A good public relations pitch needs

Sept. 27, 2012 - PRLog -- From high profile public stunts for consumer campaigns, to B2B PR initiatives, nothing is more important than the introduction you make to any journalists and newsdesks that you’re targeting. One false move will lead to rejection, or disinterest at best.

As any public relations professional understands, nothing beats first person contact when trying to convey an excellent campaign idea. As such, whilst newswire services offer good additional support, this shouldn’t be seen as a replacement for picking up the phone, or messaging directly to the best point of call’s inbox.

There is a problem, though. Editorial staff have never been more pressed for time, what with the pressures of online, and reductions in workforces taking their toll on all aspects of the press. With this in mind it’s important to think succinct, and know the ins and outs of your story before calling or sending an email. In many instances journalists will want to know all the details before knowing whether to respond.

Clear knowledge of the company, product, and marketplace being absolute necessities then, there’s also a lot more to the story of selling in stories. The media is a huge industry, and accounts for more titles most people haven’t heard of, than those we all clearly have. It’s no use pitching ideas to regional titles outside the target area, in the same way a fishing magazine has no use for copy on a local music event.

Identify who it is you need to approach, and take every step to make sure you have researched the best people within your industry. Read potential key publications to see which writers have been writing about the relevant subject, and find the titles that specialise in this area but aren’t household names. Once you’ve collated a list to begin pitching, just remember to thoroughly plan what it is you’re going to say, what the angle is to interest the journalist, and focus on not wasting their time. Clear, well thought ideas, and a polite manner being most important of all. For more tips, take a look at this article on the B2B PR Blog - http://b2bprblog.com/blog/2012/05/pitching-the-media