Pitching great news stories is the centerpiece of a strong public relations campaign. Sometimes this task can be easy if your client is an interesting or new player in a niche market or releases a stellar product or service. In most cases, this can be more challenging, especially on a regular basis, to obtain quality coverage for an average organization. Here are some ideas to beef up your media relations program.
Piggyback on Bigger Stories
If you can make your stories relevant to a bigger market or industry issue, you will have a much greater chance of securing coverage. Look at the big topics of the day that are being covered by your go-to reporters. If there is industry news, a crisis, or even a related trade show or conference that you can tie into, you will get the ear of a reporter who is trying to find a fresh angle on the topic.
Polish Your Timing
Take into consideration what time your favorite reporters are working on story ideas. In fact, you can even ask them, once you have a relationship, about the best day and time to call them with ideas as well as how they want to receive pitches. All writers have some brainstorming periods and if you can send fresh ideas when they are starting to think about new stories, you’ll increase your chance of coverage. In addition, many reporters may prefer to get a short idea via e-mail that they can scan through quickly to decide if they want to follow up.
Position Your Clients as Expert Sources
Who Are Readily Available When reporters are in the middle of a story, they may need a great quote or a fresh perspective that can help beef up their piece. Build a reputation for being able to provide reputable sources on the drop of a dime, and you will make many friends in the media world. If you can help reporters cut through the corporate red tape of getting to a key executive quickly, you will have a better chance of being tapped for developing articles and broadcasts.
Go For The Unique
Perhaps the most obvious tip for pitching media is to drop the boring or the well-known news and find real news. If that’s not obvious, you’ll have to be creative in digging up interesting angles. Invest time in getting to know the details of an organization’s company, people and market so you can find those gems that are not readily seen, and then share those with reporters who are interested. If you need help coming up with newsworthy pitches for your Las Vegas public relations program, contact GYC Vegas. This PR firm Las Vegas has professionals with a great deal of media experience, showcased by the many publications and outlets it has reached on behalf of clients in multiple industries.