I’ll admit it: This isn’t much of an “original” post. You and I have both read plenty of articles focused on the fine art of story pitching. Some experts emphasize the importance of the subject line; others stress a strong hook to capture interest. Some focus on length; others focus on content.
In my experience, there are countless ways to write a strong pitch—and possibly even more ways to mess it up. While this post is far from my personal Pitching Manifesto, I have put together below some definite factors that will ensure your email finds the trash bin.
1. Too Long
I think we can all agree that when it comes to pitching, brevity is preferred. This is certainly true when you consider what a journalist’s inbox must look like, but I like to keep my pitches short for a different reason. If you, as a PR practitioner, can’t explain the story concisely, you probably don’t understand the story well enough. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had the pleasure of pitching complex topics (cough::technology::cough), but it’s still important to explain the angle crisply so the journalist can envision the story instantly. Unfortunately, I cannot provide an “ideal length” because every story is different, but if the reporter needs to scroll down to read the entire message, it’s probably too long.
2. Wrong Person
This part requires thorough research and ongoing consideration. It’s a pretty terrible feeling when you receive a reply from a pitch (Reaction: “YES!”), only to have it read, “Not my beat.” (Reaction: “NO!”) Hopefully, you’re following your client’s industry well enough to know the right contact immediately, but if you are starting from scratch, don’t skimp on media list research. In fact, I like to find a few contacts at each outlet that I feel might be interested, then approach each sequentially. Just because your first choice isn’t into your pitch doesn’t mean it’s a bad story. And if you do receive an official rejection, you at least have opened up communication. Now ask who the right person is!
3. Weak Angle
Not all story angles are created equal. In the event that you’re tasked with pitching a story that in your estimation feels “weak,” your first option should be to talk to the client. Constantly bringing reporters sub-par pitches only damages your ability to secure future placements, and as your client’s partner, it’s absolutely acceptable to let them know the story isn’t what it needs to be. If that option doesn’t exist, I like to see if I can take my client’s angle and make it larger. Instead of a story narrowly focused on my client alone, can I pitch the industry as a whole, with my client as one of the companies profiled in the piece? Is there a larger trend that my smaller angle supports? Can we piggyback something that is more newsworthy? It’s not easy to do—and it won’t always work—but if you’re given a lemon, make lemonade.
4. Not Enough Meat
In my opinion, the single most important factor in securing a placement is making the story easy to visualize. Put on your editor cap, and try to write the headline. Now try and imagine what else the reporter would need to write the story. Can you provide quotes, statistics, specific examples, expert sources, customer insight, etc.? If the story is online, can you provide video content for the journalist to embed? Package the story neatly, and I bet you’ll find more success in pitching.
5. Bad Timing
And then there’s the case where you have the right story, sent to the right reporter and it included all the necessary information… and you still never hear back. Trust me; it’s happened to me plenty. More often than not, this is the result of inundated inboxes, understaffed newsrooms or summer vacation schedules. Don’t let the circumstances discourage you. If you feel confident you’ve got a juicy story on your hands, then don’t stop pitching! Persistence pays off, and it’s your responsibility to exhaust all your options.