[Editor’s Note: A pair of crowdsourced suggestions led to this story. Jessika Parry, account associate, Next Step Communications, suggested a story about pitching press with social media “without coming off as a pest.” Ciandra Jackson, communications manager, Tri County Health Department, suggested a story about “effective proactive media relations.” We asked media relations pro Myra Opell, regional communications VP, Pepco Holdings Inc., to respond.]
Before you can successfully pitch stories, you have to know how, when and to whom you should pitch them. The first step is to build a relationship with members of the media; you must learn what they want, how they want to receive it and when they need it.
Once you have that information, you can reach out proactively and be seen as a valued source instead of a pest. Below are a few tips that can enhance your proactive media relations:
1. Get to know reporters. Talk to the journalists who cover your industry. Introduce yourself; tell them what your organization does, what you do and provide contact info so they can reliably reach you at any time; and always take their calls, even after hours. Ask what they regularly cover. This is important so you can make sure that you’re reaching out to the right person. Stay in touch so you are up to date on who covers what, especially in newsrooms with revolving doors and general assignment beats. The above is basic, but ask a reporter about this. You’ll be amazed at how often many obvious tactics are done badly or ignored.
2. Know and meet reporter deadlines. Reporters for different mediums have various deadlines and different needs. If you’re pitching a breaking, hard news story, call reporters as soon as possible and assume everyone wants to get something online immediately. For more in-depth or feature pitches, know when reporters might be taking calls or checking email and when to leave them alone because they’re busy on deadline. Print reporters have traditional press deadlines of late afternoon for full stories. Broadcast reporters need time to put together packages before morning drive, noon, early evening and late-evening shows. Never try to pitch a story, any story, when you know reporters are crunching on deadline or just before they go on air.
3. Remember news cycles. The time of day and day of the week you pitch something alone can determine if your story will be published. Monday mornings generally find newsrooms looking to map out coverage for the week. Sometimes weekend staffs are scrounging for interesting stories. Avoid Friday afternoons because everyone is working on weekend packages. Also think about whether your pitch falls in the coverage cycle of a hot issue. Your reporter may need a new angle, and your idea could fill that. Also keep in mind that other stories can overshadow yours. Don’t try to compete with huge breaking news items or steal your own thunder by pitching overlapping stories.
4. Ask for preferred delivery methods. Email, social media, wire releases, phone calls all seem legit. Yet some reporters never check email, a few have full voice mailboxes, others surf social media and barely touch their office phone and email. Find out what each wants and tailor pitches just for them. If you can’t reach them, you can’t pitch them. However you pitch, you can maximize your odds of your idea being picked up if it creates a social buzz reporters can’t ignore, even if they passed on it at first.
5. Pitch real news or solid ideas only. Don’t get a reputation for being lame. If you pitch two or three duds in a row, chances are you won’t be able to get another chance. Reporters rarely open all emails, but those from some senders they open always. Develop a reputation as a reliable source with good ideas and you’ll succeed.
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This article originally appeared in the Sept. 28, 2015 issue of PR News. Read more subscriber-only content by becoming a PR News subscriber today.