If you want to draw attention to your brand, pitching is essential in gaining media coverage; that is your brand being featured in any type of press. Reporters get hundreds of emails a day and yours needs to stick out. Here are a few tips to help you successfully pitch reporters and keep your story in their inbox.
Know your target audience
Figure out whom you are trying to sell your idea to and where they might find their news. If your target demographic is 25 and female, she may look for her news in a different place than a 50-year-old male. Figure out what news sources you want to target and make a list.
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Research your journalist
Find out who would cover your brand at each of your targeted outlets. Show the reporter you understand their audience and want to educate readers by reviewing their most recent stories and understanding what they cover. Pick at least 3- 20 reporters that might cover your story.
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Tailor your writing
Reporters receive hundreds of emails from people trying to get their story published. Sending a generic email won’t grab their attention and will likely get filtered to the trash bin. Tailoring each pitch with your journalist’s name will go a long way in getting it noticed.
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Keep it short
In this day and age, no one has time to read lengthy paragraphs to gain an overall understanding of the story you’re trying to promote. The key is to keep them engaged with short, sweet and personal emails, containing enough information to hit your key messages without boring them. Think about being able to read the email on your phone while walking down the street.
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Edit & Proofread
Proofreading is essential. Double, triple and quadruple proofread your email before sending it off. Even ask your colleague to look it over. Spelling, punctuation and grammatical errors will alarm reporters and could undermine your credibility.
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These five tips will help you successfully pitch reporters and gain media coverage for your brand. Looking for more DIY PR tips? Check out our free eBook here
