Life’s a Pitch: How to get your story heard

While most PR professionals would agree that pitching stories can be one of the harder aspects of PR, many others would argue that it’s in fact finding the angle worth pitching that takes time and skill. The strategic know-how of PR lies within the PR professional’s ability to dissect a story angle in a way that is appealing, interesting and relevant. What is it that makes a story media-worthy? The key is in how you look at it.

According to PR and Marketing professional, Debra Bennetts, effective communication “begins with an understanding of the audience. If you can get inside their heads, you can find a way to connect.” In essence, this is the crux of PR. Strategic PR can help a business connect with consumers in a way beyond what advertising can achieve. Through the development of targeted key messages and strategies, PR can help your business “pick” the brains of consumers and find a way to relate to them.

So how can this be achieved? As business tycoon Richard Branson once said, “publicity is absolutely critical. A good PR story is infinitely more effective than a front-page ad”. This publicity, whether it be through your local newspaper or through a different medium, is crucial in reaching consumers. Effectively, business owners need to rethink how consumers are targeted.

Instead of putting an ad in the newspaper, think about writing to a media outlet and arguing why your product/business is interesting. Put yourself in the shoes of the consumer, what would you want to hear?

Examine the key message you want to deliver and find pitches that would makes stories that you would read and engage with. It is also essential that your pitch is relevant. Keep up to date with what is happening in your industry and in current affairs that could make your pitch that little bit more enticing to journalists.