Pitch Perfect: DIY Tips for Your Small Businesses to Get the Media Coverage You Deserve
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Pitch
Perfect:
DIY
Tips
for
Your
Small
Businesses
to
Get
the
Media
Coverage
You
Deserve
Notes
to
the
Reader
• This
was
originally
a
presentaCon
full
of
imagery.
To
make
it
usable
for
those
downloading,
we
have
modified
it
to
be
mostly
text.
• Any
quesCons,
call
Vibrance
PR
at
949.215.1630,
or
email,
inquiry@vibrancepr.com
• All
content
is
copyrighted
to
Vibrance
PR.
Kara’s
90
Percent
Rule
• 90
percent
of
what
you
read
in
a
paper
was
pitched.
• 90
percent
of
good
PR
is
preparaCon,
8
percent
is
execuCon
and
2
percent
is
luck.
• 90
percent
of
all
pitches
fail
because
of
poor
preparaCon
and
selfish
thinking.
Pitch
a
relevant
STORY,
not
your
company…
This Module Covers: • What type of informaCon is worthy of media coverage? • Which type of media outlet would my news be best for? • Finding the right media contacts • How to pitch a busy reporter • Sample pitch and pitch template • How to pitch the media (do’s and don’ts) • Handy PR Resources • DIY or Hire it Out?
The media's perception of you
Image
©
iStock
What do reporters want? • Content and context • Stories that sell • New informaCon • Relevancy • Subject macer experCse • Examples • Proof: People besides • Simplicity you, who will be • Something different interviewed on how • Controversy successful you or your product have helped • The truth them be. • Balanced enthusiasm • Relevance to their audience/readership
Answer the “so what?” question
Image
©
iStock
Everyone is Egocentric • Shocker: It’s About Them, AND World Trends, Local Happenings AND Their Readers’ Interests, Not You, Your Event, Your Business, Your Sales Flow, OR EVEN Your Ucer Coolness, UNLESS— • Their readers will come away with useful informaCon or feeling empowered. • Where are you best poised to help the harried, underpaid and overworked reporter build his readership?
Which
Type
of
Media
Outlet
Would
My
News
Be
Best
For?
• TV
–
Breaking
News,
Visual
Stories,
Events,
Heartstrings
• Online
–
Trends,
Tips,
Events,
Infographics
• Local
Newspaper
–
New
Businesses,
New
Hires,
Events,
ExecuCve
Profiles,
Growth
stories
• Trade
Magazines
–
New
Products,
New
Customers,
Trends,
Survey
Studies,
DisrupCve
Technologies
or
Processes
• Radio
–
Commentary,
ExecuCve
Profiles,
Books
Finding
the
Right
Media
Contacts
Image
©
iStock
You,
Sherlock
Holmes
1. Networking
–
Ask
your
network
for
Cps
on
which
media
to
contact
2. Read,
Watch
&
Listen
–
Subscribe
to
various
sources
of
news
related
to
your
industry
as
well
as
general
business
news
sources
in
your
community.
Capture
emails
and
numbers
of
editors
where
you
can.
3. PR
–
Consider
hiring
a
PR
professional
for
help
gekng
access
to
a
larger
media
network
Sekng
the
Stage:
How
to
Make
Your
News
More
Newsworthy
• QuesCons
to
ask
yourself—
– ”If
I
didn’t
know
me,
why
would
I
care?”
Is
this
Cmely?
is
it
a
trend?
is
there
conflict?,
Has
this
reporter
wricen
on
this
subject
and
do
I
EXTEND
that
story
enough
to
compel
another
one?
– What
is
your
“proof”
of
success?
– What
are
your
tesCmonials?
– What
are
your
stats
that
support
you?
– Why
are
you
a
credible
source,
and
someone
they
care
about
making
Cme
to
meet?
How
to
Pitch
a
Busy
Reporter
• Email
or
Phone?
–
Rule
of
thumb:
email
first,
then
follow
up
with
phone
call
in
24-‐48
hours,
but
you
can
choose
any
way.
Please
don’t
ask—
“Did
you
get
my
email?”
• TwiFer
and
Facebook—SomeCmes
the
only
way
to
reach
them,
but
read
what
your
target
reporters
say
about
pitching
individual
editors
via
this
medium
and
actually
interact
with
them
on
other
topics.
• “KISS”
Principle
–
Keep
your
email
and
phone
pitches
simple
and
to
the
point.
• Avoid
MarkePng
Preparing to Pitch • Most editors rarely answer the phone—email is best, but subject line is the clincher. • Be clear what you are asking for. MeeCng? Interview? Acend an event? Offer bylines? • 2 seconds to lose acenCon−You must offer quick, sharp value. • Web links are your friends—you must give the reporter ample opportunity to think about and find more info without wriCng a treaCse in email. • Keep important words to the les of the screen—people’s minds dris off when scanning to the right. • Bullet points are your friends. • 80-‐100 words MAX.
Sample Interview Pitch Hi, or Hey, XXXX: Since you osen write about XX industry, I wanted to let you know that XX has just les Big Company Name to head up ExciPng Start Up GeWng AFenPon. He'd love to catch up someCme on the industry if you are interested. X is a strong advocate for transparency and commercializaCon of XXX, aiding the XX Task Force in creaCng the Link to a great example of his work or success, and as a member of the XXX Metrics Task Force, which announced voluntary measurement guidelines earlier this month. ExecuCve Name can discuss: • the future of the XXX industry & how businesses can best moneCze the XXX plaworm • the potenCal of medium beyond tradiConal markets (give examples of innovaCve uses)
Simple Pitch Template • Subject Line—What will compel this reporter to open this email? • 1st line—establish reason or connecCon to his beat with company menCon and link. • Line 2-‐4: Call to acCon along with reason for urgency, interviewee credibility, or proof points that support urgency. • Line 5-‐7—any supporCng data, brief anecdotes and final call to acCon.
How to Pitch the Media – Do’s • Newsworthiness • Big picture or seasonal trends • Know the target audience • Write a succinct pitch email • Follow up
How
to
Pitch
the
Media
–
Don’ts
• Sales
pitches
• Too
many
concepts
in
one
pitch
• Long
sentences
• Boring
Ctles
• Don’t
make
stuff
up
• “revoluConary,”
“industry-‐leading,”
“groundbreaking.”
These
are
overused
and
editors
no
longer
believe
you.
Great
Resources
• HARO
(Help
a
Reporter
Out):
– Subscribe
to
daily
emails:
hcp://www.helpareporter.com/
• PRWeb
For
inexpensive,
SEO
news
releases
• PRDaily.com
• Seth
Godin
• Duct
Tape
MarkePng
DIY
or
Hire
it
Out?
The
previous
slides
where
meant
to
give
you
a
primer
on
how
to
go
it
alone.
If
you
find
that
you
do
not
have
the
Cme
to
research,
or
are
having
trouble
gekng
your
“story”
together,
you
might
need
to
consider
gekng
outside
counsel.
A
PR
consultant
or
company
does
far
more
than
pitch.
They
will
advise
you
on
the
strategic
communicaCons
of
your
company,
and
will
get
and
keep
you
pitch-‐ready.
QuesCons
to
consider:
• Is
the
business
busy
enough
that
you
can
afford
to
pay
to
create
a
consistent
communicaCons
strategy
for
you
to
get
you
up
and
running?
• Does
the
idea
of
constantly
updaCng
everything
kill
you
enough
that
you
are
willing
to
cough
up
some
cash?
• Do
you
have
event-‐driven
PR
needs
that
require
help
now?
• Are
you
going
to
a
trade
show?
• Do
you
have
a
need
to
get
naConal
or
internaConal
customers?
• Do
you
have
enough
regular
events
or
new
products
that
you
need
a
steady
stream
of
communicaCon?
Image © iStock/Photoevent
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