How to Create Engaging PR Pitches

After interviewing hundreds of journalists about how they like to be pitched by PRs, here's what I found actually works: 1. Build genuine relationships first. Journalists can spot mass pitches from a mile away. Follow their work, engage with their newsletters, understand their beat. The best coverage comes from genuine connections. 2. Think like a newsroom. Every story needs a clear angle and immediate relevance. If you wouldn't read it, neither will they. 3. Make it easy to say yes. Provide clear quotes, verified credentials, and quick access to experts. The faster journalists can verify and use your source, the more likely they'll include it. 4. Target strategically. Sometimes the niche trade publication reaches your ideal audience better than a top-tier outlet. Focus on impact, not just name recognition. The most effective digital PR doesn't feel like PR; it is a valuable contribution to an ongoing conversation. What's been your experience with digital PR? Have you found certain approaches work better than others?

In my decade (plus) working in communications I’ve probably sent out thousands of pitches on behalf of brands. Besides the basics (doing your research and knowing who you’re pitching), here’s my advice: 💭 Have an original idea or an ownable, unique take on an existing relevant conversation 💭 Make sure it’s relevant for both the journalist and the publication they write for 💭 Try to connect the pitch to an upcoming moment in time so that there’s a timely hook 💭 Involve the journalist so that they are invested from the beginning (I’ve brainstormed stories early on with Anna Iovine, Gigi Fong, Jessica Bursztynsky, Mimi Montgomery, Phoebe Bain, Sean Abrams and many others) 💭 Offer an exclusive when you can because it makes the story even more enticing (this helped secure OkCupid’s first feature story in HYPEBEAST, and a product feature’s profile in The New York Times) 💭 Include data from a reputable source to prove why your angle or narrative is valid (if you don’t have access to data like we do at OkCupid, commission your own survey or check out Gallup, McKinsey & Company, Pew Research Center) 💭 Have all assets readily available (commentary, data, visuals, etc.) so the journalist isn’t waiting on you (I always have data ready to go for Keyaira N. Boone) What tips am I missing? 👇🏼 #Communications #EarnedMedia #Pitching

✍ PR/Comms tip: As a journalist, I get dozens of email pitches a day. Here’s how to pitch to a reporter vs. an editor. 📝 For a reporter: - Get their name right. (The number of times I received “Hello, Narayan,” “Hello FirstName,” or—my favorite—“Hello Next Media Round,” during my reporter days was too many to count.) - The topic, including who/what you’re pitching, must be relevant to their coverage area. - Make sure sources are ready to interview (asap in some cases) if there’s interest. - Align with the news cycle as often as you can, but offer something unique. Oftentimes, reporters get pitches on stories they just wrote about.  - Offer exclusives or embargoes. - Localize it and/or go beyond the event. (What works for a national outlet is not going to work for a local or regional one.) 📝 For an editor: - Explain why it’s newsworthy. - The pitch is in their team’s area of coverage. - Understand that the pitch is just to get on the editor’s radar. If it’s a good pitch, it will be forwarded to the appropriate reporter or writer. Pitches may get assigned depending on how newsy the topic is, but sometimes (in the case of profiles, features, trend stories, etc.) it will be at the discretion of the reporter to write about it. - I can tell when a pitch is customized versus an email blast. Always customize—tell me why it’s relevant to me, my news organization, and our readers. ✨ Most importantly, having a professional relationship already established with a reporter or editor will always serve you better. Be proactive rather than reactive, especially in news. 

Five pitching habits coaches and consultants need to do to land earned media publicity... If my 20 years in the media industry has taught me anything... it's that there are a lot of really bad pitches. I would get dozens of pitches a day... the truth is, I rarely read any of them. I could tell right off the bat that it wasn't going to be something I was interested in because: → I was clearly part of a "spray and pray" mass release list. → The pitch was about marketing, not useful information for my audience → They misspelled my name, or even worse, called me "sir". 🤦🏼♀️ So how do you go about writing a good pitch? Here are five things you must do: 1️⃣Hook with a Headline: Journalists receive countless pitches daily, yours needs to stand out instantly. 2️⃣Make it About Their Audience, Not You: The pitch should be tailored to the outlet’s audience, not just your business goals. 3️⃣Give a Clear, Compelling Takeaway or Angle: Your story should offer something specific—whether it’s data, a trend, or a surprising solution. 4️⃣Dedicate Consistent Weekly Time to Pitching: Treat pitching as a non-negotiable part of your weekly routine. 1-3 hours a week should do it. 5️⃣Personalize Your Follow-Ups Without Pressure: Journalists are busy, and sometimes a pitch slips through the cracks. Following up is essential, but keep it polite, brief, and personalized. Earned media is sometimes a little bit about luck, but mostly? It's about pitching the right way, to the right outlet. Have you ever pitched the media to talk about your business?