The “new” rules of pitching

October 16th, 2009 by Sharon Harper

Media relations is a critical element of  PR. While there are fundamental aspects of pitching such as brevity that remain constant, the rules of pitching have changed with social media becoming an integral part of the mix. Social media requires a different game plan to break through the clutter.

Conversation, interaction, and engagement are essential in this effort, as suggested by a Mashable article, which explains why social media is an important component of pitching. Here’s my take:

• Social media may be key to your pitch, but the approach is completely different from that for traditional media. Use a “soft pitch” approach of building a relationship first.  And as with many things in life, you’ll need to prepare.  Prepare for the conversation and interaction with research.
• Social media is a learning tool in several respects, but by following a journalist or scanning the exchange of conversations, you can paint a solid picture of who they are and the various topics they write about—before you approach them. Pitching media is a process that starts with research. If you do your due diligence, you’ll reap the rewards in time.
• Being a resource fosters interaction. It also goes back to relationship-building basics. PR pros service both clients and journalists. If you keep your ears perked for opportunities to help the latter along the way—even in instances when it won’t result in coverage for your client—you’ll likely be considered to be a reliable contact that they’ll remember when it matters most for you, increasing your chances of connecting when the pitch is relevant.
• There’s a proper way to pitch both traditional journalists and bloggers using social media. Especially in the social media world, entering the room with a megaphone is largely scorned upon. Before approaching bloggers, a general rule of thumb is to spend 45 minutes getting to know them. They write about their passions, so uncover the nuances in their content. With engagement, transparency and brevity are key.
• When you form your overall strategy, don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Social media can be one component that complements other tactics of engaging with media. And remember: you can always take baby steps!

— Sharon Harper

This entry was posted by Sharon Harper on Friday, October 16th, 2009 and is filed under Blogging, Brand Strategy, Communication, MF, Public Relations, Social Media. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.