
Making Your Point Known in Media Relations
When it comes to media relations the ultimate goal is to capture the reporters’ attention and secure an interview for your client. Reporters are inundated with phone calls and emails from publicists everyday and in a world where news is condensed to 140 characters or less, it is important to make your point known succinctly.
Whether it is over the phone or via email, it takes about five to 10 seconds before you lose a reporters’ interest. So how do you keep them listening or reading?
Here are some tricks of the trade to keep in mind when pitching the media.
Hook, Line & Sinker – When sending an email pitch your subject line is very important. It needs to be captivating with just enough information for the reporter to open the email. Unfortunately, there is no magic trick or secret to creating the perfect subject line – just trial and error.
What’s the News – Just because your client is opening a new store in Chicago doesn’t make this news to a reporter. What makes this news is the number of jobs this will create and what this means for the local economy. Keep this in mind when writing new pitches. Ask yourself, what is the news.
Reinvent the Trend – “Did you know that frozen yogurt is so passé and designer ice cream is taking center stage.” If your client is offering something unique such as a custom flavor ice cream shop than your client is leading the charge on a new trend in desserts.
VIP Treatment – Offer an exclusive and let them know that you wanted to share this news with them first. Reporters like to feel as if they are special and that this pitch was made specifically for them.
Stop Trying So Hard – Sometimes it is not necessary to go in with a ‘hard pitch.’ There is no harm in calling a reporter and making an introduction. This is the perfect opportunity to see what type of stories they are working on and how your clients could be of use to them.
Media relations are an important part of PR. Securing coverage and interviews are what keep clients happy. Remember to be concise and get to the point.