Pitch Perfect

For many in PR, pitching media is their one job. Here at Clairemont, we’re in the communications business, so we wear many hats! And one of them is indeed pitching media.

When I first started in public relations, pitching was like a weight on my shoulders. Most days I just couldn’t gear myself up for fear of rejection from media. But with plenty of practice and the right guidance, I conquered that fear and even perfected the process that best works for me. Since then, I’ve had many successes pitching media and securing stories for clients. Below are four things I’ve found that have helped perfect my pitch process.

Top Tips

• Know your audience. First thing’s first: find the right contact. Don’t pitch fashion to a finance reporter. Use a mixture of tools and personal research to confirm the most current contacts and their beats.
• Create a strong subject line. It’s the first thing a reporter sees when an email enters his or her inbox, so make sure yours hits the spot. Tip: Make it short and include major keywords up front.
• Make it clear (and be concise). Get to the point – and quickly. What are you asking of the reporter? State what you are pitching and why.
• Make it timely. Take note of what’s going on in the world and think about how it applies to your client. Using current events to your advantage can result in coverage and help position your client as an industry expert for future opportunities.

Success Stories

When the pitch is on point, the result can be, too. Take a look at the examples below of a few clients we’ve put in the spotlight through creative, timely pitch strategies:

• Wendell Falls: To attract media to the community’s location, Clairemont ditched a standard pitch for a more playful angle, sending tangible invitations that included a “wanted” poster and a cowboy hat, which one TV reporter even sported on her station’s morning show! 
• WGU North Carolina: To highlight a critical partnership for this client, Clairemont used a timely military angle to grab the attention of multiple reporters at TV stations in different markets.
• Lincoln Apartments: Individualized, creative pitches piqued the interest of targeted media and secured on-site coverage at the Lincoln Apartments ribbon cutting (which was performed by a dog).
• North Carolina Association of Fire Chiefs: The team landed a 24-minute iHeartMedia interview for several key leaders and volunteers of the NCAFC. The coverage was broadcasted across five major Triangle radio stations and helped to secure needed volunteer firefighters.

Have the perfect pitch all packaged up and ready to go? Make sure you don’t squash your chance of coverage by committing these six slapdash sins. Need help identifying and crafting the perfect pitch to tell your story?

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