4 Ways To Write The Perfect Pitch To Get Your Business Media Coverage

 
When you have a business or product, you want journalists to write about it. With so many outlets employing journalists these days, in a way it is easier than ever. However, it's not just as simple as reaching out to a bunch of journalists, and then watching the articles roll in. Here are some things you need to know to help your topic rise on a journalist's list of potential topics.

 
Lead with the meat

Media members are busy and often overloaded with many emails, particularly since writers often operate in a freelance capacity in a variety of fields. No matter what a journalist reports about, he or she receives loads of pitches on topics every day. Make sure you get right to the point in your pitch, or the journalist you've contacted might skip over it.

 
Keep it simple

When you're writing a pitch for your business or product, it's easy to fall into the trap of not writing simply enough. You might recall your college days where you wrote your essays and included some obscure words in an effort to impress your professor. A pitch is not a college essay. The writers that you contact are less likely to respond to your pitch if they need a dictionary or some working knowledge of industry jargon to figure out what it means. Remember three S words when you write your pitch: simple, short, succinct.

 
Avoid blanket pitches

No matter what you're pitching, you're probably reaching out to writers in a particular field. However, writers will have a different focus within that field. One journalist might write about the broader business aspects while another writes about specific developments within the business. Those writers are clearly not going to write the same sort of article, so they shouldn't receive the same pitch.

 
Define the trend

A lot of times you are reaching out to journalists about something that is a trend. However, it's not enough to say that what you're pitching is a trend. Give solid examples of the trend so the journalist understands the breadth and depth of the topic, and why he or she should write about it. After all, writers are always looking for content that will get views, so knowing more about a trend gives a writer a good reason to write about your trending topic.

 
This article was written by Gary Schwind for CBS Small Business Pulse.