{"id":8112,"date":"2017-07-05T08:07:10","date_gmt":"2017-07-05T12:07:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/?p=8112"},"modified":"2018-08-16T12:40:37","modified_gmt":"2018-08-16T16:40:37","slug":"media-pitching-101-how-to-gain-coverage-for-your-event","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/2017\/07\/05\/media-pitching-101-how-to-gain-coverage-for-your-event\/","title":{"rendered":"Media Pitching 101: How to Gain Coverage for Your Event"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Photo courtesy of LinkedIn.com<\/strong><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In a typical PR classroom, media pitching is a hot topic of discussion. While you can have as many talks about it as you want, you never really get the hang of it until you do it yourself.<\/p>\n

Reporters want newsworthy stories \u2014 but they\u2019re not opposed to having some fun. If you\u2019ve got a pitchable event coming up, consider these tips for generating coverage. While your first pitches aren\u2019t likely to be a walk in the park, they don\u2019t have to be a nightmare either.<\/p>\n

What makes it special? <\/strong><\/p>\n

As previously mentioned, reporters only want to cover something newsworthy<\/em>. The event you\u2019re pitching needs to have an angle that makes it so. Consider the aspects of the occasion that might stand out to a reporter browsing through your pitch. Charity partnerships, off-the-wall activities or noteworthy entertainment are all great aspects to highlight. When crafting your pitch, don\u2019t just tell a reporter your event is happening, tell them WHAT<\/em> is happening there that makes it so great!<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t leave them out. <\/strong><\/p>\n

While you may not personally know every reporter you\u2019re reaching out to (or any of them yet), you\u2019re not just trying to get coverage \u2014 you\u2019re trying to build relationships. What better way to accomplish that than a chance to socialize outside of the professional space?<\/p>\n

Most reporters would appreciate a personal invitation to the event they\u2019re being pitched, regardless of whether or not they\u2019re interested. While you\u2019re asking them if they would like to do a story about it, make sure you let them know how much you\u2019d love to have them there (just as an attendee) as well.<\/p>\n

Your subject will make or break you.<\/strong><\/p>\n

If your subject line is \u201cstory idea\u201d you might as well delete the email before it even goes out. Do you know how many emails are hitting a reporter\u2019s inbox on a daily basis?<\/p>\n

Personalize your subject to the reporter in a way that will make them want to click. A good tip is to start it out with a greeting first and then add a short but engaging line after.<\/p>\n

For example, if you\u2019ll be partnering with a local animal shelter at your event: \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n

Hi Jane! – Story on Event w\/ Cute Pups + VIP Invite<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em>Each subject should be customized to the reporter you\u2019re pitching and the aspect of the event that would appeal to them the most. To figure this out, you\u2019ll have to get familiar with their work so study up!\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Don\u2019t be afraid of the follow up. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Admittedly, bugging a reporter about a story after they\u2019ve ignored your first attempt is not a very appealing concept. While you might think you\u2019re being annoying, following up is not just accepted, it\u2019s expected.<\/p>\n

Sometimes an email gets missed because it gets lost in the inbox blackhole. Sometimes, it doesn\u2019t seem interesting enough. Either way, there\u2019s no harm in trying again. You never know if it\u2019ll work a second or third time around.<\/p>\n

Persistence is key but there\u2019s a limit. If a reporter has bypassed your email after three attempts, it\u2019s time to accept that they\u2019re just not interested. Remember, you\u2019re still trying to create relationships with those individuals. You don\u2019t want to earn yourself a reputation as an overly pushy, extra annoying PR person. Your event can still be great with or without the added coverage so don\u2019t think it\u2019s the end of the world.<\/p>\n

At the end of the day, pitching the media can be challenging work. You\u2019re going to fail sometimes and that\u2019s totally okay. If you ask any seasoned pro how many of their pitches have been vetoed, they\u2019ll likely tell you it\u2019s too many to count. It doesn\u2019t mean you\u2019re not cut out for PR or that your event is doomed. Take your failures in stride and always remember that relationships are key<\/em><\/strong> if you want to be successful in the PR world. Over time, it WILL<\/em> get easier.<\/p>\n

Happy pitching!<\/p>\n

\u2014<\/p>\n

Lina Lintemuth is a public relations senior in the Ferris State University College of Business, graduating in December 2017. Currently, she works as a PR Associate at a small agency in Grand Rapids, Mich. called Richett Media. At Ferris, she served as the PRSSA 2016-17 vice president of Social Affairs, where she coordinated many social events and fundraisers for the chapter. Aside from PR, she enjoys reading, travel, and spending time with her rescue pup, Atlas. <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In a typical PR classroom, media pitching is a hot topic of discussion. While you can have as many talks about it as you want, you never really get the hang of it until you do it yourself. Reporters want newsworthy stories \u2014 but they\u2019re not opposed to having some fun. If you\u2019ve got a pitchable event coming up, consider […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":8113,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[399,1563,160,2734,776],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8112"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/25"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8112"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8112\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8131,"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8112\/revisions\/8131"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8113"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8112"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8112"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8112"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}