Free PR Advice: Master the 7 P's of PR Pitching

6. POLITENESS

As I've said many times before (and demonstrated in all my examples above), it's crucial to be POLITE to the people you're pitching because they are, in fact, human people, and you are a stranger asking for a huge (free) favor. You are not owed or entitled to a response. Say please and thank you, and be brief and specific in your requests. If you don't get a response in 2 or 3 days, you can follow up by replying to the original email with something SUPER quick like,

"Hey NAME, just wanted to make sure you saw this! I think it's right up your alley for OUTLET. Thanks again, NAME"

One follow-up, and that's it! Any more than that, and you're spamming people. They will understandably block you, and you'll never be able to send them anything again. Do not get mad or rude, it will NEVER pay off.

7. PAY IT FORWARD

An earned media placement is a huge favor to you and your work. Whether you've paid for the promotion or not, the LEAST you can do in return is repost the coverage you've received to all your socials, thanking and tagging the outlet properly. This will benefit you as much as them; you should be sharing all your press mentions anyway, because that's what PR is for! It's an endorsement for your art or product by a (hopefully) respectable critic or journalist in the industry that will elevate your status. And if you've done all the above steps faithfully, my dear, you've earned it.

You can practice your paying-it-forward by sharing this post on LinkedIn, Instagram, or (I guess) Twitter. 

Gratefully,

Michelle

1. PREPARATION

Do your homework first. Start by making a list of 10 or 20 press outlets (digital newspapers, magazines, blogs, podcasts, newsletters, etc) in your genre or niche. READ THEM. If you want to be featured in a press outlet, you should start by actually reading it first. What KIND of stories do they run? Quick, timely news clips? Or long-form, evergreen features? Make sure your story/news matches the vibe, and take note of which specific journalists are covering your specific niche.

Then, research each individual journalist. Know exactly what their beat is because the MOST important aspect of pitching is RELEVANCE. If you're sending a journalist something way outside the range of what they cover, you're going to be ignored, hated, and probably end up on the list of Bad PR Pitches I receive every month. Do not throw things around randomly and see what sticks. Do your prep.

2. PREFERENCES

As part of your preparation, you should be taking note of HOW each journalist or blogger wants to be contacted. Twitter is (or, at least, used to be) a great resource for this: If they put their email address in their bio, score! That's a good sign they're willing to be emailed a pitch. If their Twitter bio says "DMs open" or "DM for tips", you can DM them but keep it quick; don't put a whole pitch there. Here's an example:

"Hi, Mary! I'm an adtech publicist in LA named John Smith, and I've got a story idea I think you'll like. Would you mind if I emailed you the info? Thanks! John."

If it says "DM for Signal", that means you'll have to DM them to politely ask for their Signal number and download the Signal app to message them your pitch. Signal is a popular messaging app among journalists today because it encrypts actual phone numbers.

If their Twitter DMs are not open, AND they don't have a website linked with any contact info, AND Email is not an option on their Instagram mobile page, that is a huge sign that they DO NOT want to be pitched. Leave them alone for real.

3. PRESS RELEASE

It absolutely imperative that you know the difference between a press release and a pitch and that you're using both wisely.

A press release is a standardized document detailing the story of your announcement; the same one goes out to lots of people at once, sometimes through email blasts, sometimes through a wire like PRNewswire. Theoretically, a blogger should be able to just copy and paste the text from your press release onto their blog and it should have all the pertinent info (and, unfortunately, a lot of bloggers do exactly that, which is why I don't call them journalists). 

Unless the brand or product you rep is something everyone in the general public can/should use, like Apple or Nabisco, there's probably no need to pay for a wire release. I don't do many formal press releases at all these days; most publicists have much more luck with direct pitching to niche reporters. 

4. PERSONALIZED PITCH

A pitch, on the other hand, should be personalized to each journalist receiving it and go in the body of the email above the press release. It should demonstrate that you've done your homework and chosen them for a particular reason; and it should make them want to know more. Here's an example PR pitch template:

"Hi FIRST NAME,

I hope you're well today. I'm NAME, and I'm a (whatever you do). Since you've written about (very specific topic or story) for (OUTLET NAME) before, I think you might be interested in this ___ because ______.

(This paragraph is your tight boilerplate / bio blurb / elevator pitch).

I'd really like to work with you on a story about this while it's still fresh! Please take a look at the press release below, and I'd be happy to provide a quote or interview at your convenience. And I'll gladly repost any coverage you provide to all my social platforms.

Thanks in advance,

NAME"

5. PERSUADE

In that first paragraph of the pitch (or press release), you should be quickly selling them on WHY they should care about this. Just doing a thing isn't enough. Oh, you have a new album out, and it's super personal and meaningful, and you worked really hard on it? SO DOES EVERYONE. You made a new product and started a business? SO DID EVERYONE. You get the idea. Every journalist receives hundreds of pitches every day. You have to stand out by telling the press why this matters, what IMPACT this will have. 

Some examples are:

- There's a burgeoning whatever, Korean punk, scene in your city, and this album is the definitive sound of the movement.

- Your new company is disrupting your industry by solving a longstanding problem in it (lack of diversity, new worker-friendly policies, sustainability, etc.)

- Your new product is going to save busy moms time in the morning because X, or it's going to improve teenage girls' self-esteem because Y, or it's going to reach Z group of people who have been ignored...you get the picture. 

Look beyond the product and sell its intended IMPACT.

Artists, businesses, brands, bands -- anyone who needs PR needs these 7 essential skills. YOU CAN land those coveted press features you dream of, if you just remember the 7 P's of PR pitching: