DISCLAIMER: With so many of my dearest classmates STUCK In PR firms exercising their creativity (LOL, sure) to the hilt! I thought I should keep this blog running with tid-bits, that I've learnt so far from my wonderfully boring, extremely trivial and mundane internship at India's Biggest PR Firm. Yes. Edelman! Eat. Your. Heart. Out.
Always email 'pitches', avoid cold calls (am sure you know that by now)
1. Plan and Research: Target the right person and periodicals, then tailor your pitch accordingly to ensure it interests the reporter.
2. Address Appropriately: The following are usually considered the norm and as an acceptable way to address people;
- Dear (First Name)
- Dear (Mr/Ms {Surname})
3. Use Catchy/Intriguing Headline/Subject line and half the battle is won if the reporter is intrigued by your headline.
4. Keep It Short and Simple (KISS)
5. Get straight to the point (Inverted-Pyramid)
6. Be careful with words and claims. Never make wild or false claims.
7. Attention grabbing first paragraph, often the first paragraph is the only paragraph that the reporter has the time to read before deciding if the said story makes the cut or not.
8. A pitch must be news worthy and with multiple story angles
9. Specify a section or column, through media mapping, pitch the story for a specific section or column carried on certain days.
10. Conclude with a call to action, specify that the journalist needs to respond at the earliest to avail the opportunity.
- Email ID:
- Mobile No:
- Landline Number:
11. Re-write. Edit. Proof- check. Repeat. (weed out typos and grammatical errors)
12. Samples and Testimonials, for product launches, a free sample could be given (if possible)
13. Cautious follow-up mail, a journalist may be interested in your pitch, write to him/her asking if it were to be true.
14. Follow-up call; You call if and only if the journalist replies in the affirmative. Then only do you follow-up with a phone call. If required draft FAQs to cover all expected and unexpected queries.
15. Last-Resort Call; When you find yourself in a situation where there is no response to your follow-up email from the journalist but the client considers either the journalist or the periodical important and an absolute must, then, you will have to directly make a call to the said journalist.
