A media pitchis an email that tries to pique the attention of a journalist, editor, or media outlet in your story or news so they will cover it. It's sent through email to a journalist or editor of a newspaper, magazine, or blog to pique their interest in the subject and ask if they'd like to write about it.

This isn't a piece about the advantages of pitching your company to the media. It's a comprehensive guide to pitching best practices that will help you succeed.

Check To See If Your Story Is Noteworthy

Before you even consider pitching the media, ask yourself these two questions if you want to get someone to cover your story:

Is my information truly newsworthy?Is my news presented in such a way that it will pique people's interest?If it isn't, it might be better to wait until you have something truly newsworthy. Otherwise, you risk making a poor first impression on the journalists to whom you submit your press release.

Make Sure You're Pitching The Right People In The Media

Before you write your media pitch, gather relevant media contacts to compile a media list, which is a list of people who would be interested in covering your story.

Individual journalists in the media have their own specialty (referred to as "beats"). Instead of submitting your proposal to a news outlet's general email address, it's ideal to send it to the individual who is most knowledgeable on the topic you're writing about. To put it another way, double-check that you're knocking on the appropriate doors before you begin pounding.

Make Your Pitch Unique

Aside from a great subject line, your media pitch should include the following:

• Demonstrate that you read the media outlet on a regular basis and are familiar with it.
• Demonstrate that you've read the journalist's/articles. editor's (Mention individual articles and pull quotes from within.)
• Demonstrate that you understand the readership of the media source, as well as what themes and stories are most useful and shared.
• Clearly match your offered facts, insight, or information with the reporter's current beat, interests, and most popular articles (make it clear why you're contacting them and why they should be delighted about it.)
• Give them all the information they need to make an informed judgment regarding the contentand you as a trustworthy source - Provide your email, phone number, links to referred information as well as any applicable references to your expertise.

Have A Fantastic Hook

Journalists enjoy discovering new content in the topics they cover on a regular basis. They place a premium on email pitches that contain pertinent news tidbits.

It can help if you can tie your media pitch to a major news topic or give content that is relevant to their recently published work. As a SaaS firm, for example, if your product or service coincides with a recent techindustry innovation reported by the writer, that would be a wonderful hook.

If you're going to share something, be sure it's:

It bears a strong resemblance to their earlier work.It was obscure enough that they might not have noticed it on their own.An intriguing or divisive viewpoint on the subject, but from a reliable source.

Keep In Touch

This is an often-overlooked yet critical stage.

Wait for a response or schedule a follow-up a few days after you've sent your media pitch.

The biggest magic happens when you follow up. Getting a response immediately away is quite rare. According to one study, sending a follow-up email raises your odds of receiving a response by 2X.

After the fifth touch, 50 percent of the closures come in. According to the same research, 93 percent of closed leads required six efforts to connect.

The majority of reporters and professionals have a lot on their plates. As a result, it's likely that they missed your first pitch email. You can jump to the top of your recipient's inbox by sending a follow-up email.

What Is Pitch In News?

A media pitch is a brief letter, email, or phone call to a journalist or editor at a newspaper, magazine, radio station, or television station, offering a news story. The goal of the pitch is to pique the contact's interest in the tale and determine whether or not they are willing to use it.

What Is Pitching In Media Relations?

A public relations pitch is a brief tailored statement that conveys the importance of a story and why it should be publicized. It's normally 150 words lengthy, but it can be as long as 400.

What Time Should You Send A Pitch?

Send your pitches early in the morning or late in the afternoon:

When the receiver is going through their email, it's the greatest moment to send pitches. This is most common in the mornings, when many individuals check email just before or exactly as they arrive at work, or in the early afternoons, when some people take lunchtime breaks.