Public relations professionals assume a sizeable amount of responsibility. Not only do we help our clients with strategy, event planning, social media representation, and content creation but also ensuring that the messaging and integrity of their brand is consistent and properly reflected to the public. We’re on the front lines of all media relations and communications, which can naturally get cloudy. In many cases, clients hire us to land coverage to promote brand awareness, build upon their social proof and share their stories with a specific audience.
Landing great coverage isn’t simply hitting send on an email to a journalist or picking up the phone to an editor (do not recommend this). We assume that a great pitch will lead to great coverage. However, it’s usually not that easy.
Today, journalists are busier than ever and thousands of pitch emails will understandably go unread. Knowing how to effectively communicate with reporters is the only way to get your pitch to stand out, so you can get the coverage your clients want.
The Golden Rules of PR
Whenever I write a new pitch, I like to think about my four golden rules of PR. These rules keep me in check and help me create pitches that are likely to be read and responded to. So before you send your next pitch, here are some things to remember:
1. BE PERSISTENT, BUT NOT ANNOYING
PR professionals are masters in the art of follow up. It’s something that is engrained in all PR practitioners from day one of their careers. If you don’t get a response the first time, follow up with the reporter until you finally hear back.
Being persistent in your follow up is important. After all, journalists spend most of their day writing articles, not reading emails. Everyone neglects their inbox from time-to-time, and reporters are no exception. Most busy journalists would encourage you to send a follow-up email a few days after your initial message as a quick reminder.
However, being too aggressive with your follow up just comes off as annoying. Reporters don’t like to get spammed, even if you have a great story. If they’re interested in your pitch, they’ll let you know. Otherwise, follow up respectfully and move onto a new contact if they don’t respond within a week.
2. DON’T TAKE IT PERSONALLY
When it comes to media relations, “no” is a word you hear often. Some reporters won’t be interested in your story, some will be too busy to cover it, and others just won’t respond. We send dozens of pitches every day, and it’s not uncommon to only get interest from one or two people.
Of course, getting a “not interested” response can be a tough pill to swallow. When there’s pressure to secure coverage, getting denied can be a major mental setback. It's important to remember that a “no” response isn’t the end of the world. In fact, I try to look at it through a positive lens.
In reality, getting any response from a reporter is a win—even if it’s not the response you were hoping for. Getting feedback from reporters will help you make your pitch better the next time around, or help you frame the story from a different perspective. It might reveal certain aspects that are missing from your pitch, like data or a customer story.
Even though it’s difficult, try to keep an open mind to those “no” responses. Making contact with a reporter keeps the door open for other stories down the road that might be a better fit.
3. KEEP IT SHORT AND SWEET
Aside from annoying follow up, another thing that irks reporters is having to read lengthy pitch emails from PR professionals. The same goes for emails that have a generic or misleading subject line. Remember that their job is to write—not read—and the time they have to review pitches is very limited.
Keep your pitch emails as short and concise as possible, with just the most important information that the reporter needs to know. Remember that your pitch is not the time to share the entire history of the company, or mention the CEO’s accolades. Instead, focus on explaining what makes the story unique, how it relates to the reporter’s beat and why it’s relevant to the publication’s audience.
As for the subject line, keep it strong and simple. Make it compelling enough that the reporter will be intrigued and want to learn more, without using clickbait. You can also experiment with different headlines when you follow up to see which formats get the best response.
4. DO YOUR RESEARCH
My last golden rule of PR is a big one, and it often gets overlooked:
Do your research before you start pitching. Know who you’re reaching out to, and craft your pitch specifically for that person. Have an understanding of their beat, recent stories they’ve written, the style of their articles, and so on.
A reporter is much more likely to be interested in your story when they feel like it’s being designed for them. Doing a few minutes of research before sending your pitch can make a world of difference in the long run.
It’s also important to stay up-to-date on the current news cycle, which can make or break your chances of getting coverage. For instance, if there’s a timely trend that one of your clients can share a unique perspective on, that’s great leverage for a successful pitch.
But news cycles can also work against you. A good example of this is trying to pitch tech reporters around the time of major events. Let’s say your client is a tech startup that just raised a round of funding. If you’re trying to pitch the announcement around CES, don’t expect to get a response until a few weeks after the show ends.
In that case, you’re probably better off waiting until after the news cycle passes before you pitch an important announcement. When you know that reporters are busy, give them some breathing room until the regular news cycle resumes.
Final Thoughts
PR professionals shouldn’t be scared of media relations. By following the rules above, or creating your own effective strategy, you can send successful pitches and land great coverage for your clients. It just takes a bit of research and little experimentation to figure out what types of pitches resonate best with your target media.
