As more restrictions lift and travel begins opening up, this is a key time for economic development and travel and tourism organizations to get your stories out there in the media. So we’re doing the 4-Week PR Challenge! Every week on the blog, we’re sharing a PR Challenge tip & action step.
So far we’ve discussed
how to come up with newsworthy topics and how to research your local media.
Now, it’s time to write a pitch!
What medium do you feel most comfortable with? Do you like to write? Perhaps an op-ed piece would be a great fit for you. Are you comfortable speaking and being interviewed? Maybe you should be on the radio. Do you like being on camera? TV (or Zoom Interviews) might be for you.
Once you’ve decided your preferred medium, create a pitch and make yourself available to one of your new media contacts.
Pitch yourself as a resource to talk about your newsworthy story, or to talk about something else of relevance.
Do you have business success stories related to COVID recovery? Are there new business expansions or attraction announcements? How about a new program or service, or a success story that could be shared?
Those are the topics to include in a pitch!
Here are a few key tips to keep in mind to create a pitch that will get the attention of the media:
- Explore all angles. Consider how this news affects local residents, as well as how it fits into the larger, national picture.
- Add links to research, facts, statistics or trends that could be helpful to the journalist writing the story. Take it from a PR News editor/reporter: Fresh, compelling data gets our attention.
- Include a picture or video asset.
What are you learning so far in the PR Challenge? Leave a comment below to share!
Til next time,
Sandy
P.S. Would you like to have a customized media strategy that gets the attention of the media and helps you achieve your specific goals? Contact us to set up a free 15-minute consultation.
