I recently read an article by PR Daily about the role of traditional media and how pitching traditional media is more challenging due to the economy and a hyper-community focus. I think that is absolutely the case. Newspapers are understaffed. As someone who pitches traditional media daily, I have to consider my approach more than ever before. It takes more time, research and creativity. For example, it’s more important to have a community tie-in for your news/campaign. It’s also essential to know why you are pitching and how that is relevant to the media you are pitching. Here are some tips I use when pitching traditional media:
- Think Through Your Pitch – That might seem simple but if you don’t know how your story/campaign relates to the community of the media you’re pitching, you decrease your chances of getting coverage with that media. You can use awareness days/months to help with this.
- Research the Media You’re Pitching – Does this take more time? Yes. Is it worth it? Absolutely. You’ll lose credibility when you pitch to a reporter that doesn’t cover those kinds of stories. Google and LinkedIn are your friends here.
- Try, Try, Again – Use discretion but don’t be afraid to come at the story with a different angle if you get turned down the first time. Don’t be afraid to restructure your pitch and re-approach … just don’t be annoying and don’t waste someone’s time.
Thoughts?