8 PR Tips for Pitching a Journalist

8 PR tips for PITCHING A JOURNALIST USE THEIR ACTUAL NAMES: Generic greetings such as "Dear Sir," are an automatic red flag for journalists. Show them you're human and that you care about their existence. MAKE SURE YOUR PIECE IS RELEVANT: Research the publication you're pitching. Understand what the journalist, as well as the audience cares about. This one seems like a no-brainer, but frustra- tions can get the best of anyone. Just remem- ber, it's always better to kill someone with kindness. BE NICE: Avoid sending out a generic message to dozens of journalists. Make each pitch feel like it was written for the individual. FORGET THE PRESS RELEASE: KEEP IT SHORT: Journalists have to sift through hundreds of emails daily. Make yours brief, but noticeable. IS IT NEWSWORTHY? Just because you're excited about a topic doesn't mean it's news. Find an interesting angle. Getting too familiar with journalists is just as bad as treating them like mindless robots. No one wants to feel like their personal life is being invaded just for a story. SMS DON'T TEXT: Sometimes good ideas just get missed. If you find out they didn't respond because they hated the idea, ask why. You might learn something helpful in the process. FOLLOW UP: FUSION 360 http://www.theatlantic.com/business/ar- chive/2013/08/how-not-to-pitch/279193/ http://www.prcoach.co.uk/how-not-to-pitch-a-journal- ist-10-pet-peeves/ http://www.theguardian.com/small-business-net- work/2014/ju- 1/28/small-business-pitch-story-journalist