Pitching is like a puzzle. There are several pieces that must come together to create a great pitch. Creating the perfect pitch can be difficult; it takes time, research and flexibility to execute a successful PR strategy. Many reporters receive hundreds of pitches a day, so how can you make sure your pitch grabs their attention? Here are five tips to enhance your pitching strategy.

Establish Relationships

One of the best tactics to ensure reporters are reading your pitches is by establishing a relationship with them. Take the time to understand their beat, target audience and how you can help make their job easier. A relationship can only go so far via email; if possible, invite a journalist you have been working with for coffee or drinks, this face-to-face interaction is key to relationship growth.

Craft a Quality Media List

There is nothing worse than pitching a reporter irrelevant content. To avoid pitching content to the wrong contact, do your research and develop a targeted media list. Verify which topics they cover, target audience, stories they have previously covered etc. It is also crucial to keep your media lists up-to-date, as media contacts are constantly changing.

Don’t Send an Email Blast

Email blasts are a thing of the past. Although they are an efficient method of pitching, they are not always the most effective. Take the time to put together a targeted media list and draft a personalized pitch. Reporters can tell the difference between an email blast and a personalized pitch - take the time to target reporters and customize your pitch, this will also help in establishing your media relationships.

Newsworthy Content

It’s important that your pitches always contain newsworthy content and are relevant to the reporter you are pitching. Make sure you are providing the reporter with unique, factual and relevant information that urges them to cover your story. As a PR pro, it’s your job to always be in the know with breaking and trending news.

Know When to Follow Up

Reporters receive a plethora of emails a day; be respectful of their time and don’t bombard them with follow up emails if they do not immediately respond to your pitch. Give the reporter at least a couple of days to respond, then follow up with a concise email and reiterate why the story would be appealing to the outlet’s target audience.

At Serendipit Consulting, we take pride in the credibility and trust we hold with major news organizations in the world of online, print, broadcast and radio media vehicles. Give us a call today (602) 283-5209 and discover how to effectively reach journalists, bloggers, reporters and producers.