One thing I personally am annoyed by is PR pitches for individuals who do not fit our brand. I know I can’t be the only one. This brings me to today’s PR tip, get to know your outlets before pitching them.
One rule of pitching is do not pitch blind. Blind pitching is sending your pitch to any and everybody regardless of them being an ideal fit or not. While this may help you to cover more ground, it ensures nothing because not everyone is a good fit for yourself or your client.
You would not go to a sports magazine to pitch a music artist, would you? Not unless, they are already an athlete, otherwise it would not make sense.
In public relations, you want to be sure your pitch is a good match for your target audience.
So what should you look for when getting to know your outlets?
What type of content do they publish? – What is the majority of their content about? What do they talk about most frequently?
Who is their target audience?– Who are they speaking to? What do their readership and following look like? What type of individuals does it consist of? Do their readers match your customer avatar?
What format is the content in?– Are they publishing actual articles or blogs or press releases?
What does their editorial calendar look like?– Many outlets have an editorial calendar that you can look at to know what type of content they will be publishing and when. When you know this information ahead of time you can pitch your client or yourself in a timely manner for publishing. This is ideal when your story aligns with a certain theme or holiday.
Who are their journalists? This is particularly important because these are the people you want to connect with. It would be beneficial to know what kind of content they write about and build relationships with these individuals ahead of time. Maybe send them a “hello” or introduce yourself well in advance. Having a good relationship with a writer or contributor can potentially lead to further collaborations and press coverage. Treat them right.
Garnering press for your story is not always easy, but when you go about it in a smart and strategic manner it helps and can possibly land you somewhere. Once you know more about the outlet, be sure to tailor your pitch to fit their style. Happy pitching.
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