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Properly pitching journalists is a subtle art, especially in our rapidly changing media landscape. So how can communicators use these shifts to their advantage in their pitching strategy, instead of getting lost in the shuffle? Here are some tactics top communicators use to make sure journalists not only see their pitches, but want to write about their brands’ stories.

Though email and social media pitching is a cornerstone of public relations, sometimes it can feel impersonal, especially if you’re sending out dozens of pitches and hearing nothing back from inundated journalists. But what if you could meet these reporters offline, and get to know them as real people? Then your emails would no longer be lost in an overcrowded inbox, but instead move to the top of the list.

In today’s oversaturated, mile-a-minute news cycle, it can feel impossible for PR professionals to get the attention of the right journalist at the right news outlet at the right time for their brand. But though there are certainly no foolproof formulas to hit the jackpot every time, you can increase the chances of your pitch getting noticed with some tried-and-true methods from communications experts like Scott Dobroski, senior director of corporate communications at Glassdoor. Here’s some of his advice on how to get your email pitches noticed.

As a communicator, you can have a powerful impact on just about every corner of your organization by using the platforms, relationships and knowledge that you and your PR team are uniquely positioned to leverage.… Continued

Over the past two months, the #MeToo movement has sparked a long-overdue national conversation around sexual harassment. And now, one of the nation’s biggest companies is moving beyond talk to action. Microsoft has announced that it would end the common corporate practice of “forced arbitration,” which requires victims of sexual harassment to settle cases privately rather than through a court of law. Will other companies follow its lead?

We recently talked to Vince Wasseluk, video producer, and Clare Furman, associate marketing manager, at Klein Tools—who will be speaking about their video strategy and production tactics at the Video Boot Camp, Dec. 6 in D.C.—about what metrics they bring to senior leaders to prove their successes and earn more video budget.

The infrastructure renewal plan for New York’s Penn Station could’ve been a PR nightmare for Amtrak, which owns the station. But after the work was completed and service resumed as usual in early September, commuters seemed to come through the other side unscathed. Amtrak’s communications team can claim some of the credit for that success.

The role of a communications pro has drastically changed. Now, all communications strategies need to be integrated with a mix of paid, earned, social/shared and owned media. We recently talked to Anna Ruth Williams, founder and CEO of ARPR—who will be speaking about PESO at the upcoming PR News Media Relations Conference— about how smaller brands with a communications “team” of just one person can optimize every letter of PESO to effectively spread their message.

When Facebook’s Sheryl Sandberg took a trip to DC last week to assure politicians that Facebook was taking serious the claims about Russian meddling in our elections, it was referred to as a “PR Blitz”… Continued

As PR practitioners, it’s easy to forget the multitude of ways that other fields—such as social media and influencer marketing—can improve and enhance other core aspects of the job, such as media relations. Social media can offer a treasure trove of stories because it brings you closer to those who are using and loving your product. And influencers can also make for great brand ambassadors on platforms other than social media. Here are three ways you can mine these areas to take your storytelling to the next level.