Probably every client I have worked with has wanted national media coverage in some form.  It’s almost always possible but may take longer than you might want. Sometimes you get lucky – I had a client who within four days appeared in the Daily Mail. More often the reality of my world is developing compelling storylines that will resonate, and  then tenaciously pitching those storylines to the right people at the right time. Here’s my tips for successful pitching. According to Meltwater 55% of journalists get at least a quarter of the stories they publish from pitches, so skilful pitching is important and worth developing.

Here’s my Top 10 Tips for successful pitching.

1. Do your research. Know what each specific journalist writes about having researched and read  their most recent articles.
2. Make it personal, reference their previous work if relevant to show you have done your homework.
3. Use a strong, newsworthy angle in your subject headline – your pitch should be timely and relevant.
4. Keep it brief. Over 65% of journalists prefer pitches that are less than 200 words long.
5. Exclusivity – let them know you are offering this only to them.  If you don’t hear back it’s perfectly acceptable to follow up to check whether they are interested and also to politely express that you will now offer the piece elsewhere.
6. Human interest: Even in hard news, a compelling human element makes it resonate more.
7 . Be credible; include data, quotes, case studies, or expert comment to substantiate your story.
8. Timing matters. Avoid pitching right before a bank holiday, your pitch will likely get lost. Studies show that Tuesday and Wednesday can be optimum, although I’m not convinced on that one. Embargoes can work well, particularly around product or book launches.
9. Build genuine relationships.  This takes time – follow journalists on social media such as X  and LinkedIn etc., and engage with their content. Be nice to deal with. Be helpful, I like to think of myself as a matchmaker– I am working for my client but I am also serving the journalist by offering authentic, interesting, newsworthy content, responding quickly to their questions and requests for interview or more information.
10. Support with high-res images, bios, background information, website links etc so they have all they need to make a decision to run your story.