Best Practices to Gain Media Attention in 2022
PitchBox Media™ works with writers who represent national media publications, bridging the gap between journalists and publicists. As a result of data backed research, feedback from national editors, and current trends within the news, PitchBox Media presents six essential tips for media relations in 2022 to help brands shape their story and gain successful media results. Covering everything from media lists to your subject line, this series will serve as a resource to hone your company’s voice and deliver your story effectively.
Editorial Calendars Provide Optimal Opportunities
Research editorial calendars on each publication’s website or media kit. Editorial calendars are optimal opportunities for your brand, presenting confirmed story assignments for each publication throughout the year. Editorial calendars also paint an image of what editors are looking for throughout the year. By using editorial calendars as a resource for brand strategy and communication, it makes pitching easy and efficient, taking out the guesswork of receiving interest from journalists.
Stay in Touch with the Current News Cycle
According to App Developer Magazine and PitchBox Media’s data analysis, sustainability, personalization, automation, and overall wellness are a few of the biggest trends in 2022. Tie in your pitching strategy with current trends to remain relevant to writers that can result in drawing interest to your brand. Most importantly, stay up-to-date on general news and industry news relating to parallel industries that may affect your brand.
Enhance Media Lists with Targeted Writers
While media list building might feel like a tedious project for practitioners, pitching the right journalists is key to media relations success. With a targeted media list, your brand reaches writers that your brand resonates with, leading to brand awareness and media results to your brand’s intended target audience. Targeted media lists build a strong foundation for your earned media goals, allowing you to cultivate relationships with journalists who share interest with your brand.
Tip: Find hard to reach contact information through writers portfolios and professional social media platforms.
Create a Captivating Subject Line
Journalists can receive hundreds of pitches a day. Unless you have a personal relationship with that journalist, the chances of your email being opened are slim. Create a stellar subject line that is short and newsworthy that could catch anyone’s attention. Keep subject lines less than eight words and make it relevant to current news trends. Each subject line should provide the who, what, where, when or why to capture a journalist’s attention in learning more, according to Muck Rack.
End with An Exciting Call to Action
If a journalist has read through your pitch, make sure your brand’s call to action and closing statement is bold and concise. Present a sense of urgency by conveying that their readers need to learn about your brand’s product, event, launch, or source. Don’t shy away from the goal of the pitch, journalists prefer pitches to be distinct and direct to evaluate the opportunity further. End your brand’s pitch by offering a product, an interview, an exclusive piece, or a media invitation to an event.
Make Time for Strategic Follow Ups
Make time for strategic follow up pitches. Be timely, concise, and present new information in your brand’s follow up pitch. According to Prowly, follow up pitches should be scheduled three to seven days after the initial pitch, giving journalists enough time to read through their inboxes and vet out if your brand fits with any current or upcoming stories they are working on. Writers may be interested in your pitch, but it simply may have been pushed to the bottom of their inbox or have been sent to their spam folder.
Tip: Editing your subject line when following up to include “Follow Up: Your Subject Line” can be a helpful tool in getting their attention.
Current news trends and journalist’s assignments change on a daily basis, and may feel hard to keep up with your brand’s media relations goals. Utilize editorial calendars, research targeted media lists, create captivating subject lines, and close with a strong call to action statement to bring successful media results.