{"id":18824,"date":"2017-02-27T12:35:11","date_gmt":"2017-02-27T12:35:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nobraineragency.com\/seo\/https-www-nobraineragency-co-uk-blog-blog-top-tips-pitching-to-journalists\/"},"modified":"2025-09-05T10:27:57","modified_gmt":"2025-09-05T10:27:57","slug":"tips-pitching-to-journalists","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nobraineragency.com\/digital-pr\/tips-pitching-to-journalists\/","title":{"rendered":"Top Tips for Pitching to journalists"},"content":{"rendered":"

Like your favourite meal, there are certain key ingredients that go into a cracking PR<\/a> pitch. But all too often \u2013 and I\u2019m aware I\u2019m not talking to everyone here \u2013 some of those ingredients are sadly lacking.<\/p>\n

Imagine leaving the batter out of toad in the hole or forgetting to add your spices in Indian cuisine – things just don’t add up and the results are likely to be rather disappointing.At\u00a0No Brainer\u00a0we\u2019re all trained journalists and we\u2019ve all spent time on busy newsdesks, so we\u2019re perfectly placed to tell you that the same applies to a PR pitch; without the right blend of timing, quality, patience and understanding, you won\u2019t get very far. And for the journalist on the other end of the phone, it certainly won\u2019t be very enticing!<\/p>\n

So with that in mind\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n

Do your research before you pitch<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Before you call, make sure you know WHO you\u2019re calling. It sounds simple and obvious doesn\u2019t it? But you\u2019d be amazed how many calls a newsdesk gets from a PR person or a press officer who thinks it sounds intelligent to ask for a person they\u2019ve found on media database like Gorkana or Response Source.<\/p>\n

When a newsroom is on the larger side, however, it can be tough to know exactly who to call. So the bare minimum is to understand what the publication, channel or station is and what they\u2019re all about, as well as the type of stories they usually use. Don\u2019t throw your rubbish out far and wide and hope it sticks somewhere. In this day and age \u2013 with so many resources available \u2013 there is no excuse.<\/p>\n

Believe in your story<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Think about the best salespeople you\u2019ve ever come across. I\u2019m sure they have plenty in common but one think is a passion and a belief in what they\u2019re selling that comes across in the way they deliver the pitch.<\/p>\n

There is a balance, because a busy journalist doesn\u2019t have ten minutes to talk about the weather or what they did at the weekend, but be positive. If you don\u2019t believe the story or the proposition is any good, why should they?<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t sugar coat it<\/strong><\/h3>\n

With positivity comes a tendency to sugar coat or spin what you\u2019re trying to push. Ask any journalist and they\u2019ll tell you that they get calls daily that begin with those words, \u201cI\u2019ve got an amazing story for you\u2026\u201d and ends with something very underwhelming. Don\u2019t do it. Journalists are smart and they will spot it a mile off.<\/p>\n

If what you\u2019re offering is quality, well thought out and delivered and targeted at the right people, you\u2019ll give yourself the best chance of success. My first editor told me that a good story tells itself.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t over-promise on or exaggerate a story<\/strong><\/h3>\n

This is the result of ignoring the previous point. Honesty is always the best policy! There\u2019s nothing more likely to get a journalist\u2019s back up than being duped by a story that promised the earth and under-delivered.<\/p>\n

It happened to me once or twice and for me, that was the end of my relationship with that PR person. You might think you\u2019ve scored a big hit but all your good work will be undone if that journalist or publication never wants to speak to you again!<\/p>\n

So there you have it. Smart pitching which shows that you understand who you’re talking to, with a story that you know will resonate with their audience, and an honest approach, can culminate in a real recipe for success.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s fair to say that PR isn\u2019t easy to define. In fact, Google Trends data shows that \u2018What is PR\u2019 is one of the most frequently searched terms on the topic of public relations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":18825,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[11,62],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18824","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-digital-pr","category-traditional-pr"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nTop Tips for Pitching to journalists - No Brainer Agency<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Getting journalists on board means doing your homework, believing in the story, keeping it honest - and skipping the hype. 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