Pitching stories to the media can be one of the most difficult, often terrifying and yet when successful, the most highly effective aspects of public relations there is.

The secret is to get interested in how the media works, learn to play their game and to find the gold nuggets of newsworthiness that differentiate you from the mass of ‘PR spins’ constantly bombarding the media.

Once you have developed this knack, you will develop a reputation with media as a source of good editorial material. Then you have one of the most powerful PR tools around because the media is an authoritative public communication channel which can do wonders for your credibility – and your client base. 

A client recently approached us wanting to expand her financial training consultancy into the corporate sector. What was her media appeal? She had a great personal story behind the development of her business and a very clear point of difference in the market with a newsworthy punch. A successful pitch resulted in a career cover story in a major daily paper which not only resulted in a flood of calls from prospective clients – but the newspaper and the journalist booked her in as well!

This example also illustrates another key to pitching success – understanding what is newsworthy. The media is on a constant hunt for news, interesting stories and opportunities to investigate current affairs. If you stay up to date with the news – read, surf, listen and watch – you’ll develop a sense of what is hot in the media. Then you can start considering how your message/expertise could have media appeal/newsworthiness – how can you tie it into the news of the day? If you’re stuck for whether it’s news or not, ask yourself would you want to read about it? 

For example, if you’re an accountant, you could provide expert commentary on tax changes just announced; or if you’re a business consultant, what are the issues facing your clients right now and do you have real-life stories illustrate it?

Once you have crafted the ‘news’ story, you need to identify which media to target - sector specific publications, daily papers, supplement sections, radio etc. In other words, which media outlet will be most interested in your story? Think about it from the audience’s point of view, not your own – who will want to read about your story? 

With one client, a product inventor wanting to promote his latest invention, we secured a profile in New Zealand Business, a monthly magazine for the SME sector. It was an inspiring story about Kiwi innovation that was read by an ex-pat New Zealander who contacted the client and took on the European rights – taking our product inventor from enthusiast to international businessman almost overnight. 

Getting the media interested in your message also requires an understanding of which format is the most appropriate whether that is press releases, advisory columns and interviews or photo opportunities etc. For instance, press releases should be avoided unless they are relaying highly newsworthy announcements/information of real value - such as research results – or are for a target media. You’ll only lose credibility with media if you send a press release about your latest business offer.

As I’ve said, the hardest part is pitching your story idea to the media target - and my advice is to keep it simple. Whether by email or telephone, focus on the ‘angle’, offer a point of difference and if possible a real-life example.  For example “Hi, my name is Jo Brown of P&B Consulting. Are you interested in a finance column on the pros and cons of the latest reforms from a small business perspective? I have several case studies which I can include that will illustrate this.”

When it comes to understanding your market - and being confident about your message - social media is a great addition to any PR toolkit. Its mix of online platforms from websites to Facebook and Twitter enables direct communication, allowing businesses to:

•engage in interactive online conversations - listen, learn and respond 

•communicate key messages to people as individuals

•democratise information - to let everyone have their say which can strengthen what you’re trying to achieve

•reach a wide audience – it’s not just for young people 

•build a community for your brand, product or message

A success story is with the Cancer Society which approached us seeking Social Media tools to promote Daffodil Day. We established a FaceBook page, responding to fans as they added content and sharing their stories, adding photos as they came to hand and using Twitter to get events photos from locations we couldn’t access. In just over a week, the Facebook page had attracted more than 560 fans with now more than 1800 fans - people the Cancer Society can directly talk to anytime.

Successful PR isn’t rocket science; it’s about how we behave, about telling great stories, effecting change and being confident about ideas. And, it will get your business noticed, connect you with the right people, get you profiled and increase your reputation in the marketplace.

This article appears in the March 2010 edition of HER Magazine.