Source: www.vikipedia.com
As Public Relations practitioners, we deal with editors most of the
time. In media relations, one of the major PR strategies is to work with media
figures such as reporters, producers and editors to get editorial coverage. Editors
in particular are important because they are usually the ones calling the shots
in the editorial department. The notion of working with editors can be daunting
– after all we wouldn’t know which type of editors we would end up having to correspond
with.
There are various types of editor in the field – from the really
friendly and approachable ones, to the notoriously difficult editors (admit it,
they exist). Whenever we drop PR pitches to relevant editors, we would get to
experience a range of responses from them, for good or for worse. Rejections
are bound to happen, however the best way forward from the “failed” experience
is to not take the rejections personally. No matter how amazing your pitches
may be, they won’t always garner approvals or results. After a while, the
process of pitching becomes easier when you start to learn more on the
personality or characteristics of editors. Some editors prefer short pitches
while some want your pitch to be in great detail. The art of pitching also
requires the understanding of an editor’s preference in a type of story.
Completing a successful PR pitch is all about tailoring your pitches to
appeal to editors and get them hook, line and sinker. By taking your time to
understand editors, you will soon learn to save your time and focus your
efforts on the right editors with the right pitches, increasing your
opportunities in getting an editorial coverage for your clients.
In the following article by Brian Pittmann, he talks about the three most things editors look
for in PR pitches. We generally agree with what he have written, and more. In
Public Relations, it is important to form an amicable relationship with
editors; after all, editors and PR practitioners do co-depend on each other to
produce editorial contents that are of desire and of quality.
Top-tier journalists field over 100 PR pitches a day, according to a
Fractl survey of editors at 500 online publishing sites. That translates to an
astounding 26,000 pitches a year – per journalist.
How do you break through the clutter? Here are three suggestions based
on the survey responses:
1.
Collaborate with editors
on assets.
Seventy percent of editors prefer being afforded the opportunity to collaborate
rather than being pitched a finished asset.
“Once you have an idea for your next campaign,
reach out to an editor who you’d like to place your content, and ask them what
type of asset they’d prefer,” suggests Andrea Lehr, brand manager at Fractl.
Some editors prefer static assets such as this simple infographic.
Others prefer more interactive content like Fractl’s “Your Face as an
Alcoholic” dynamic asset, which includes a quiz and moving images.
Keep interested editors in the loop while you produce the desired piece
of content. Offer the editor a peek at the asset halfway through completion.
“This is a great tactic to see if there are any questions they have that still
are unanswered,” says Lehr.
Register for PR Daily’s Nov. 12 PR University webinar “The Science of
Pitching the Press: New Study, Publishers Reveal Secrets of Tripling Coverage”
to ensure that every email, social media and phone pitch you craft turns heads
and earns high-profile coverage.
2.
Pitch exclusive research.
Nearly 40 percent of editors say the perfect piece of content includes
exclusive research.
“Mention that your research is exclusive in the subject line of your
email pitch,” says Lehr. “If you’re offering an editor the exclusive, you’ll
also want to mention that in the call to action at the close of your pitch.”
Lehr did precisely that with this subject line: “Study: In 11 U.S.
cities, more than 75% of the city is in a drug-free zone [Exclusive]”
The resulting article in Mic mentioned that the research was
released exclusively to the outlet, and Lehr’s subject line was used verbatim
in the fourth sentence.
3.
Keep emails short, and
send them early.
Most editors – about 70 percent – want to see your pitch in their inbox
first thing in the morning.
“Most email platforms offer some sort of delayed-send option—so use it
to your advantage,” says Lehr. Keep time zones in mind, he adds. You don’t want
an email to end up in one person’s inbox at 8 a.m. and in another’s at 4 a.m.
Generally, people are settling into their routines in the morning, so
keep your pitches to 200 words or fewer. “Most people don’t want to spend their
mornings reading lengthy emails,” says Lehr.
An email pitch for exclusive research or an in-depth study doesn’t have
to be long just because the material is complicated. Keep it short by listing
the name of the study, describing the methodology in two sentences and
concluding with three bullets summarizing key points.
Here’s an example of an email pitch from Lehr that did precisely this:
“The Efficacy of Inbound vs. Outbound": Compares the efficacy of
inbound tactics vs more traditional efforts. Through a two-part study, we
surveyed more than 1,000 individuals about the strategies they respond to and
then took a closer look at what $10,000 could buy you across each of these
channels. Key findings:
- “Consumers value the opinions of others: Customer reviews impact purchase decisions 101% more than company social media posts.
- “Be sure you own your brand's digital presence beyond social platforms: 77 percent of consumers are positively influenced by a simple online query when considering which product to buy/
- “Although consumers are still influenced by outbound tactics like direct mailers, their reach can cost 200% more than inbound tactics.”
These techniques can help editors embrace your pitch and provide
coverage for your client.
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