Press Relations Lesson #5: A 10-Step Press Pitching Process

Still at your same job?

I ask because now that you’ve had four of the seven press relations lessons, I’m wondering if you’ve completely fallen so in love with the public relations profession that you decided to switch jobs (speaking to my non-PR pro subscribers).

Our press relations journey is winding down. Only two more topics to cover after this week. To recap what we’ve covered thus far:

Your Press Relations Roadmap

The Hard Reality of Press Pitching

Guess what? Reporters ignore most pitches. They’re swamped, especially with newsroom downsizings the last five to seven years.

The more popular the news outlet or blog, the more pitches they’ll receive, and the more you’ll be — and feel — ignored. Some may receive 500 or more pitches a day. It’s truly a challenge to even get their attention.

They also receive a lot of very, very bad pitches. Ad-like pitches. Non-newsworthy pitches. Sent-to-the-wrong-reporter pitches. You name it—reporters have seen it.

But after you complete this 7-part press relations course, you’ll be light years ahead of others who haven’t a clue what they’re doing.

A 10-Step Strategy 

Here’s a 10-step strategy for getting a reporter to fall in love with your story (and hopefully you too):

1. Limit your initial press targets – Your press list of “relevant” contacts may number over 100, or more. You could simply mass email everyone on the list (called the “spray-and-pray” approach) and be done, but that would also end virtually any hope you’d have for success. Instead, select 10-12 contacts on your list you feel will have the biggest impact for your business — if they were to write a story about you. Nurture these specially selected contacts.
2. Stalk (in a nice way) – Get to know your hand-selected press contacts in and out. How? Read what they’ve written. Follow them on social media.
3. Engage and establish rapport – No pitchin’ or sellin’ your story yet! First you need to earn the reporter’s trust. Everyone loves compliments, and that includes reporters. Send them an email commenting on one of their stories. Share what you liked, and tell them they did a great job. But be sincere. Plus, you should like, comment on and share their social media posts
4. Think like a reporter – A reporter wants news that their audience wants. Reporters also love it when they receive a story/press release that’s ready-to-use. That means it reads like news and doesn’t sound promotional. And it includes high-quality images or video, or access to a source expert for more information. Or, if you’re inviting the press to an event, you’re sending a media alert instead. (You’ve already done this step in the previous press relations lesson when you created your press materials.)
5. Write a killer pitch letter – Once you feel you’ve made a sufficient connection with your A-list of press contacts, then you can pitch your story via a pitch letter (i.e., your email message). But your pitch letter must sell… without hype. It starts with an attention-getting subject line, followed by: a personalized salutation, a reference to the reporter’s recent work and how it ties into your news (optional, but can be powerful), and then why they should care about your story. Subhead and bullet points are great because they make your message more reader-friendly, scannable. That helps when a reporter may only have a few seconds to glance at your message. The pitch letter is one of the most crucial steps in your press relations. It requires a knack for writing incredibly compelling, engaging copy. Click here to see an example of a pitch letter I just wrote the other day for HLTH Code Complete Meal, a super high-quality meal replacement shake. (The same one we promote in every newsletter.) This particular pitch targets podcasts whose audience is senior citizens. 
6. Send your pitch – It’s usually best to email your pitch to only one reporter at a news outlet at a time. Typically, morning is best, but it depends on the type of news outlet and the reporter’s schedule. You can also pitch a reporter on social media — but with a much shorter pitch. Some PR pros are having great success pitching reporters on social media.
7. Follow up – If you don’t hear back in a few days, send a brief follow-up message. Bring attention to another angle for your story.  You can alternate between another email or a social media message via X (Twitter) or another platform. And you can repeat step #3 a few more times. You could even call, if you have their number. If you happen to strike gold and get them on the phone, always first ask if they have 30 seconds to hear a story idea. SUPER COOL TIP: You can find almost anyone’s phone number using the Google Chrome extension SignalHire.
8. Never say this… – If you connect with a reporter on the phone, NEVER ask if they’ve received your email. You can be 99% sure the email was received. It almost always comes down to if they even noticed your email and took the time to read it. 
9. Instead, say this… – In your phone follow up, say something like, “I sent you an email last Tuesday with the subject line [SAY SUBJECT LINE]. It was about a new way to [BRIEFLY DESCRIBE YOUR NEWS]. Does that sound interesting to you?”
10. Be courteous – If the reporter declines your story, always thank them for their time and keep the connection open for future pitches you may have.

There’s a lot more to each of these 10 steps, but now at least you have a general idea on the process of pitching your story. If all this sounds just WAY too overwhelming, then maybe it’s time to have a chat w/a PR pro.

The 3 Big Takeaways

1. Limit your initial focus to 10-12 press contacts who you feel will give you the biggest ROI.
2. The pitch letter is one of the most critical steps of press pitching.
3. Another way to pitch the press is via their social media.

Next up: Preparing for the interview — don’t even think about trying to “wing” an interview.

Questions about the press pitching process? Hit me up.

Stay authentic… and press worthy!

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