Among many responsibilities, public relations professionals are tasked with ensuring that a brand receives proper coverage in the media. In order to succeed with this task, public relations professionals must know how to properly pitch a story, product launch, or event to media professionals. Journalists, editors, and influencers are flooded with pitches from public relations professionals every day. It is the public relations professional’s responsibility to make sure that a brand’s pitch stands out to the media, and ultimately that the brand catches their attention, in order for the media to want to cover the story at hand.

So… What Makes a Strong PR Pitch?

1. Newsworthiness: Before pitching to a media outlet, public relations professionals must ask themselves 1) “is the news truly newsworthy?” and 2) “is the news presented in an engaging way?” Furthermore, a public relations professional must assess that the pitch is new and current, prominent, evokes an emotional response, is impactful, and relevant to the media one is pitching it to.
2. Relevance to Media Contact: Before sending a pitch, one must make sure that the pitch is relevant and interesting to the receiver. Whether it be a journalist, editor, tastemaker or influencer, the receiver of the pitch must have some personal connection or interest in the topic that you are pitching. Keep in mind that if they are intrigued, they are more likely to cover the story.
3. Attention-Grabbing Subject Line: Subject Lines are the first thing that the receiver (journalist, editor, tastemaker, influencer, etc.) will see. Therefore, it is imperative that subject lines are simple, direct, and engaging, so that the media will want to read your email, and furthermore, your pitch.
4. Concise and Relevant Information: As mentioned previously, media receive a multitude of pitches every day. So, it is crucial that the pitch email is concise and relevant. The story must be evident to the receiver, and there must be sources, links, and additional information to support the pitch.
5. Call to Action: A direct call to action is essential in a PR pitch. The media must be able to gather why your story is relevant and what you wish will result from coverage of the story.

In conclusion, a newsworthy, relevant, attention-grabbing, concise, and relevant PR pitch is essential to any strategic PR plan.

To learn more about how to write a strong PR pitch, click here.