Blog Post By: Alisa Simons, BPM Marketing and Public Relations Intern
If you’re involved in the public relations and advertising of your organization, odds are you will run into your fair share of media pitches. A media pitch is a letter to an editor or journalist with the intention of convincing them to give your organization some publicity such as an interview or product demonstration. In order to convince the journalist to write about your organization, it needs to be compelling. Taking these points into consideration is a great start for getting your organization the publicity it deserves!
Know who you’re talking to
A misconception when it comes to public relations is that targeting a mass audience will bring in more publicity than a target market approach. This is false. Not having a target market will cause your pitch to fall flat. It will be perceived as not relevant to their readers and will be overlooked. It is important to make sure your pitch to Vogue is different than your pitch to the Green Bay Press Gazette. I guarantee that promoting your upcoming Cheese Fair in the next issue of Vogue will not go over well with their target demographic.
Leave the journalist wanting more
A good media pitch does not give all the details about what you want to promote. It is more of a preview to get the writer interested in learning more. Think of it as a movie trailer for that rom-com you’re dying to see. Would you REALLY want to hand over 12 dollars to go see it in theaters if the trailer covered everything that was going to happen from beginning to end? Of course not. Include a “cliffhanger;” it will make your pitch more intriguing.
Explain why they need you
Writers in the media typically do not promote anything out of the goodness of their hearts (although I’m sure there are some who do!). What they are looking for is “how will writing about this organization help me?” That’s why it is your responsibility to prove why your pitch is newsworthy. For example, a trend in advertising and public relations is the shift to social media. If you are a PR/advertising agency, this is your opportunity to pitch how successful you have been in helping clients move into social media and how their customers have increased significantly. By pitching this, you are positioning your organization as a social media expert (and a great resource that will ensure a business publication’s social media article is of value to readers).
Differentiation is key
Writers are looking for breaking news that will engage readers and earn as many clicks/views as possible. This is where you come in. Provide in your pitch why you are different and why readers will be interested in learning more about you. For example, pretend that the Apple Watch is coming out within the next week or two. Promotion-wise, it would be a strong move for Apple to pitch it to a blogger or journalist as part of a “Great Gifts to Give Your Dad for Father’s Day” article since the holiday is coming up. Explain that the Apple Watch is better than other watches they’re considering because it is the BEST fitness tracker/watch/mobile computer. What makes it different from its competitors will encourage people to think of it as the best watch to get the best dad in the world!
Time to start taking action!
Now that you know the steps of an award-winning media pitch, it’s time for you to start brainstorming. Write down who your target market is and key points that make your organization different!
After that is done, determine your newsworthy approach to make talking about your organization relevant to the writer. This could be relating to a current event, holiday, or new trend. Adjust your pitch so that your organization fits in with the occasion.
Congratulations! You are now on your way to getting your pitch published and getting the publicity you and your company deserve!
We understand one blog cannot make you an expert overnight, so for any questions or guidance in formulating a pitch, feel free to contact Baer Performance Marketing at 920-632-7648.
