Journalists don\u2019t have easy jobs and if they\u2019re a big name in the industry and have a large social media following, it becomes more and more difficult for them to sort through worthy and unworthy pitches. Of course, brands like Apple and Tesla don\u2019t have an issue getting in the press, but unless you are them, chances are you will need to bend over backward to get someone\u2019s attention with your pitch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During the last ten years, I have worked for several lifestyle media titles. Over that period of time, I\u2019d be lying if I said I didn\u2019t get more than tens of thousands of pitches from PR specialists. Everything from mediocre pitches, to award-worthy ones, ones I didn\u2019t even click, and those I still think about. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here are a few of my personal tips on how to pitch a story and maximize your chances of getting coverage, along with insights from fellow journalists: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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- How to pitch a story to journalists<\/a><\/strong>\n
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- Personalize your pitch<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Be specific and straight to the point<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Offer something valuable<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Don\u2019t forget to follow up\u2026 but wait<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nHow to pitch a story to journalists <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Personalize your pitch<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nOne of the biggest mistakes when writing a pitch<\/a> is sending a mass email with a few words. Even if your pitch sounds seemingly personalized, I can spot a mass email from a mile away. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some of the worst pitches I received over the years started with something like \u201cLatest news\u2026\u201d and then followed with \u201cHi, I\u2019m sending you a press release in the attachment\u201d. That\u2019s it and nothing more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Personalizing your pitch<\/a> is not only limited to putting your recipient\u2019s name in the headline. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Always remember who you are writing to. There is no point in sending the same information to a large group of recipients. Most will not read them. If you have a topic of interest to a particular journalist, write a personalized message directly.<\/em> - \u0141ukasz Za\u0142uski, Head of Digital<\/strong> @ National Geographic Poland<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you want to personalize your pitch, find out your recipient\u2019s interests, latest publications, or something special about them. <\/strong>Most journalists have a very narrow area of expertise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is the worst sin of all \u2013 not knowing your addressee, both the outlet and the work and interests of the particular journalist you are sending the press release to. This causes you to send out exactly the same thing in bulk, which results not only in a bad image for the brand, but most of all for the PR agency which employs such a thoughtless method of trying to get their client in the media. <\/em>- Pawe\u0142 Zieleniewski, Editor-in-Chief @ Forbes <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
For example, an automotive journalist that specializes in off-road and brands like Jeep or Land Rover won\u2019t be interested in the newest Ferrari model. Yes, both have four wheels but one does not equal the other. At least not in the case of scoring with your pitch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"Podcast](\"https:\/\/prowly.com\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Podcast-pitch-example-in-Prowly_2-840x1024.png\")
Podcast pitch example recreated in Prowly<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Be specific and straight to the point<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nBut isn\u2019t a compelling story<\/a> the best thing to do? Well yes, and no. Journalists receive dozens of emails weekly, or even daily, and don\u2019t have the time to look for a hidden message within your pitch. What you want to do is give them exact details.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
From my personal experience, if you want to know how to pitch a story to a journalist and get your pitch noticed, remember this one thing - don\u2019t waste their time<\/strong>. Inexperienced PR specialists try to get our attention by writing emails with clickbait headlines, e.g. \u201cYou won\u2019t believe that\u201d and trust me, it doesn\u2019t work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Luckily, this happens less and less often but it\u2019s still worth mentioning. We know about clickbait more than you can imagine and if you do use it, journalists know you probably don\u2019t have much to say.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Do your homework. Be brief and to the point. Tell the writer WHY the news in the release is important to his\/her readers, and do so as soon as you can. Don\u2019t make the journalist search through your whole press release to find the answer to this vital question. Make things as simple as possible for the journalist by providing useful links and graphics and easy ways to contact the press release writer<\/em>. - Seth Arenstein, Editor @ PR NEWS<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Just because you need to be specific, doesn\u2019t mean you need to write a few lines of text. What you do want to do is, however, avoid using too many adjectives and buzzwords such as \u201cgroundbreaking\u201d, \u201cinnovative\u201d, \u201cphenomenal\u201d etc. These are filler words and if you have something worthy to tell me, you don\u2019t need to use those. A good pitch should have all the information a journalist needs to know within the first two or three sentences. It\u2019s a good rule of thumb to use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Additionally, don\u2019t be afraid of visual elements, graphics, videos, and anything to get your point across in the most effective and easiest way possible. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I find links to video materials and visual attachments helpful. Sometimes pitches come without graphics, so I need to look for them on my own to publish the story at all. I also value links to previous pitches if they contain information on similar topics. It helps broaden the context of the written article<\/em>. - Roger \u017bochowski, Editor-in-Chief @ PSX Extreme and PPE.pl<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
- Be specific and straight to the point<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Personalize your pitch<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n