As we recently mentioned, we're dedicated to helping you work all aspects of your PR business. One key area, too often overlooked in formal training programs is story pitching. That's why we've started the periodic series we're now calling "Pitching University."
One of the biggest dilemmas is deciding when to pitch an idea to just one media outlet as an exclusive, versus pitching to all media on your contact list, including competitors. Even though there are no hard and fast rules, Joan Stewart recommends these 7 tips to help guide you.
- It's generally best to avoid pitching exclusives. Rather, suggest different angles of the same story to different media outlets. For example, if you're publicizing an event, suggest a food angle to the food columnist at your local metropolitan newspaper. Pitch a story about how your event affects tourism and the business community to the local business journal. Pitch a profile story about one of the organizers of the event to the local weekly newspaper in the community where that person lives. Let the media know you are pitching different angles so they understand they all won't have the same story.
|
|
- Agree to an exclusive only if the reporter asks for it, you know and trust the reporter, and the media outlet is your Number One choice for placement. Or offer an exclusive if you want the story covered by a particular reporter who you know will do an outstanding job on the story. If offering an exclusive, ask the reporter when you can expect to see the story in print or on the air. The danger in offering an exclusive, or agreeing to one, is having a reporter sit on the story for weeks. So insist on a guarantee.
- Don't pitch anything as an exclusive if it's time-sensitive, or if you need to reach the greatest number of people possible.
- If you're trying to strengthen a relationship with a reporter at a particular media outlet, or a certain reporter once did you a favor and it's your turn to reciprocate, offering an exclusive on something like a feature story will win you points. But make sure that you also offer an occasional exclusive to other competitors, or it will look like you are playing favorites. The media understand that sometimes they will get an exclusive, and sometimes they won't.
- If you have a story that you want placed in a weekly business journal as well as the business section of your local metropolitan newspaper, it's usually best to pitch the business journal first. That's because the story will have a longer shelf life. And business journals always want exclusivity. Metro newspapers typically follow stories they see in business journals. But business journals rarely follow stories they see in the metros.
- When pitching TV stations in the same market, it's OK to pitch them all because they aren't as concerned with exclusivity as print media.
- If you're trying to get yourself or your client booked on a radio talk show, either local or national, pitch them all at once.
If you need more help pitching, you'll find hundreds of tips in these powerful pitching resources:
1. "Secrets of Perfect Pitching To Reporters" - a must-have for everyone concerned with pitching to reporters. Tele-seminar audio tape or CD, available here for just $29.95.
2. eBook: Public Relations Disasters - A Dozen Press Releases From Hell and How to Fix Them (It sounds like it's about press releases, but there's 12 great examples of story pitches in this eBook)
3. Special Report: How to Pitch Reporters Over the Telephone and Make Every Second Count
4. Special Report: How to Make Your Story Pitch Stand Out in the Email Jungle
5. Special Report: How to Write the Perfect Pitch Letter that Convinces an Editor to Write About You
Like this article? Then Digg
It
or add it to your Del.icio.us Bookmarks!
TrackBack
TrackBack
URL for this entry:
http://101publicrelations.com/cgi-bin/mt-tb.cgi/199
Public Relations and Publicity Blog
What's It Costing You NOT To Do It? »
