How To Successfully Pitch the Media
To get the media’s attention you need to pitch a story that the media can actually hear. That sounds obvious, but it’s easy to miss that fact.
Most people pitch the story they want to tell and pay no attention to developing a story that the media’s interested in. Don’t think just because you think your story is great that the media will share that opinion. Remember your business is fascinating to you because it’s your baby, you live, eat and breathe it. But chances are not everyone is going to feel the same way, particularly the media. The press has specific needs; they have a target market that they need to cater to and they have ratings they need to worry about. Their job is to both entertain and inform. Each media also has a specific target market that it’s catering to. So, how do you know which stories they’ll go for? You won’t; they’re not even sure. Producers and editors are constantly scrambling for new story ideas. Whereas there is no sure fire way to know exactly what the media wants, there are some.
1) Study the media outlets that you’re interested in.
2) Think backwards. Look at your business from the point of view of an editor or producer.
3) Make a list of the business-oriented stories that you can pitch to the media
4) Make a list of the human interest-oriented stories you can pitch
5) Make a list of your top five compelling stories
6) Pick your first story and write a dynamic one-page press release.
7) Build a media list with the appropriate contacts for your type of story
Send out your releases
9) Give it a few days and make follow-up phone calls
10) Be patient, understand the first story might not be the one, keep trying.
Your job is to understand their job and by doing so, figuring out what type of stories will work for them. Remember, if you meet the media’s needs, you will meet yours. It’s important to craft and pitch a story compelling enough to capture the media’s attention – a story that in essence is strong enough to become the news.
Copyright© Anthony Mora 2009
Anthony Mora, President & CEO
Anthony Mora began his media career as a freelance journalist for such publications as Us, Rolling Stone and other local and national publications. He also served as editor-in-chief of two Los Angeles-based entertainment and lifestyle-oriented publications. In 1990, Anthony formed Anthony Mora Communications, Inc. a Los Angeles-based media relations company that specializes in media placement, image development, and media training. AMC Inc. has placed clients in: Time, Newsweek, 60 Minutes, CNN, The Wall Street Journal, The Oprah Winfrey Show, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and other local, national, and international media outlets. !
Anthony has been featured in: USA Today, Newsweek, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, The BBC, CNN, Entrepreneur, Fox News, MSNBC, and other media. He has written three books. The most recent, “Spin to Win,” is a step-by-step guide on how to define goals and utilize the power of the media to achieve success in any field.
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