5 Steps to Perfecting Your Pitches
June 13, 2024
By: Scott Westcott
When it comes to pitching the media, think quality over quantity.
That was my top takeaway after reviewing Cision’s 2024 State of the Media report, which is built each year from surveys of journalists at a wide range of media outlets.
And it reinforces how we guide our PR clients. Rather than blanketing journalists with pitches and releases with the hope that something sticks, we have learned that you get better results when you take the time to identify your priority media targets, research what they cover, and provide more surgical outreach.
Two stats from the Cision report validate this approach:
A whopping 73% of respondents said they view a mere 0% to 25% of the pitches they receive as relevant.
When asked how PR pros can make their jobs easier, the top response (68%) was “understand my target audience and what they find relevant.”
In short, too many PR pros are wasting journalists’ precious time pitching them irrelevant stories — but those who gain a deep understanding of a journalist’s beat and areas of interest have a clear edge in getting more stories placed.
So how do you make that happen? Here are five tips:
Don’t be spammy — Disavow the thinking that the more journalists you pitch, the better chances you have of getting placements. On the contrary, you’re more than likely going to end up on the auto-delete list.
Do your research — Identify your top target outlets, and then put the time in to understand their focus and audience, as well as the specific journalists covering beats relevant to your pitches. Do a deeper dive on stories they wrote so you can customize even further, and potentially mention a recent piece in your pitch if relevant.
Lead with the news — Plenty of pitches get deleted because the writer buried the lede. Think about the headline and lede you’d love to see in print and then craft a short, snappy pitch selling that story angle, followed by quick context for why the journalist and readers should care.
Give them a running start — Time strapped journalists are always looking for ways to be more efficient. Focus on writing pitches and release written in a journalistic style that a reporter can simply cut-and-paste into a story. That’s a win-win for you and the reporter.
Be fully prepared – Always pitch with the assumption that you’re going to get a bite from the journalist you’re targeting. This not only serves as motivation for what is often a challenging task, but it assures you will be ready to serve up expert sources and provide key stats and data in ways that the journalist hits their deadline and doesn’t lose interest in the story — or trust in your ability to deliver.
There’s no doubt that we’re in an increasingly tough media environment. But you can set yourself apart by becoming an expert in the outlets and journalists that offer the best opportunity for great placements.
Know what they care about, offer up succinct but useful pitches, and deliver on deadline when they express interest.
Over time that will make their life easier — and yours as well.
Download the full Cision 2024 State of the Media Report.