The secret is all in the pitch.
Continue reading to learn how to create a perfect pitch.
Identify your audience
In order to create a successful pitch, you need to determine your target audience. Who are you trying to reach and why?
Once you identify your audience, the next step is finding people who can reach them. This starts with research. Build media lists of potential journalists in the area that are talking about your subject matter. Get to know what the journalists are interested in by reading previous articles they have written and following them on social media. This will help you tailor your pitch to specific media outlets, hopefully catching more eyes and ears.
Be concise
In order to grab the attention of a journalist, your pitch has to be short, sweet and to the point. Journalists are extremely busy people, so it’s important to be considerate of their time. Catch their attention with an interesting email subject line and put your most important points first. Use the Inverted Pyramid model to list the most news-worthy details at the beginning and then additional, less imperative details toward the bottom.
Follow-up
Give reporters some time before you decide to check back in. But, if you haven’t heard back from a reporter and you know your pitch is a perfect fit for them, follow-up! Phrase your follow-up emails differently than your original pitch to avoid sounding repetitive. If they don’t get back to you after following up, don’t take it personally and look for another outlet to target.
So next time you’re pitching stories to the media, remember to identify your audience and be concise in your writing. And, don’t be afraid to follow up!
