Are you a small business or solopreneur who has been thinking about or contemplating the benefits of PR, but you simply don’t know where to start – and you certainly can’t afford to hire an expensive PR agency?
We’ll here’s a little secret for you – absolutely anyone can do their own PR. Yes, that’s right, even with no PR or marketing experience, you are perfectly capable of managing your own PR and generating (FREE!) media exposure for your business or brand. All you need is a little industry know-how and someone to show you how. It’s not rocket science, I promise, and it can be as simple as crafting a short, snappy email.
Here’s the other thing that might surprise you – the media is always on the look out for regular people, like you and me, to help fill their pages and shape their stories. You absolutely don’t have to be established expert with years of media experience under your belt. Sure, you need to be an expert in your field, and have insightful and interesting things to say, but everybody has to start somewhere.
So, I’m here to help you get started and share some expert tips on how best to engage the media, and to start generating publicity for your business or brand.
Below I’ve outlined my Top Seven Steps to Mastering the Media Pitch.
And if you’re wondering what a media pitch is, it’s simply the process of contacting the media and sharing your story idea.
Think about the story: The first thing you need to do is think in terms of the story. Remember this is PR, not advertising, so your pitch needs to be less about you and your product, service, or business, and more about the broader story. Of course, the idea is to weave in your business in some way, but this should be secondary to the story pitch.
Know what is newsworthy: The key to creating a newsworthy story is to first understand ‘news values’. A typical news bulletin will contain a mix of the following news values:
- New and developing
- Different, unusual, or unique
- Relevant to large numbers
- Emotive / feel good or human interest (i.e. about people)
- Celebrity or pop culture
- Controversy or conflict
So when you’re crafting your story, make sure that it meets at least a few of these news values and use this as your newsworthiness checklist.
Pitch email: Pitching the media with your story idea can be as simple as creating a well-structured email. Sure, there are more formal media materials that can and are used in PR and media relations, but the simple ‘pitch email’ is a commonly used method for pitching stories ideas to the media.
Craft a good headline: It’s important to know that the media receives hundreds of pitch emails on a daily basis, many of which get deleted or go unread. So the key to ensuring your pitch email actually gets opened and read, is to include a catchy headline or subject line that piques the media’s interest.
Keep it short and snappy: The second rule of thumb for effective media pitches is to keep the email short and to the point. Deliver your elevator pitch quickly and only include a few key paragraphs. Excess copy and lengthy paragraphs can make it difficult to read and deter the media. Simply include the key points, and if they’re interested and want more information, they can always ask.
Include key assets: Keep the email short but do provide an overview of all the assets that can help bring the story to life. These assets will depend on what the story idea is but will typically include a spokesperson (probably you), a case study (i.e. a real-life person who can help tell your story), as well as a picture opportunity. (i.e. what is the photo idea that can support the story?)
Tailored approach works best: And last but not least, whatever you do, do not send a mass blast to a large number of media contacts. They’ll know straight away and will likely delete it – because the media likes exclusive content. So instead, take a tailored approach by offering the story to one media outlet first, and then tailoring it slightly for others. And remember, offering an exclusive does not mean that you can’t pitch the story elsewhere. It simply means that you have to wait until the first media outlet has run the story, before you pitch it to any others.
That’s it! And when it comes to media relations and pitching the media, practice does make perfect. You will hone your skills over time so keep at it and don’t let a knock back deter you – the story might just not be right for that outlet, or that journalist on that particular day. Simply find another outlet and keep on pitching!
If you want to learn more about effective PR and media pitching, then take a look at The PR & Publicity Blueprint, our 6 week online PR course and media relations masterclass that will teach everything you need to know to become PR and pitching pro in no time!