Mistakes. We all make them. Procrastinating until the last minute. Guilty.
Watching entirely too many puppy videos. Yup.
Second lunch. Just me?
But a mistake with your pitch could cost you the coveted placement. Here are four tips to help you avoid making a mistake and help you land that earned media coverage.
- Personalize your pitch.
Do your homework. Read a few articles from the reporter you’re pitching. Check out their social media pages. Pro Tip: find an image of the reporter you’re emailing. When you put a face with the name, it’s much easier to add a human element to what you are saying, and your chance of receiving a response increases dramatically when you sound less like a robot.
- Avoid the “soft language.”
If you don’t know what I’m talking about, take a look at this article. Channel your inner Ernest Hemingway. Stop right clicking and looking up synonyms for commonly used words and start writing tight.
- Scrub the media list.
You’ve just written a killer pitch, and now it’s time to hit send. The last thing you want to do is blast this out to the wrong reporter. Quantity is not quality. Take some time to review your media list. Does the targeted reporter even cover your pitch topic? If not, find a reporter who does. You could have a stellar pitch, but if you send it to the wrong person, you’re sending it to the inbox graveyard.
- Timing is everything.
Timeliness is just as important as the pitch itself. It doesn’t matter how amazing your pitch is if it’s poorly timed. Consider the person on the receiving end. Did you allow the reporter enough time cover the topic and make their deadline? Is this the right day to send your pitch? Or even more important, is it the right time of day? Your consideration of another’s time could be what helps land you the coverage you’re after.
Need help crafting a pitch or building a media plan for your organization? Contact Lucie Pathmann today, and we’d be happy to chat with you.
