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| Daisy Cabrera |
When a media pitch doesn’t land, it’s time to stop wasting time. Take a step back (or several) and take a deep dive to pivot your pitch. It can be the difference between crickets and coverage.
Consider the following as you review your pitch:
Is your pitch’s subject line strong? And is the news hook summarized at the top?
- Journalists receive tons of pitches daily and don’t have the time to open and read through every single one. You can only engage media with an engaging pitch - which will make or break your placement chances.
- Send 1:1 emails - never mass emails. Ensure your subject line is targeted and relevant to the journalist’s interests. And, the news hook needs to clearly summarize the story’s newsworthiness in one to two tight sentences.
- Tip: Be a newshound, and newsjack the topic of the moment when possible.
Is your pitch better suited for short- or long-lead media?
- If your news is timely (i.e. a campaign launch, breaking news, an event happening next weekend, seasonal trends, etc.) then it’s better suited for short-leads since their lead times are 1 day - 4 weeks in advance.
- If your news is evergreen (i.e. a profile piece, upcoming seasonal trend, in-depth feature, etc.) then it’s better suited for long-leads since their lead times are 3 - 6 months in advance.
- Tip: Become BFFs with editorial calendars.
Is your pitch ready for “lights, camera, action”?
- “Show, don’t tell” is key to pitching broadcast TV. Your story must have a strong visual component that brings it to life. Paint a masterpiece!
- Whether it’s live, taped, or live-to-tape - offer stations visuals such as on-camera interviews, on-site filming, behind-the-scenes footage, and even dynamic graphics.
- Tip: Lead with the visual hook, and detail all visuals available.
Is your pitch targeting morning or evening shows?
- Typically, morning shows are lighter, upbeat and consumer lifestyle-focused. They tend to focus on feel-good, inspiring human interest content. Think entertainment, local events, emotional stories, wellness tips, beauty trends, etc.
- On the flip side, evening shows hit harder news, urgent topics and top headlines. They tend to focus on more serious issues, investigative journalism and breaking news. Think product recalls, consumer alerts, major events, government updates, etc.
- Tip: Pitch evening shows immediately, and morning shows just a few weeks in advance.
Is your pitch relevant to local or national media?
- National media looks for stories that make sense nationwide, since their audience spans the country (i.e. Seattle to Syracuse to South Beach to San Diego!) Pitches that resonate speak to a broad audience, detail a big picture, provide breakthrough ideas, offer up big names and more.
- Although they do cover national stories, local media mostly loves local love. So, being hyper-focused on their backyard wins the day. Local story angles zoom into stories affecting their communities and highlight leading voices, small businesses, health issues, neighborhood events and more.
- Tip: Offer national media high-level exclusives, and local sources to local media.
Is your pitch something that can be tailored to niche outlets?
- Niche media is very specific, and your pitch must match this energy. While this type of media may have smaller audiences, their captive audiences are captivated by stories that speak directly to them.
- What’s the story behind your story? Uncover your pitch’s potential, and find its hidden gems - whether there’s a beauty, food, multicultural, arts or even industry trade news hook.
- Naturally, tailor the angle to the audience and "speak their speak" - so to speak. Keep in mind that niche editors sometimes cover various beats.
- Tip: Each beat will have its own rhythm, so fine-tune your pitch to hit the right notes.
Is your pitch supported with stats?
- Facts and figures are your friends, and essential to elevating your pitch. They add a sense of urgency to your news. Otherwise, you may not be proving your story’s newsworthiness.
- Keep statistics current, impactful and reputably sourced by a credible organization. These are the sharpest tools in your pitching toolbox, add muscle power to your pitch and ultimately help journalists with their reporting. Talk about a storytelling win/win.
- Tip: Share live links to cited sources and reference points.
Last but not least, go beyond the “don’ts” (i.e. burying the lead, using a promotional tone, rambling endlessly, sending BCC e-blasts, following-up over and over, etc.) Focus on the main “do” - personalize your pitch. After all, media relations is all about cultivating and nurturing media relationships.
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Daisy Cabrera is a seasoned bilingual (English/Spanish) brand and corporate communications consultant with over 25 years in public relations, mainstream and multicultural media relations, crisis communications, event management, influencer partnerships, content creation, and team leadership experience.
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