Pitching is a vital part of Public Relations and includes building relationships and appeal for the benefit of the client. I came across a post called, 9 Ways to Avoid a Pitch Slap from Valley PR Blog by Dan Wool who handles corporate communications at Arizona Public Service (APS) and it describes two things that are most important in the creation of successful media pitches; consideration and customization. By being considerate and customizing attention for particular journalists they will become more receptive to pitches, which ultimately builds trust. Establishing trustworthiness among the PR community and media outlets is important to your client’s success. Although some PR practitioners might not know a lot about journalists they are pitching to it’s beneficial to consider the publication or station they work for and gauge what works best for them. Consider who the journalist is as well as what he or she likes and customize your pitch accordingly.
Wool suggests nine ways to make considerate and customized pitches:
1. It’s not about you or your client – it’s about the journalist.
2. Actually read the publication.
3. Never pitch the editor.
4. Read the journalist’s recent material.
5. One pitch per outlet.
6. Their time is short, so make your pitch short.
7. Make it exclusive.
8. Let the product/service speak for itself.
9. No form letters.
I strongly suggest visiting the blog post and reading the in-depth explanations for each idea. Wool includes good examples on how each step can be customized in a way that garners positive reactions from journalists. I think it is advantageous to understand how pitching can be made to work for you. These nine suggestions can contribute to the success of PR practitioners as well as their clients.
