media may take a little time, however it’ll be worth the effort when they cover your business in their publication.
