PR Firms

112 Interviews In a Single Day:What's their problem, you might ask? All of these
Guinness Record Setting Strategies forpeople have to book or write a certain number of
PITCHING THE MEDIAstories each day or week. They are looking for
It was mid 2009. I was about to promote my latestsolutions. Be their solution.
book. Of course, like every author I thought lets get a3) Map it out.
ton of publicity and turn this thing into a bestseller. IThrowing a story topic out to the media and hoping
knew a pretty big challenge lay ahead. This was athey'll flesh it out for themselves is not a recipe for
book on communication skills. The trick, as manysuccess. On the contrary, if you can lay out (further
publicists know, is to tie in with something in the news.down in your press information) exactly what the
Would this be enough to get the publicity I needed?guest or expert can say as well as exactly what the
Sadly, the answer was probably not.story could look like, you will become someone they
I realized that I wasn't like every author. I am someonewant to work with. You'll be making their job easier.
who has experienced the booking game from bothOnce it's booked, you should offer to provide
sides of the table. I was a TV producer for 13 yearssupporting evidence. Do they need photos? Do they
on the national level. I worked for companies like ABC,need statistics. The better you make them look, the
NBC & FOX. Over the years I received thousands andmore they will want to work with you in the future.
thousands of pitches. Many of them met the cruel fate4) Sell it.
of the delete button or trash can. Others found theirAre you in sales? If you are trying to sell the media on
way and even tougher conclusion. They weren'tyour idea, then you're in sales. Why not use techniques
interesting enough to even be opened. During that timethat marketers use with their copy. Here are two
I booked more than 5000 segments on topics rangingstrategies that have been proven to work: Emotion
from hard news to human interest, celebrities, food,and Benefits. Include words that are filled with emotion.
fitness, fashion, you name it. So I knew what elementsFinding Love at Work or What is in Your Medicine
made a pitch shine and reach the next level. AfterCabinet Could Kill You! or Most People Miss Out On
leaving television to run a media training company, Ithe #1 Tax Tip to Increase Your Income by 25%. All of
found myself in the position of many of my guests.these teases strike people on an emotional level. Could
Out of the one hundred emails producers, editors, andyou do this with your topic?
station managers see before lunch, I knew mine had toBenefits are also very important when selling an idea.
stand out, meet their needs, and create a desiredTaking our last tease about saving on your money on
reaction. What was that action? Getting booked onyour taxes, the benefits on your press materials could
their show or being featured in their article.look like this:
Through strategies I figured out along the way,This one little change can help your audience (or
combined with sales training tools my companyreaders) to . . .
teaches to corporations, I was able to not only get aKeep much, much more of what they earn
few media hits, but was able to turn the publicity forGet paid to go to school
my book into something bigger. After 112 radioTake tax-free vacations!
interviews lasting 5 minutes or more within a 24-hour5) Engage.
period, my coauthor and I had set a Guinness Record,Did you notice how the bullet points above made you
and our book went on to become a best-seller.want to ask the question, how?! You need to be
Was the record a gimmick? Sure. Did it help us get farengaging the media person every step of the way.
more publicity than we would have ever gottenYou want them to be asking more questions at the
pitching the book outright? Absolutely. Do I think yourelease state, and you want to be building a relationship
need a gimmick every time you pitch the media? No.long after the booking.
Do I think you have to be CREATIVE every time you6) No is not a no.
pitch the media? Yes. Here are some strategies I useA
on campaigns big and small to get publicity for myself. I¡Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ means that you at
also use these techniques in teaching PR firms.least got them to react or respond to you. It means
1 ) Does this press release look like every other pressthey know you're alive. It also gives you a sense of
release out there?where you stand with this story for that particular
If your answer is yes, yours will likely get lost in themedia outlet. This is all valuable information. It doesn't
shuffle. You MUST make the release stand out. Aend there. Now that you've gotten a response, you
press release sounds like a standard form, with acan use it to get one other piece of information. You
standard look, and that look is just plain boring. Yourcan get a referral or advice on the next step of your
goal is not to bore them. I hate to even call it a release.media pitching. After your no you can write a short
Your goal is not to just release information to thereply with another short question, i.e., No problem. Any
press. If your press releases are like releasing a heliumsuggestion of another show this might work for?
balloon into the sky, it'll go off, never to be seen again!7) Headlines.
Your goals are very simple when constructing pressImagine a newspaper with no headlines--Pretty boring
releases. First, get your recipients to actually open yourright? Now take a look at your press release. Does it
email or package. Next, is to get any kind of reactionhave a headline? Is it as large as a headline? Would
from them. You need to get on the right track rightyou read the story that it is pointing to? Look through
away. Here's my secret for emailing a press release:newspapers and notice how they get their headlines
I always start with their name. I eliminate the Dear orto be tighter and tighter. Notice how they weave in
šÃ‚ greeting. It's justemotion. Notice how they can compel you to read the
too formal. Also, when you start with his or her firststory. That's what you need to learn and practice in
name, psychologically, there is the feeling that you andyour press releases.
this media person might know each other. It makes8) Sound bites.
them want to read on.People wait until the story has been chosen to start
I then write one to two sentences steering the mediaspeaking and using sound bites. That's a mistake.
person to my release below. I make sure it has aThese are the elements that make your story shine
personal feel and I end with a question. This isn't justfrom the get-go. It is what makes it jump off the page.
any question. It's a question that requires a yes or noI define a sound bite as, your message in the exact
answer. Here's the brilliance in using this method: Theformat the media wants and needs them. In a video
media person has limited time and cannot respond topackage, it would be the few answers that actually
every pitch that comes through. They can, however,make it into the piece. In an article, they would be the
respond to a yes or no question. In the age of textquotes from your interview (the few answers that
messages and Twitter, communications must be shortmake it into the piece). This doesn't mean speaking in a
and quick if you want to dramatically increase yourshort halting, annoying manner. It means including bullet
rate of return.points in your press information that make the story
Now that I' ve done this, I draw a line on the page andjump of the page. You want them to jump off just as
include the old-style release below it.much as the headlines written for your local paper.
Here's an example:Here are a few elements for building great sound bites.
Mary,Speak using ABSOLUTES. The media doesn't want
Thought you could use this end-of-year story. Wouldpeople who have wishy-washy opinions. Saying, This
the story below work for your show?WILL save you money or This is the worst
--Jessgovernment plan in the last 20 years, will get you
Jess Todtfeldnoticed and give them a sense of what to expect
Success In Media, Incwhen you're booked.
==========CLICHÃS are actually great for sound
STANDARD RELEASE HERE "ENTICINGbites. We've all been taught not to write using
HEADLINE"clichÃs but the media loves to quote other
Point of Viewpeople using them.
OpinionsExamples:
Highlight the best of what you haveAt the end of the day . . . our new system is working.
Highlight what they'd likely useThe bottom line is . . . this diet works.
Add short bio.They say,A penny earned, but how would you like to
Add links to longer bio/YouTube videos/otherhave thousands more pennies?
supporting documentation.RHETORICAL QUESTIONS are a great device that
CONTACT INFORMATION including cell phone.journalists use and love.
*No attachments. (That's like a job applicant sending aExample:
resume and salary info when you never even toldShould homeowners jump at this new opportunity?
them you were hiring.)You better believe it!
2) Get in their heads. How do they think? Know your(If you'd like the full list of sound bite techniques, just
target.visit
What are your outlets needs? Are you giving themDon't be like everyone else. You have to stand out
what they want? Are you giving them what theirfrom the crowds of mediocrity if want your
audience wants? Keep detailed notes on every mediainformation, book, idea, etc. to get the right attention.
person you talk to. The more you can figure them out,With these tried and true techniques, you'll be on your
the more you can be the answer to their problems.way to successful media pitching and bookings.