Coming Soon
Subscription Marketplace - Buy and sell subscription products and services
0 like 0 dislike
775 views
in Articles by
By Anne Marie Baugh

For the very same reason that the personal approach works so well on the Internet with consumers is the same reason it works well with editors and producers. Press releases are without a doubt the easier route. Simply write and click send then sit back and hope someone with a valuable title will notice. The hard truth is that getting a press release noticed is becoming more and more of a challenge. Unless you happen to like standing in a very long line and hoping an editor will dig through a very deep slush pile to notice your news, may I suggest a more direct, successful approach to garnering press space? The pitch.

The pitch requires a little more work, research, and preparation but also nets better results. The pitch is really only a verbal press release. If you can get the phone date, you have a better chance of being heard, of personalizing the story, and therefore getting the much-coveted time in the media spotlight.

Publicists have long understood the value of the pitch and in fact, the pitch is the number one reason publicists are paid the big bucks. Do they have something you do not have? No. It's a tool anyone can learn to hone. Will you mess up a few pitches? Yes, without a doubt just the same way you messed up a few press releases. The difference is that you didn't hear about it with your press release, which in reality did not help you. It is a tool that will require constant improvement but the rewards and both personal and professional.

So what does a pitch consist of? A pitch contains all the same information that a press release requires but you present it in a less formal way, over the telephone, directly to the editor or producers. It's important that you take the time to prepare your pitch and be able to discuss it without reading it. Research the publications, radio shows, or television spots to be sure that your particular story will fit in with their theme and then either write, email, or call for an appointment to present your story.

Not only does the pitch personalize your story and make you real for the editor or producer but you will also begin to build contacts within the media. These contacts will eventually become professional friends that will smooth the road to greater and greater media opportunities.

Once you have delivered your pitch, asked for a time or space slot, don't forget to thank the editor or producer both in the conversation and in writing. Be courteous and respectful at all times. Never try to talk and editor or producer into your story, as they know their market better than you do. If you get a rejection ask for a referral to a more appropriate market and keep trying.

Yes, press releases definitely have their place. A consistently distributed press release will keep you in the eye of the media, which can pave the way to a more productive pitch. So in affect, using both tools is the best approach. One is definitely weaker without the other, but together they make an impact that can't be beat.

Overall, it's persistence that wins in the long run and this is a quality every publicist has. However, you can learn the ability of persistence simply by practicing it. Keep at it and before long you will be a media hit!

Please log in or register to reply to this topic.

Related topics

0 like 0 dislike
0 replies 710 views
0 like 0 dislike
0 replies 938 views
posted in Articles by HarmlessRose
0 like 0 dislike
0 replies 1,375 views
posted in Articles by MagicalCyborg
0 like 0 dislike
0 replies 1,413 views
posted in Articles by Knighthawk
0 like 0 dislike
0 replies 840 views
posted in Articles by MysteryWasp
0 like 0 dislike
0 replies 924 views
0 like 0 dislike
0 replies 767 views
posted in Articles by TrustyKitty
0 like 0 dislike
0 replies 2,035 views
0 like 0 dislike
0 replies 1,374 views
posted in Articles by HairySeahorse
0 like 0 dislike
0 replies 1,286 views
posted in Articles by HarshThunder
0 like 0 dislike
0 replies 1,434 views
0 like 0 dislike
0 replies 876 views
0 like 0 dislike
0 replies 1,757 views
posted in Articles by HistoryYak
0 like 0 dislike
0 replies 1,429 views
posted in Articles by GrizzlyFlash
0 like 0 dislike
0 replies 844 views
posted in Articles by SwiftHeroine
0 like 0 dislike
0 replies 838 views
posted in Articles by FatKomodoDragon
0 like 0 dislike
0 replies 1,886 views
0 like 0 dislike
0 replies 1,072 views
posted in Articles by UncleRhino
0 like 0 dislike
0 replies 774 views
posted in Articles by Amigod
0 like 0 dislike
0 replies 1,716 views
0 like 0 dislike
0 replies 823 views
posted in Articles by TwinNut
0 like 0 dislike
0 replies 918 views
posted in Articles by HarmlessRose
0 like 0 dislike
0 replies 876 views
0 like 0 dislike
0 replies 802 views
posted in Articles by SilentTrooper
0 like 0 dislike
0 replies 1,825 views
posted in Articles by SnailMail
0 like 0 dislike
0 replies 2,171 views
posted in Articles by Celestiger
0 like 0 dislike
0 replies 826 views
posted in Articles by Scorpeon
0 like 0 dislike
0 replies 795 views
posted in Articles by Cybora
0 like 0 dislike
0 replies 765 views
posted in Articles by FoolishJaguar
0 like 0 dislike
0 replies 613 views
posted in Articles by GamerAlpaca
0 like 0 dislike
0 replies 1,328 views
posted in Articles by Cybora
0 like 0 dislike
0 replies 618 views
posted in Articles by HarshThunder
0 like 0 dislike
0 replies 651 views
posted in Articles by Knighthawk
Connect with us:
...