News Pitching Services from Media Pitchers Increase Media Awareness and Coverage of Press Releases

October 13, 2008 | 8:00 am

SANTA BARBARA, Calif., Oct. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Each business day thousands of press releases are sent out by companies eager to gain media coverage and generate valuable publicity for their product or service. Most are electronically disseminated to thousands of news outlets by press release distribution companies or "wire" services. Due to the enormous volume, one of the challenges PR professionals face is getting their releases noticed by the media. According to Todd Capps, founder of publicity firm Media Pitchers, the missing element of these efforts is direct, personal contact with editors and reporters.

"Reaching out to the people that decide what is newsworthy with reasons why they should consider covering a release is a crucial component of any results-driven public relations program," Mr. Capps commented. "Media outlets today are literally inundated with thousands of press releases a week. Without a telephone call and e-mail or fax accompanied by a professional 'pitch', most are simply passed over."

Designed to provide marketers with an effective yet affordable way to gain the media's attention, Mr. Capps said Media Pitchers enhances the impact of news releases distributed by firms such as PR Newswire, Business Wire, PRWeb and Marketwire. Unlike most public relations agencies, Media Pitchers doesn't require a monthly retainer and services are paid for on an 'as needed' basis. Customers simply open an account on the firm's website at www.MediaPitchers.com and buy live pitching by trained professionals in blocks of hours.

"To make our services affordable to any business and even modest budgets, we use a 'pay-as-you-go' model, allowing our customers to access Media Pitchers according to their specific needs," Mr. Capps commented. "Our staff reviews each release, identifies the most newsworthy elements and presents it to editors and reporters in a credible and compelling manner. It's the most logical and effective method to achieve editorial coverage."

All telephone calls, e-mails sent and other activities are captured in a detailed report and provided to each Media Pitchers client.

"Sending a press release out through a distribution service is really just the beginning of the public relations process," Mr. Capps added. "When an editor or reporter receives a telephone call and e-mail about a release, the chances of it capturing their attention and gaining real editorial coverage increases dramatically. Few organizations today have the time or resources to perform the media pitching function in-house, which is where our service comes into play."

About Media Pitchers

Based in Santa Barbara, Calif., Media Pitchers is a provider of personalized publicity services designed to maximize media coverage of press releases through direct contact with editors, reporters, bloggers and freelance writers. For more information, visit www.MediaPitchers.com.