6 tactics to wow your media contacts

Journalists can be hard to nail down, even when you’ve got something they really want to learn about. Here are some tips for how to avoid a reporter’s blacklist.

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This article originally appeared on PR Daily in January of 2018.

Brand managers can improve their PR pitching with a variety of tools and a few changes in approach.

A good media relations campaign involves reaching out to those inundated with pitches in their inboxes, making it essential for your campaign to stand out and be easily digestible.

Productive media relations can open an untapped market that can expand a brand manager’s campaign pitching, even one that has been stymied by overly conventional or ineffective PR outreach. The perfect media pitch emphasizes a personalized approach to engaging a media contact.

Fortunately, there are simple ways to make your PR pitches more productive and captivating.

1. Personalize the approach.

Lack of personalization can mean the difference between a captivated lead and a recipient who feels she’s just part of a mass mailing list. Addressing them by name is a start, though that doesn’t go far enough or make a brand stand out in a crowded inbox.

Instead, dig deeper. Follow the writer on social media. Carefully read his published works. This research provides a great barometer of whether the content is in their wheelhouse. Media outreach often fails due to a lack of interest in the topic.

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