Telling a great story is at the heart of what we do. It requires an understanding of the market, the target consumer and how our client’s product or service is going to impact these audiences.  Wrapping that story into a succinct pitch that will stand out among hundreds of other pitches received that same day requires you to know who you are pitching, why their audience will care, how it fits into the bigger picture of other trends and stories, and to employ a creative edge that will be the difference between read and not read. Here are our top strategies for writing a killer pitch. Know who you are pitching: the writer and the outlet The best PR people are consuming media constantly. At the very minimum read the work your pitch contact is writing. Know their beats, story angles and writing style. To make us even better PR people, we connect with our top media contacts on social media, read their personal blogs and meet them face-to-face at every given opportunity. This allows us to gain a deeper understanding of how our story ideas might connect with them both professionally and personally. Think about it This is often more important than the writing itself.  You must have a clear understanding of your client’s product or service and why it makes a great story. Ask yourself these questions:

• What’s the most interesting part of the story
• Have I answered all potential questions
• Why would the writer and his/her readers care
• What do I want as a result of this pitch (a product review, readers to RSVP to an event)

Start with an eye-catching subject line that is relevant to your contact, such as: Subject: Exclusive on company X’s new product Subject: A resource for your next [insert specific feature or column name] article Get to the heart of it fast The first sentences of your pitch need to get to the meat of the story, unless you have an existing relationship where you can ask about their day or their family.  This means in the first 20 words or so, you need to nail why you are contacting them.  Details can come later. This should also explicitly tie to your subject line and map to a larger trend if possible – a stat to support relevancy. For example: Hi X, would you be interested in an exclusive interview about Product XY, which is launching next week to do Z for (insert target audience).  According to recent stats, 50% of women wear X and the market anticipates 200% growth in one year. Tell them why they care Now you need to tell the reporter why they care – is it because they’ve written about the topic or a related topic, do you know they have a personal interest. For example: After seeing your story on competitor Y, I thought this would be a perfect follow up piece. Give them the information they need now Then, you can share some back information about the company. We often keep the need-to-know information above the signature line and will share full press releases and additional company information below our signature. Offer options, including interviews, photographs, quotes, and product samples. Have a strong closing by reiterating succinctly why this is important and the result you desire. Be easily reachable Make sure to include your phone number and any other pertinent ways you like to communicate. And when a reporter contacts you, respond in a timely manner. Want more tips? Read this 1:1 Interview.  You might also like this post.   Find us on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter.