Too many PR professionals still don’t understand media relations. They are still spamming journalists with pitches that are irrelevant, inauthentic, and non-targeted. Too many public relations professionals are fixated on the short-term coverage opportunity rather than building long-term relationships. They see a journalist as a tool rather than a person. All of this worsens the negative feelings journalists have already developed toward public relations professionals. So let’s change it.
It starts with a better understanding. Think of how annoying it is to get a sales pitch that has nothing to do with you or what you want. It’s irritating, right? This is how a journalist feels when s/he receives an unrelated, non-targeted pitch from a PR person.
Don’t be that person. Be the person who offers something useful—something that will make a journalist’s job easier. Remember that they too have a job to do. Your broadcast pitches are a waste of their time.
An infographic from Nowsourcing offers tips on how to pitch better.
What’s the best and worst pitch you’ve ever seen?
Victoria Taylo 