With reporters receiving 250 pitches a day and a non-stop news cycle, it’s easy for even the most well-crafted pitch to get overlooked.
Here are tips to help your next pitch get read – and get a call back or an email.
1. Make it Relevant: Before you begin writing, conduct background research on the reporter and the news outlet. Who is their intended audience and what information would be relevant to them? Has this reporter covered similar stories? If so, how does this story you are pitching differ from others? Use this information to make your pitch more relevant.
When pitching a reporter about a subject matter expert (SME), include background information about the expert to show why they are connected to the upcoming story. Include links to recent work and interviews. If the expert has been quoted by the reporter’s colleagues, say so! This shows that this SME is credible.
2. Find an Upcoming News Hook: Anticipate events that will happen and pitch the reporter ahead of time —not the day of. How early should you pitch? Depends on the story. For example, a Thanksgiving-related story should be pitched in late Summer-early Fall but a story about New Year’s resolutions should wait until closer to the holiday. Pitching too early can be an easy route to the deleted folder.
3. Formatting is Key: Reporters are very busy and don’t have the time to read through long emails. Help your email pop by putting “PITCH:” or “STORY IDEA:” or even “EXCLUSIVE:” in the subject line, followed by a few words describing the pitch. Instantly, the reporter will know what the email is about. Once they’ve opened the email, formatting is key. As we say at CommCore, Get to the Point! Pitches should be short, concise and no more than four paragraphs.
4. Make the Most of Press Releases: Many communications professionals have a tendency to send press releases to reporters as email attachments. However, with the rise of phishing and malware, many newsrooms are banning email attachments all together. Pull out the most critical information from the press release and turn it into a brief paragraph or a few bullet points to be included in the body of the email with the full release below it. By pulling out the most applicable information you can ensure that the reporter is seeing your pitch and your email isn’t being blocked by IT. Lastly, make it visual! Embed photos and videos within the press release or provide links to both to excite the reporter and pique their interest in the story.
5. Pitch the Reporter not the Editor: While it may be tempting to pitch someone higher up on the masthead, don’t. Reporters are experts on their beats and know what would make for a good story. Reporters are reading as much as they are writing. They are the ones responsible for doing their own research and bringing story ideas to their editors.
6. Offer an Exclusive…but with an Expiration: When pitching an exclusive interview, put an expiration date and time in the body of the email. That way, if the reporter doesn’t respond by the deadline, you’ll know they passed on the story and you still have the opportunity to pitch the exclusive to another reporter.
7. Build a Relationship: Mention recent stories the reporter has done to show you’re familiar with their beat. This signals to the reporter that you are interested in them, the stories they cover, and that you’re looking to maintain the relationship beyond the first initial pitch.
Another way to build a connection with a reporter is to seek out events that you know they are likely to attend such as press conferences, briefings, or even local coffee shops. Introduce yourself and then send a follow up email reminding them of your meeting. Reporters are more receptive to pitches from people they know – even if they haven’t yet responded to a pitch. Next time you pitch, they’ll be able to put a face to the name.