The Top Three Tips to Getting Your Pitch Read by the Media

Oct 6, 2014

for getting your pitch read by the media

Don’t send your pitches into a black hole! Photo Credit: Ghost of Kuji via Compfight cc

Everyone knows that getting your pitch read by the media is much easier said than done. You can spend all the time in the world crafting your release to utter perfection, but that counts for nothing if you don’t have a tried and true method for making sure your pitch isn’t met by a black hole on the other side of the PR/Media divide. Luckily, I’ve got a method, and the more I practice it, the better it gets. The same will be true for you, so read these top three tips for getting your pitch read by the media and get at it! 

The Top Three Tips to Getting Your Pitch Read by the Media

1. Personalize it.

I know, believe me. I know. Personalizing every email that goes out is much more work and way more time-consuming than coming up with your basic pitch and just changing the name each time. You will be much more likely to get a response if you take the time to start up a brief but sincere conversation (more on that “brief” aspect later). What made you pitch them anyway? Tell them what work of theirs you’ve recently read and why it fits with your current pitch. Actually, that leads me into my second point…

Milwaukee Public Relations2. Pitch the right person.

Take the time to research who you should be pitching. And then (this may seem obvious) pitch that person. No one else. Don’t blanket pitch an entire organization, because sending to more people doesn’t ensure that you’re getting your pitch read by the media. Research who would be the best to receive your pitch and focus on making that pitch really good. Dig into the person a little. What does he write? How often does she do reviews? Can you figure out personality from tone of voice? Use the information you’ve uncovered to make your pitch tailored to him or her.

Don’t hesitate to tell them that you’ve read their work, either. It shows that you’re putting in a little grunt work on your end.

3. Be brief.

Even though Steps 1 and 2 make for a more time-consuming approach to pitching, your pitch itself shouldn’t be very long at all. It doesn’t matter how witty and friendly you are; if it’s too long, your email will be deleted. Spit out what you want to say right at the beginning so that they know what the email is for. Some of my best, most successful pitches have been one or two liners. If it takes you more than one or two lines to convey the relevance of your pitch, fine. But don’t make your pitch one sentence longer than it needs to be.

 

Sure, you can keep using your same old tactics – they’re not hurting anyone. But why not give yourself the best chance for success? These tips for getting your pitch read by the media will put you well on your way…

RedMoxy Communications is an agency in Delafield, Wisconsin. Public Relations is a challenging but rewarding service that we love providing for our clients. Interested in learning more about what public relations at RedMoxy can do for your company? Click below or contact us at [email protected].