A key part of any PR strategy is getting the right journalists to tell interesting stories. Without sending a pitch, your story may not get noticed, covered, or shared. However, it can be difficult to write a media pitch that will spark a reporter’s interest in your story and compel them to cover it.
Read on to learn some best practices you can use when writing media pitches, and some examples of real-life media pitches to inspire your own.
a typical media pitch Include important details that may capture the recipient’s attention, including:
- led: This is a catchy opening sentence that shows why your story is interesting and newsworthy.
- Intention: This is the part where you tell the reporter what you want them to do with your story. Do you want them to write a review, conduct an interview, or use your data/research in an existing story?
- value proposition: This part explains why the reporter should be interested in your story. Some reasons may be that it contains original data, reliable sources, or interesting physical matters.
Best practices for writing a media pitch
No matter what industry you represent, knowing how to craft an effective media pitch is the most important part of a solid PR strategy, Here are some valuable tips that will help you Step Up Your Media Pitching Game In no time:
The media thrive on stories that are trendy, shocking or catchy – or all of the above. So before pitching a story, make sure it meets these criteria. ask yourself:
- Is this story new/current?
- Does the story evoke an emotional response?
- Will this story have an impact on people?
If you answered “yes” to these questions, chances are a reporter will be interested in covering your story.
2. Pitch to relevant media contacts
Journalist and reporter have their own specialty in media. They are called ‘beats’ and refer to the types of stories the reporter covers. Before you pitch, make a list of reporters whose beat matches your story.
If your story doesn’t match a reporter’s beat, they won’t cover it, no matter how talented they are. In fact, it will reflect poorly on you because the reporter may take it to mean that you are sending mass email without doing research first.
3. Write a Strong Subject Line
Your subject line is the first thing a reporter sees when they receive your email, and it influences their decision to open it. Your story may be solid, but if the reporter doesn’t read your pitch, the quality won’t matter.
So pay attention to your subject line. Keep it brief—say just enough to pique the reporter’s interest. You can use startling statistics, thought-provoking questions, or even contradictory ideas in your subject line to grab attention.
If you’re not sure how to structure your subject line, look at the headlines of some of the articles the reporter has published to get an idea of their style. Then try to repeat it.
4. Personalize Your Pitch
To get a reporter invested in your pitch, structure it as if you’re speaking directly to them. Avoid a generic pitch that you can copy, paste, and send to dozens of journalists at a time.
Take the time to find the reporter’s personal/work email and discuss a recently published story or their major accomplishment in your pitch. A personalized email Indicate that you did your research before pitching.
pro tipEstablishing a relationship with the reporter via social media increases the chances of them reading your pitch.
5. Keep Your Pitch Brief
Reporters often receive dozens, if not hundreds, of media pitches, so they don’t have time to read and respond to lengthy pitches.
To have a better chance of a response, keep your resume brief. Include only important information in the pitch and use bullet points to summarize the key points of your story. Not only is it professional, but it shows that you respect the reporter’s time.
6. Follow up in a timely manner
Reporters are busy people – they may forget to respond to your pitch even if they are interested. That’s why you should send follow-up emails.
The general rule is that you should not send more than 2-3 follow-up emails if you do not get a reply from the media contact. Wait at least a week after your initial media pitch before sending the first follow-up email. This ensures that the reporter has enough time to get to their inbox and respond. If they don’t respond to your first follow-up email, wait a few days before sending a second and third email. you also pay attention Importance of using automation for your follow up emails to save you time and effort.
pro tipYou can add a little extra information about your story in your follow-up email in case the reporter is unsure about covering it. Also, include your original pitch at the bottom of your follow-up email to remind the recipient and provide more context.
5 Media Pitching Examples
If you’re trying to write a media pitch, here are some great examples to draw inspiration from:
1. Cold Media Pitch
This is a media pitching strategy where a PR professional sends a media pitch to a reporter with whom they have not yet interacted.
In this straight-to-the-point pitch, the sender provides some information about himself, the charity organization he works for, and the topic he’d like the reporter to cover.
2. Multiple-Choice Pitch
In this pitch, a writer is sending the editor of a popular SaaS blog some ideas that might be a good fit for the blog. Note how the author explains why she suggested each topic, based on her own experience. This allows the editor to carefully consider all options and choose the topic that resonates most with their readers.
Before sending this type of pitch, look at some of the publication’s existing articles to appreciate the topics covered and the writing style of its readers.
3. Added-Value Pitch
In this pitch, the sender published a new report about livestream purchases and thought their findings would fit well with an existing article published by the recipient. Note how the sender noted some key information that may be of interest to the recipient. It just goes to show how valuable their reports are.
This pitch can be successful if you have original data that will add value to an existing piece that the reporter has already published.
4. Product/Service Pitch
This media pitch highlights a new service offered by a vegetarian restaurant. The sender talks about this new service and mentions how it will benefit its subscribers and readers of the publication.
This type of pitch works best when you’ve confirmed that the people you want to reach are regular readers of the publication you’re pitching.
5. Follow-up Pitch
In this follow-up pitch, the PR professional reminds the reporter of the media pitch they sent the week before. The sender also uses this opportunity to reintroduce the pitch, increasing the likelihood that the reporter will read the email. At the end of this brief email, the sender reiterates the benefits the media outlet will receive if it covers the story.
Write a Unique Media Pitch
Every media pitch you send presents an opportunity for you to expand your reach and build new relationships within the media. So while you pay close attention to the quality of your story, you shouldn’t neglect other aspects, such as the reporter you’re pitching, your subject line, the length and tone of your pitch, and your follow-up email.
Following the best practices outlined above increases the chances of a reporter reading your pitch and covering your story in their publication. Getting accepted media pitches can help you reach new audiences, improve your reputation, and even give your business an SEO boost through link-building.
If you’re still not sure how to structure your media pitch, you can take a look at some email templates to get some ideas.
