How to Craft the Best Media Pitch

Learning how to craft a compelling media pitch can be a powerful asset for younger companies. Typically, in pre-seed startups up to Series A, the marketing team is nimble, if not even built out yet, making it difficult to gain brand traction. There are two ways young companies can get relatively free attention: the first is by creating a content plan that leverages social media and other platforms to build a community of engaged followers. The second, and often most coveted, type of attention is through traditional media.

Building and maintaining relationships with reporters is crucial for PR professionals. Not only does that provide value to my clients, but as one reporter told me, PR people are a necessity for reporters—we provide them with story ideas. I reached out to a friend and reporter colleague from a respected outlet to get a better understanding of how to successfully pitch and connect with a reporter. She’s been an editor for various B2B/trade publications, which likely differs from mainstream or local news, mostly because our audiences are much more targeted. For the sake of this blog, we’ll refer to her as Stephanie.

Crafting a Successful Media Pitch

The first and most important step is to ensure relevance and that the subject line not only grabs their attention but is also relevant.

“I won’t even open an email if the subject line doesn’t seem related to my publication,” said Stephanie. “That seems obvious, but media distribution lists can be sloppy. This is especially true if different publications are owned by the same company, and all staff members have the same email domain.”

She added, “The majority of pitches are not relevant.”

PR professionals and vendors inundate journalists who cover B2B or enterprise companies with pitches. It is our job is to generate coverage for our clients. One of the most common pitches we send to reporters involves announcing new products or product updates. According to Stephanie, unless it is a slow news day, they won’t cover it. “That often feels like free advertising, which we try to avoid.”

Instead, she offered two different directions to take:

Vendors pitching products should also pitch an interview with a customer. The customer’s POV on using a product makes for a much more interesting story that doesn’t feel like free advertising. The customer is, after all, our target reader.

Pitch an executive as an expert source on a relevant topic. Then, during the interview, you can touch on your messaging.

The one thing that will make her delete a pitch quickly: “if it’s a cut-and-dry product announcement.”

The Editor’s Role

Many of the clients I work with don’t understand the role editors play in the development of a story. Oftentimes, they forget editors exist! The truth is, editors play a central role in determining if your pitch is worth the publication’s time. There isn’t anything a PR professional can do differently in the pitch to sway an editor. You should always put your best foot forward in your initial outreach.

Many times, Stephanie says, reporters will reply to the initial outreach asking for more information. “If the pitch is for a source or a byline—or if there’s not enough info in the pitch—I can ask follow-up questions without first getting permission from my editor.” Just because the reporter reaches back out to you for more information doesn’t mean, however, that the editor has approved the pitch or that the reporter is writing up a story.”

“Journalists are required to pitch, too,” said Stephanie. “So a PR practitioner’s pitch must be good enough to make it through a mini-game of telephone.”

There’s Hope if Your Media Pitch Isn’t Accepted

Wanting to find the silver bullet of pitching, I asked Stephanie what the best pitch she ever received was. Oddly enough, it wasn’t one she initially accepted or used for a story. She explained how the pitch was relevant to her beat, clear and informative, and fit well into the current news cycle. Although she didn’t pursue the story, she remembered the company and its work.

Some time later, while visiting the city where that company was headquartered, she decided to reach out. ‘I reached out to the startup and spent time with the CEO in the field,’ said Stephanie. ‘And it resulted in the best field reporting I’ve ever done.’

‘The pitch was effective, even though I rejected it. It did a stellar job communicating the value of the startup and, therefore, its potential as a longer-term source. And trust me, the story I wrote from the field is 10 times better than a dinky write-up of a Series B,’ she exclaimed.

First Pitch Strike

As a baseball fanatic, I’ll use a sports analogy. Pitchers learn to throw a first-pitch strike. Statistically, a 92.7 percent chance exists that the at-bat will result in an out, and 69 percent of strikeouts start with a first-pitch strike, according to a Samford University study. It’s the same concept with media pitching.

When media pitching, PR professionals must throw a strike on their first email and put their best foot forward. Make the pitch highly relevant, succinct, and very informative to give reporters a compelling reason to bring it to their editor.

How Startups Can Garner Earned Media

Typically, startups turn to the media when they have a fundraising announcement, a new product announcement, or want to become a source for a reporter. The tier of media they can garner, if any, depends on many variables.

Here are some key questions to ask when announcing a fundraising round: Is the money I raised above average compared to my industry and competitors? Who’s on the cap table, and does their brand attract additional attention?

If it is a product announcement, here are some things to consider adding to your release: How is the product different from competitors or industry incumbents? What customers are already using it? Are they prominent? And if so, can you mention them in your release? Do you have an economic impact of your product?

If you’re aiming to be a source for a reporter, founders should hone their thought leadership opinions before reaching out. For instance, if you’re a cybersecurity startup founder, you should have a bold opinion on the future of cybersecurity. Do you have special connections to key stakeholders in your industry? This is why I encourage startup founders and leaders to develop thought leadership content. It helps when they have assets that clearly demonstrates their understanding of the industry and environment to reporters.