3 ways to screw up your pitch
Journalists don’t want follow-up emails or calls, for one thing. They have plenty else to do. Avoid these common pitfalls that can get your pitch deleted and land you on the ‘blocked senders’ list.
No matter the size, location or niche of a publication, journalists working on a deadline dread an encounter with a poorly pitched story.
An overly aggressive PR pro is even worse.
Improve your media relations prowess with busy reporters and editors by avoiding the following mistakes:
1. The unnecessary “follow-up”
In the minds of many journalists, PR pros share one itch—a desire to follow up on everything.
If you’ve sent an email and a journalist has replied to let you know your pitch is on his or her radar, let the journalist take time to consider it. You’ve achieved your first victory by receiving a confirmation of receipt—relish it.
Although it’s good to show an interest in a reporter’s process and want to assist in whatever additional information he or she might need, once it’s pitched, there’s not a lot of good that comes from bombarding inboxes. RELATED: Free download: Is it better to build or buy a solution for your organization’s newsroom?
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