pitching journalists

3 ways to customize a pitch to journalists & get a “yes!”

8/18/2011 By Joan 2 Comments

The next time you pitch a journalist, will he read your pitch and know that you know who he is, what he covers, and why his audience should care about your story?

He will if you customize it.

That means sending a pitch that you can’t send to any other journalist because it’s unique to his media outlet, his beat or his audience. Those kinds of pitches prompt a journalist to think, “This is perfect for us!”

During the webinar I’m hosting at 3 p.m. Eastern Time today, Aug. 18, on “A Simple 5-Part Formula for Delivering the Perfect Media Pitch and Hitting it Out of the Park,” I’ll discuss how to customize a pitch. Here are three approaches:

Piggyback off a previous story the media outlet covered and pitch it as a “follow up.” That’s media lingo, and it will attract his attention. I gave an example in this post I wrote earlier this week about a candy shop in a mall.
Pitch a story idea for a specific section of his newspaper, a specific department in his magazine, or a certain portion of a radio show. Example: “This story is a perfect fit for the Consumer News Round-up segment of your show.”)
Pitch a story that appeals to a personal hobby or interest that ties into his beat. Let’s say you sell decorative corks and stoppers for wine bottles, and you’re pitching the food and wine editor of a magazine. His Twitter profile mentions he’s a wine collector. You could add this to your pitch: “Your wine collection will be as pleasing to the eye as it is to the pallet with a selection of wine stoppers from whimsical to elegant.”

Today’s webinar also includes handouts that explain how to customize the same pitch for three different media outlets, 27 story ideas you can pitch when the idea well is dry, and examples of great pitches that have generated mountains of publicity.

If the time is inconvenient, register anyway because I’ll send you the link for the page where you can download the video replay, the handouts, and all the other materials.

You can also sign up after the webinar is over and you’ll be led to the download page.

Pitch Patch.com for new series on the American Dream

8/16/2011 By Joan Leave a Comment

Patch.com, the uber-local news site that operates in more than 800 communities throughout the U.S., wants to hear your story ideas for a new series called ”Dispatches: The Changing American Dream.”

Stories will run occasionally and will focus on how residents and businesses are dealing with issues such as lack of jobs, foreclosures and debt.

“We don’t think there’s one American Dream, but a multitude of American Dreams which a multitude of people are working toward. Looking out across the country, we see businesses holding their breath deciding whether to expand; college graduates returning home because they can’t find jobs; and senior citizens bringing boarders into their homes to help pay their bills.”

For example, today, my local Patch for Port Washington/Saukville, Wisconsin included a story on the handful of new businesses that have sprung up in downtown Port Washington, a small town of about 10,000 residents, despite the flat commercial real estate market throughout the country. But Patch doesn’t only want business-related stories. It sounds like they’re open to ideas from the nonprofit and government sectors, too.

“But we also see bold new volunteer efforts, inspiring stories of local businesses that succeed because they innovated, and locals who’ve taken these trying times as a signal to engage more, not less, in their government.”

How to Pitch

Pitching Patch is easy because editors will be far more receptive to your ideas than editors at traditional media outlets like local newspapers and magazines.

Go to the Patch site and click on one of these 22 states: California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin. A window will open and show you the communities within that state where it has websites. Click on your community and you’ll find the editor’s name and a link to the email address at the top.

I’ve written here about several ways to pitch the Patch editors. If your story is also ideal for traditional media, bloggers and other new media, but you feel uncomfortable pitching, or your current pitches don’t bring results, join me on Thursday, Aug. 18, for a 90-minute webinar on “A Simple 5-Part Formula for Delivering the Perfect Media Pitch and Hitting it Out of the Park” from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time. Can’t make it because of a previous commitment? Register anyway and you’ll receive the video replay and other materials within 72 hours.

You can use my formula as a cheat sheet every time you pitch. And I’ll give you 27 story angles you can steal on days when the idea well is dry.

Have you pitched Patch? If so, what was the result? Share your tips here.

Filed Under: Blogs, Pitching the Media, The Local Angle Tagged With: american dream, community news, local news, patch.com, pitching journalists, pitching patch

Pitching journalists? How to avoid ‘spraying & praying’

8/12/2011 By Joan 5 Comments

Raise your hand if you’ve done this: You’ve sent an identical pitch to several journalists.

In PR circles, that’s called the “spray and pray” technique. You might even spray it to dozens, perhaps even hundreds, of journalists. And then you pray that somebody will bite.

They almost never do. Here’s why:

Because it isn’t personalized, journalists can tell instantly that it’s a one-size-fits-all pitch. There’s nothing special about it for their media outlet. You’re feeding them from the same trough as all the other journalists. When I worked as an editor, people pitched stories to me that had absolutely nothing to do with our geographic area or our readers.

If you won’t bother to find out about the outlet you’re pitching

and the reporter whom you’re asking to write the story,

why should they bother covering you?????

The next time you pitch a journalist, your pitch should send the following message:

I know who you are.

I know what you cover.

I’m familiar with your media outlet.

I know your audience and what they need

I can solve their problem (or I can entertain them)

How do you let them know that without coming right out and saying it?

One way is by researching the journalist and looking for clues about things they think are important. Another is crafting the pitch in such a way that it sounds like it was written only for them.

Learn More Aug. 18

When I worked as a newspaper reporter and editor for more than two decades, I accepted and rejected thousands of story ideas. I’ll show you all the elements that go into a perfect pitch when I host the webinar A Simple 5-Part Formula for Delivering the Perfect Media Pitch and Hitting it Out of the Park from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time on Thursday, Aug. 18.

I’ll explain the missing step that trips up most people. And I’ll give you lots of story ideas and angles that may never have occurred to you.

Your handouts will include a list of all story ideas and a few sample pitches that really caught journalists’ attention.

Filed Under: Pitching the Media Tagged With: pitching journalists, research journalists, spray and pray, story angles, story ideas

7 phrases journalists hate hearing when you pitch

7/18/2011 By Joan 9 Comments

The next time you pitch a journalist, remember that what you don’t say is just as important that what you say.

Mickie Kennedy of eReleases.com explains why journalists hate hearing these three phrases:

1. “Never seen anything like this.”

2. “When can we expect this to go up?”

3. ”I know this isn’t your area, but…”

They’re good ones, Mickie, but that’s just a start. I’m a former journalist, and I also hated hearing these five other phrases when people pitched me or after I interviewed them:

4. “Can you send me 10 copies of the article as soon as it’s printed?”

No, I can’t. I’m not a clerk. I’m a reporter. And I’m too busy. If you want copies, buy them yourself by calling our circulation department. (See “What to Do When You Can’t Get Reprint Rights.”)

5. “Can you let me know as soon as the article is printed?

Nope, can’t do that either, for the reasons mentioned above. Either hire someone to pay attention to the paper, or do it yourself.

6. ”If I give you a good tip and you write the story, can you promise me you’ll give it good play?”

No. Reporters don’t decide where stories appear in newspapers or magazines. That’s an editor’s job.

7. ”Can you please not use my name?”

Why didn’t you tell me that 20 minutes ago when we started the interview? Technically, since you were talking to me on the record, I have every right to use your name.

But you’re such a pain in the neck, and you’ll probably raise such a stink after the story is printed along with your name, that I’d rather just not use your comments. Instead, I’ll simply make a mental note never to talk to you again. In other words, I’m blacklisting you.

Now that you know what not to say, here are magic phrases the media LOVE hearing.

What phrases can you add to this? Do you keep any magic phrases in your pocket and use them with success?

Are you a journalist or blogger who hates other phrases that Mickie and I haven’t mentioned?

Filed Under: How to Interview, Magazine Publicity, Newspaper Publicity Tagged With: newspaper publicity, pitching journalists, reprint rights, working with reporters

10 magic phrases journalists and bloggers LOVE

5/4/2011 By Joan 8 Comments

When you’re pitching the media, don’t spend all your time crafting your pitch.

Think about how to weave what I call the “10 Magic Phrases” into a telephone conversation, email interview or face-to-face chat with journalists and bloggers. I’ve printed the questions on handy notepads and I use them whenever a reporter calls, or when I contact a journalist or blogger.

You could also use some of these questions when a journalist or blogger calls you for an interview, but you’re not an appropriate source. If you can help them, even if you won’t be quoted, you’ll make a good impression, and they’ll remember you.


The 10 Magic Phrases:

1. “Is this a good time to talk?”

Asking this question shows you’re considerate of their deadlines. If it’s not a good time, they’ll tell you. Ask when you can call back, and follow their directions to the letter.

2. ”Do you need other sources for this story (or blog post)?”

The more you can help a journalist or blogger find people to interview, the more they will view you as a valuable source. Be ready with two or three other sources, including contact information, you can offer them. Make certain, however, that those people agree to be interviewed.

3. “What other information do you need?”

Sometimes journalists and bloggers might not need more sources. They might need statistics, the definition of a word or phrase used in your industry, White Papers or research on a certain topic, or other data to round out their article or blog post. If you can provide it, you become an even more valuable source.

4. “How can I help you”?

Almost nobody asks this qusetion. Most people who pitch journalists and bloggers are too busy delivering their pitch. Asking “How can I help you?” is often an excellent way to start a relationship with someone who you want to eventually use you as a source. When they start talking, listen!


5. “Would you like my press kit?”

Your press kit should include information that many journalists and bloggers can access, without spending valuable interview time acquiring it.

Things like a short and long version of your bio, facts about your industry or company, frequently asked questions, links where they can follow you on the social media sites, and a place where they can download photos like your professional head shot and photos of your products will go a long way toward ensuring accuracy.

Offer the link to your online press kit. Never, ever send hard-copy press kits to journalists or bloggers without asking their permission.

6. “I can provide a (map, pie chart, illustration or other graphic).”

Graphics are sometimes an afterthought, particularly among beginning journalists and bloggers. The best time to offer this is immediately after an interview. You might have a map that shows people how to get to your event. Or a pie chart that helps people better understand a complicated topic. Or a graphic that would really dress up a long article.

Make sure these are available in whatever format the journalist or blogger requests.


7. “Are you looking for photo ideas?”

Photos, too, are sometimes an afterthought.  If you can save a journalists or blogger time tracking down photos, you’ve scored even more points.

Smaller publications, like weekly newspapers that have limited photo staffs, will sometimes publish photos you’ve taken. My ebook, How to Use Photos & Graphics in Your Publicity Campaign, explains everything you need to know on how to take great photos and share them with your media contacts.

Gina Spadafori, who has been writing primarily about pets and their care for almost 30 years as a syndicated columnist and author, has told me she’s had problems finding good publicity photos to fill a small hole on a page. “The availability of high-quality, high-resolution art can tip a ‘maybe’ item into the ‘yes’ category,” she says.

8. “Please call on me if you need anything. I am also an expert on…”

Your media contacts will appreciate knowing about your various areas of expertise. If a business blogger is interviewing you because you’re an expert on the economy, it doesn’t hurt to also let her know that you’re a wine collector.

Why would she care? She might not. But if she knows a wine blogger, she might be happy to pass along your contact information.

9. “May I call you in three months with other story ideas?”

Even though journalists claim they hate it when people follow-up, what they really means is that they hate it when pests follow up. They love it when helpful sources call them again with other story ideas, tips, leads and helpful suggestions.

If they give you permission to call again, say in three months, when you contact the reporter, say, “We agreed that I’d call you this week. You might want to know that…”

10. “What’s the best time to call you?”

Some journalists and bloggers welcome phone calls from sources they know will share valuable information. So it never hurts to ask this question. Find out when they’re on deadline, or whether they prefer calls during a certain window of time during the day or evening.

Keep Notepads Close By

Keep my notepads next to your telephone, and be ready when a reporter, editor or blogger calls. Or tuck them into a briefcase. If you meet a journalist or blogger at, say, a convention, don’t be embarrassed to pull it out and start using the magic phrases.

You can read about order the “10 Magic Phrases” notepads here and read about eight gaffes to avoid when dealing with journalists.

What other magic phrases would you add to this list?