We don’t have to tell you how important ‘pitching’ is in the world of PR. A single story from a major publication or an endorsement from the right influencer can do wonders for your brand.
However, in today’s digital age, pitching stories can often feel like shooting for the moon.
To help you cut through the noise, BD asked some of New Zealand’s most influential media people to give us their brutally honest take on the do’s and don’t’s of PR pitching.
Do give plenty of lead time
"I work full-time just like you and despite what you might think I’m not playing with products all day. Don’t follow-up your pitch the next day – if it’s that urgent I should have received more notice".
Do personalise
"The last thing anyone wants to receive is a generic “hi there”. A good pitch should be targeted to the person and the publication they work on. Consider how the idea would work well for their specific publication/website and suggest ideas – chances are I won’t use the ideas but the effort is always appreciated."
Do be clear
"It’s critical to be clear on whether the story is an exclusive opportunity or going out wider."
Do keep it brief
"Keep it brief and to the point, with details of who/what/when and any image availability and then we can take any further exploration from then. (Include the likes of a subject bio as an attachment, there for reference, but not cluttering the main communication)."
Don’t tell me about another publication’s coverage of your story.
"The last thing any journalist wants to hear is that another media outlet/influencer/blogger has already talked about the “news”. Unless it’s TIME Magazine…I’m never going to be impressed by this."
Don’t do a scattergun approach
"Sending your pitch/press release to anything that moves is a sure fire way to guarantee a hard and fast *delete*. A mass email is obvious from the get go – it’s not only rude but if the content is actually valuable it waters down the message."
Don’t ring me
"There’s nothing that makes me less inclined to take up a pitch than when I’m ambushed on the phone. Don’t put me on the spot and unexpected phone call is never appreciated."
Don’t slide into my DMs
"Under no circumstances is it ok to direct message me via my personal social media accounts. Ever."
Don’t fluff it up
"Don’t waste my time with excessive gush, background or scene-setting of what you see the opportunities are."
Don’t tell me what the story is
"Pitch me a potential idea around an event, an interview opportunity or a relevant topic and I’ll scope out what coverage is right for my readers and decide my own angles."
Don't confuse pitching with paid marketing
"Writers and editorial publications don’t see a PR pitch as a marketing placement – you can pay for that and need to manage your client’s expectations – a pitch is the start of a conversation about what might work for my readers content-wise."
