Nine times out of 10 clients reach out to Communiqué PR (CPR) because they want their company or service featured in the news. Media outreach and placing stories is the bread and butter for most public relations agencies and is typically what businesses think about when assessing what a firm can do for them.  Anyone who has ever worked with a firm before understands that PR is much, much more than media relations. Developing key messaging, promoting thought-leadership, creating promotional materials, gaining industry awards, booking speaking/networking opportunities and so many other facets of marketing and advertising are also core components of the work. But most often it’s our expertise and relationships with the media that brings new business in the door.

So what exactly is the best way to get a reporter interested in a story? The answer to this question is of course very nuanced.  Sometimes a PR pro can leverage a relationship with a reporter they have worked with for years to secure a placement. Sometimes you can catch a reporter just at the right time when they were already thinking about doing a story on just the topic being pitched. But more often than not, securing a media placement is dependent on the strength of the story itself, and our job in the PR industry is to make sure the opportunity is presented in the right way and to the right people in order spur interest.

Reaching the Right Reporters

Developing a good media target list is almost as important as the strength of the actual story when trying to place an article. If you’re not reaching out to the right reporters and outlets, then you’re wasting time and resources and shooting yourself in the foot from the onset. It can sometimes be hard to sell this fact to new clients because it takes a significant time commitment to do the required research needed to develop a media list, but identifying the right targets at the beginning of a campaign sets you up and is critical for achieving the desired results.

So what’s the best way to build a media list? And why does it take so much time? The answer to both questions is research, research, plus a little more research.  Think about it for a moment: First, target outlets need to be identified. Newspapers? TV shows? Magazines? Trades? What about an online version of the magazine or a news website itself? The sheer magnitude of media outlets in existence makes identifying the right ones to target for a specific story a timely process.

Once the priority outlets are identified, next you have to figure out the actual reporters to target – which can take even longer than figuring out the right publications to reach. There are various databases that PR pros use to streamline this process, but that information is limited and often outdated, (I mostly use them to retrieve contact information only). The best way to figure out who is covering a topic that aligns with a pitching angle is to simply search within the specific outlet itself. This way you will unearth reporters who most recently covered the topic which aligns with the story angle and who are more amendable to the opportunity you are offering.

Crafting the Perfect Pitch

Keep it short, simple and to the point. That’s what always runs through my head when drafting a pitch. Reporters have told me over and over that they are inundated all day with hundreds of emails from PR professionals and that they simply don’t have enough time to read long pitch emails. My opening line tends to point out a recent article a reporter covered related to the subject matter I’m pitching to spark their interest, but then I get right into the who, what, when, where and how of the opportunity. I keep everything very streamlined, bulleting out and bolding key points that I want the report to consider.

It is also important to personalize the email opening to each reporter because it shows due diligence and understanding about that reporter’s beat or expertise. Oftentimes PR folks will email blast a pitch that ends up in inappropriate email boxes of reporters who do not cover what you’re pitching. This is spam in a reporter’s eyes and always a pet peeve when they talk about working with PR professionals. It can prevent a reporter from opening a future pitch from you or colleagues at your firm, and that can have long-lasting negative consequences toward building media relationships.

Another important but often-overlooked aspect of the pitch is the email’s subject line. When drafting the email, come up with something catchy to grab the reporter’s attention. Remember that getting a reporter to actually open the email is more than half the battle, and a subject line that catches their attention greatly increases the odds of them reviewing the information and ultimately deciding to cover the story.

Following Up on the Opportunity

The follow-up can be just as important as the pitch because it helps ensure that you receive a decision and/or feedback from your target, which will help you moving forward as you chase other reporters and coverage opportunities. After waiting a full 24 hours for a reporter to respond to an initial pitch email, I’ll send a note on top of the original message that A) reiterates why I think the opportunity is a good fit for them personally; and B) asks for any type of feedback, good or bad. If I don’t hear back from the target within another 24 hours or so, I’ll send one more email on top of my last note to put the story back on his or her radar. Any more than two follow up emails can be perceived as overbearing and annoying, so keep that in mind when reaching out.

If I’m targeting a reporter who I truly think should be covering my story and haven’t received any sort of reply from the email pitch, I’ll then try to reach them on the phone. Back in the day – and even when I first entered the PR world – hitting the phones was the preferred pitching method. But in today’s environment it has become less ingrained in the process. Why, exactly? Simply put, reporters in the modern world rarely pick up work phones for unsolicited calls because of the sheer amount they receive on any given day. And if you get voicemail, don’t even bother with a message – I’ve never actually heard a reporter say they listen to their inbox.

If you do catch a reporter on the phone, use the same technique as you would in an email pitch: Keep it short, simple and to the point. I’ll often script what I’m going to say and rehearse it before dialing the reporter to ensure I’m maximizing the time I have to chat with them.  And similar to the email pitch, after introducing myself I outline why I think they would be interested in the story by referencing a recent article they’ve published, followed by outlining the opportunity. Once complete, I stop, listen and think about counterpoint responses if the reporter is skeptical of the opportunity. Connecting live with a reporter is useful even if they don’t bite on the story, he or she may provide some necessary feedback needed to reframe the opportunity and secure a placement with another target. It also may provide a brief but important chance to start building a relationship that’s more personal than an email.

Remember that the value a client holds on placing an article in a key publication is not something to underestimate, so understanding the best practices to achieve this goal is fundamental to media outreach success.