Tips for Pitching to Journalists and Writing Press Releases
16 May
PR Newswire reps Tiffany Chepul and Christine Cubé visited PRstore DesignCentral yesterday to conduct a training seminar for PRstore University.
Christine is a media relations rep – she works with journalists in the mid-Atlantic region to tailor PR Newswire feeds to their unique needs. She shared some valuable tips for writing press releases and pitching to journalists.
Do Your Homework
Most reporters have very specific beats. A business reporter, for example, may focus exclusively on tax issues or transportation news. Press releases that report news outside of her beat – even general business news – isn’t likely to catch her attention.
Don’t Mask Your Intentions
Journalists really don’t like to be duped. Corporate PR pretending to be objective, independent news isn’t going to fool anyone. That’s not to say you can’t be creative – just be honest.
Capture Their Attention
Consumers have attention spans measured in seconds. Reporters blink 3x quicker. They’re just plain busy, and they’re bombarded with pitches. Write a damned good headline if you plan to be noticed.
This tip didn’t come from Christine, but it’s still valid:
Be Useful
Let’s be honest: everybody knows you’re looking for free publicity when you send a press release. Nothin’ wrong with self-promotion. A better strategy is to make yourself a genuinely useful resource to reporters and editors. Think about someone else’s needs before you think of your own, and karma will pay you back.
And now, a quick counterpoint:
Disregard Everything I Just Told You
Good PR isn’t about reaching journalists, but about reaching those who consume the news they report. After all, these are your customers. And as David Meerman Scott points out in his groundbreaking book The New Rules of Marketing & PR, the Web lets you reach these folks directly. PR Newswire plays a big role in that shift. As a result, the old rules of PR have been turned on their heads.
I’m not saying you should quit doing your homework. Nor should you mislead your readers or forego a strong headline. Rather, imagine you are the reporter, and the public your audience. Give your readers something of value — just as you would if you were pitching to a journalist — and you’ll be one step closer to making a sale.
Want to pitch a story to a journalist? Contact your local PRstore. A team of professional copywriters and marketing strategists is standing by to help you.
“Groundbreaking.” Wow – you flatter me.
Ultimately, success comes from a strategy of reaching buyers directly AND reaching buyers cia the media. You nailed that in this post.
Cheers, David
Just picked up another copy of your book for an old college prof, David. Keep up the good stuff!