MarCom Corner: Now Pitching....

MarCom Corner is a monthly feature that brings you tips, insights and answers from your fellow Chamber members on marketing and communications topics. This month,Tony Felice of Tony Felice PR & Marketing helps you craft a pitch that reaches the strike zone.

Getting news coverage for your company is one of the most exciting things that can happen for your business. But for many, it’s a daunting process; just to write the news, much less find the people to whom a story should be pitched. That's why they hire professional PR people to help them because it is truly a very hard job.
 
Unfortunately, many companies make the mistake of confusing PR with advertising and therefore try to stimulate interest in their company by using the same tactics. Including flowery language like “revolutionary,” “one of a kind,” and “best-in-class,” will get you into trouble. This hyperbole is best left for sales meetings and not your news.  Ostensibly, your news is, well, frankly, news. So think of your story as something you would read in the business section of the Arizona Republic, or watched Katie Raml tease going into a commercial break.
 
Remember, news people are busy people.  They receive hundreds of emails a day and we only have a few seconds to capture their attention.
 
Below are some highlights that illustrate the challenge of getting media coverage.

• A news release is not always necessary; sometimes a paragraph pitch is just fine.
• You can, and will get into trouble with the media if you repeatedly try to pitch them sales stories or promotions. They will probably stop reading your emails.
• Have a really, really great subject line.
• Be concise, brief and relevant.
• Practice your pitch, and be calm. You are not selling your company; you are sharing a good story.
• A written story is not suitable to pitch to television or radio. For those sources, think visual stories or in sound bites and pitch it accordingly.
• Know to whom you are pitching.  A business editor should be approached differently than a lifestyle reporter.
• Morning television is lighter than evening news.
• Do not blast the same story or pitch to everyone in every newsroom.
• Strengthen your story with statistics and quotes from outside sources.

And if the reporter calls, congratulations! Be prepared and take a moment to collect your thoughts, get their name and number and ask to call them back in a few minutes. If you're like most small business people - busy working in your business rather than working on your business, consider hiring a PR professional who can help you put your best face forward and help you make the best of your opportunities.

This story is part of the Chamber's new monthly Business Driver email. To receive any or all of our email newsletters, click here.