3 things to remember when "pitching" a story
One of my favorite clients doesn’t have a large marketing budget, so we focus our efforts on generating editoral coverage by pitching his story to magazines. The results have been impressive: over the past year he’s been covered in a number of local, regional and national magazines—without having purchased a single ad.
Public relations can be extremely effective but there are some things to keep in mind if you want to get results.
1. Know the publications you pitch to. Understand who their readers are. Suggest how they can use your information for their readers. For example, point out a certain section or column in which your information would fit.
2. Be helpful to the editors. Send 2-3 supporting photos (high-res), a Web site link and other information that will help them quickly assess your product or company. Get back to them immediately if they request more information or send questions.
3. Don’t be a pest. I generally track down the contact information for the editor of a specific, relevant section of a publication. They are the most likely to be interested in my client. I send a quick, polite email with my suggestion for a story that I believe would interest their readers, and offer to be their contact for anything they need.
Keep in mind that the job of an editor is not to advertise your company—it’s to inform and entertain their readers. If you focus your information this way, your chances of getting covered will definitely increase.
