The competition to earn broadcast coverage is fierce in today’s crowded media landscape.
Broadcast journalists, producers and editors are inundated with pitches from broadcast PR professionals, businesses and individuals looking to secure precious broadcast opportunities. This is known in the PR industry as ‘selling in’.
With so much competition, capturing the attention of a broadcast journalist can be difficult, but a good pitching strategy can increase the chances of a broadcaster using your story.
Know your audience
The audience being targeted will determine which journalists, producers and editors to pitch your story to. Identifying the right journalists, producers and editors to pitch to is often half the battle.
Earn a broadcaster’s trust
Building trust with broadcasters is key to securing coverage. If a broadcaster trusts your judgement in terms of only pitching stories that they will use, this will increase your chances of having future stories published. The right story for that broadcaster’s audience is vital. A story should have a clear, concise angle that is unique, newsworthy and relevant for that specific audience.
Make it personal
Journalists and producers receive multiple story pitches every day. It is essential that a pitch stands out and demands attention. Much like applying for a job, if a generic CV or pitch is sent out to countless opportunities, it will likely be dismissed more often than not. Tailoring a pitch to a specific journalist, producer or editor will give it an edge over others. Attention to detail matters.
Make it easy
Make it easy for a journalist, producer or editor to say yes to you. Craft a story that suits their audience. Journalists, producers and editors are busy people, so if you take the time to provide them with ready-to-use stories for their specific audience, you increase your chances of your story being used. This will also help you gain trust and build relationships with broadcast media professionals.
