How to ‘Pitch’ a Journalist

Every day, reporters and editors plow through a mountainous trash pile of press releases, blogs, emails and even tweets and Facebook status updates in search of compelling stories that will drive readership. It’s your task or your PR person’s responsibility to help make it easier for them to find and use your news. Here are a few ideas that might help you get noticed:

The right message to the right person: Scope out the publication and writer you wish to target in advance. Most editors will tell you it’s frustrating to receive press releases and pitches from people who obviously have no idea what kind of content they publish. Professional PR firms often have an account with a media research firm such as Cision or MyMediaInfo. These are companies that charge thousands of dollars a year to provide in-depth information about publications, editors and writers.

Speak the journalist’s language. In the resort industry, we typically know which publications we’d like to reach. In that case, you can research the publication’s information and familiarize yourself with their style and format. Research which individual writer or editor handles the subject you’re pitching and tailor your message directly to him or her.

Avoid inaccuracies and errors: This one seems obvious, but perhaps you’d be surprised. Many journalists say they regularly receive materials riddled with inaccuracies, typos and spelling errors. And a factual error can turn a journalist off to you and your message forever. So, tread carefully!

Grab attention: Avoid lengthy lead-ins and jump right into the ‘deep end.’ You only have one or two sentences before your target journalist moves on to the next email. So tell them exactly what’s interesting about your pitch and why it is the right topic for their readers.

Clear is the new clever: In journalism class, we used to spend hours writing snappy headlines. That might have worked for newspapers in the day, but today, the Internet has put us all on a faster treadmill. Avoid a headline that’s too generic (“Major Announcement  From Acme Resort”) or full of industry jargon (“Acme Resort’s Sampler Program Ideal for Be-backs”). Make your headline or e-mail subject line crisp and clear.

Be a helper: You’re appealing to the journalist for their help in broadcasting your story. So help them by keeping your pitch short: one page, at most. If you have additional background material, send it as a separate press kit or include links to appropriate online sources. Suggest alternate angles for a trend piece or feature. A writer might not be able to use your first idea, but may be able to use the information in a different application.

If you’re in business today, then you have a success story to tell. It’s not impossible to get noticed; writers are always on the prowl for interesting topics. So, why not make it easy for them?