Media relations is an art, and there’s no doubt that some PR and communications professionals are better at it than others. But no matter who you are, good media relations takes time, patience, and practice.
Regardless of whether you’re just starting out or have been doing it for years, there’s always something new to learn about the art of nurturing relationships with the journalists that are important to your business.
Looking to further develop your pitching game? Agility PR Solutions has you covered. Consult these seven articles to learn the skills necessary to craft dynamic, effective pitches:
1. How to deliver a compelling PR pitch
First, it’s time to go back to PR 101. What are common mistakes that public relations and communications professionals make when pitching, and how can they be resolved? Are there sure-fire ways to create journalist interest around your pitch? Find out in this article, one of the five featured in Agility PR Solutions’ white paper: “How to achieve the communications industry’s six common PR objectives.”
2. Beats vs areas of interest: Getting a handle on topics likely to catch a journalist’s attention
Does the publication you’re pitching use a beat system? Or does an editor assign stories based on a journalist’s area of interest? There’s a big difference between the two, and it’s important to understand how to differentiate between them when preparing your pitch. This article will arm you with tips and techniques to help you acquire a better understanding of the journalists you’re pitching, and whether they write for a particular beat or an area of interest.
3. 9 factors that help define news value for journalists
Do you understand what makes good news? Sometimes it’s easy for public relations and communications professionals to lose sight of the news value of their story—especially when they’re working hard on a client project. Consult this article for nine reference points you can use to ensure that you’re pitching journalists with a juicy story, and not just soliciting a brand mention.
4. 3 things you’ll never know about journalists just by reading their work
Though you can gather a lot of information about a journalist by following them on social media or reading their work, there are some questions you’ll probably never find the answers to without a little digging. This article outlines three things you should know about a journalist before pitching them, and the steps you can take to effectively gather this precious data and nurture your journalist relations.
5. Using geographic scope to refine your media lists
Just because a journalist lives in Houston, it doesn’t mean they cater their content to that geographic audience. They could be a national reporter or features writer on statewide issues. This detail is sometimes overlooked by public relations and communications professionals, resulting in pitches being sent to journalists that write for the wrong scope of audience. Use this article to help narrow the geographic scope of your pitch, allowing you to reach the right journalists.
6. Avoiding the vocabulary blacklist when communicating with journalists
There are some words that are inappropriate to use in everyday conversation—but did you know that there is language you definitely shouldn’t use in your pitches? Consult this article to beef up your pitching vocabulary to make your efforts more effective.
7. Building long-term relationships with journalists
This infographic is designed to help you understand – and perfect – nurturing long-term relationships with journalists. From patience to consistency, every step of this process is easily implemented and effective.
Now that you’re armed with a some new pitching skills, why not test them out? Agility PR Solutions offers a current media database—with many of the journalists that could influence the coverage for your business or campaign. Contact us today to learn more!
