Pitching the Media
I am all about media these days and when I saw this following article Shaping How The Media Portrays You in Rain Today by C.J. Hayden, contributing edito I excerpted the section on ptiching to the media. It actually sums up what Jill Lublin was talking about on the complimentary teleclass for the MediaSpeak Symposium. When you have a moment you can listen or download the hour interview I did with Jill Lublin and Nita Vallens. Click here to listen.
The first step to getting accurate media coverage is to write a news release or pitch letter presenting your desired story. Picking the right story to create a release around is crucial. In order for the media to be interested, the information in your release must be truly newsworthy, or have broad appeal to their intended audience. The larger the audience of a particular media outlet is, the harder it will be to attract their attention.
In a small community, offering a new workshop to the public might be enough to get you in the local paper or on the radio. To get coverage from the daily newspaper or evening news in a large city, however, you’ll need to announce something more significant.
It can help to tie what your business does to some major trend, recent news, or an upcoming holiday or event. With magazines and online media, your story’s direct appeal to the niche audience a particular outlet serves is the key to attract editors.
You’ll need to send your release, along with any supporting material, to the editors and producers of the departments, features, or programs that specialize in the kind of story you are presenting.
You can create your own media list by researching the media outlets you want to reach, or you can purchase lists and directories from companies like Cision or Gebbie Press.
After sending your release, follow up with a phone call, and be prepared to pitch your story verbally. Be sure you have an answer to the question, “Why will this story interest our audience?” The larger the outlet you approach, the less likely it is that the journalist or editor will take your call. That’s why it’s essential that you prepare a targeted, well-written release in the first place.
At the MediaSpeak Symposium we will prepare you for giving a media interview and you will have an opportunity to be coached by the media coaches. Take a look at the program and you will actually have an opportunity to pitch to the media live.
Here’s a partial list of the media who are participating at the Pitch Fest
Radio: Health Radio Network-www.healthradio.net, LifeSytle Talk Radio Network-www.lifestyletalkradio.com, The Aware Show-KPFK, Inner Vision Radio Show-KPFK, Beyond Words-KCLU, NPR National News Magazine. Help Your Self,KRLA 870 AM, Shrink Rap, KCSN 88.5 FM, Women’s Inspiration, KCSN 88.5 FM, Get Unstuck, Big Media USA, ABC Radio Networks, Satellite Sisters
TV: The Wright Place, AMC, TV Guide Channel, Speak On It, Voices of Tomorrow
Print: Journal of Longevity, Los Angeles Sentinel, The Learning Annex
What phenomenal results! I pitched nine people and got five offers simply and only because of what I learned at the Symposium. I have never had such an immediate application of a newly learned skill with such positive results.
- Pam Hogan, Trainer, Author Keeping People out of Prison one Training at a Time
