The Art of the Pitch

(Getty Images)

“Advertising is saying you’re good. PR is getting someone else to say you’re good.” — Jean-Louis Gassée, Founder of BeOS

If you’ve decided to go on an all-out media blitz to get the word out about your company, it usually signifies that you are ready to scale … so, congratulations! Getting in touch with members of the media, though, can sometimes feel like a scary task, especially for young organizations.

Some typical questions I hear from companies looking to start media outreach are, “How do I do it!?— email, phone call, carrier pigeon? When do I do it? How long should the pitch be? Where do I find relevant journalists to reach out to? Can I reach out via a typical sales campaign?”

So, I’ve decided to put together some tips and tricks for conducting media outreach, which will hopefully answer some of the more basic questions young companies or entrepreneurs have. Enjoy.

1. Do your homework. Conduct thorough research on the members of the media you are reaching out to and tailor your pitch as so. If you’re trying to get the word out about your hot new cybersecurity company, don’t reach out to a consumer tech journalist. Did your target journalist just publish a story on your competition?- they probably won’t be writing about you as their next feature. Know your audience.
2. Let’s be honest, who talks on the phone anymore? Email outreach should be your first step. Or, since you’ve done your research, you might find that your target journalist welcomes pitches via Twitter DM or a direct submission on their website.
3. If you’re trying to share a story, not news, your pitch needs to provide members of the media VALUE. Put yourself in the reader’s shoes- how does your story fit into a larger theme they might be interested in? What kind of data or facts can you provide to back up your story? Is there commentary your CEO can offer that isn’t JUST about your company?
4. Keep your pitch short and sweet. Journalists and editors don’t have time to be reading through a dissertation. They don’t need to be sold your story, idea, or company news, either. Get right to the point and be sure to include a call to action at the end of your pitch.
5. Start pitching early. If you have company news going live on January 1st, start pitching in the middle of December. This allows the journalist or editor to plan the story and doesn’t put them in a bind. If you wait to start pitching until the day before your news goes live, you’re putting the journo in an impossible position and no one will be able to accommodate you.

Well, I hope this helps anyone looking to begin media outreach for their organization. The fact is, companies shouldn’t overthink this. If you stick to the 5 points above, you’ll certainly get ahead of your competition who treat journalists like a typical sales lead.

Until next time,

E