The recent growth of social media has many
public relations professionals like myself
wondering what the best approach is for
pitching story ideas to the media. Do you
send an email pitch and post it on Twitter?
What if the reporter you want to pitch is not
on Twitter? What is the best PR approach?
Some rules new, others old
While you'd think this issue would be
discussed at various seminars and in numerous
articles, I haven't found that to be true.
That's why I'm on a quest to uncover this
myself. And what I've found is that while
there are new rules, some of the old rules
apply too.
Fewer journalists
This is particularly important not only
because of the growth of social media, but
also because there are fewer journalists
these days and they are busier than ever and
don't have much time.
That's why I found an article in Bulldog
Reporter's Daily Dog "Journalists Speak Out"
section by Jim Bucci so interesting. It
helped to clarify these questions for me and
perhaps for you also?
Repackage pitches
According to Bill Daley, food and wine critic
for the Chicago Tribune, "pitches need to be
adaptable to multiple platforms."
For example, Daley explains that he once took
research for one story and repackaged it
seven ways for the different media types.
"Pitches have to be focused and laser sharp.
Fewer journalists mean fewer of us doing more
things," he explains.
Tips for scoring coverage
Additional tips for scoring multiple hits per
pitch include the following:
- Promote by using social media tools, but
pitch media by email
- Highlight pocketbook issues and trend
angles
- Personalize the pitch for your best shot
at coverage success
And last, but not least, keep pitches quick
and concise!
