What are the most common pitching mistakes to avoid?

Most people think PR is a numbers game, and that if they just pitch enough people at enough media outlets, they'll land the feature. That's bullshit. I see this from both sides because I'm both a publicist and a journalist, so I also get a ton of pitches. Now in my case, 99% of what I write about is public relations at business media outlets, but every day, I receive numerous pitches for weight loss, environmental issues, politics, entertainment, and countless other topics that I have never and will never write about. All this does is annoy the recipient. Instead, take the time to find the media outlets (and journalists) that cover the topics related to you and your business, and then pitch them. (And no one else!)

Never and I mean NEVER put in your pitch that you have "the perfect guest" or "perfect topic." You don't. Instead of encouraging consideration, you are unintentionally issuing a challenge. Also, you are presenting yourself as someone who hasn't done their due diligence on the personality or outlet to which you're pitching. Strive to create a relationship with the producer, the gatekeeper. ASK what his/her needs are. The relationship is often the difference-maker. Those relationships travel from job to job.

Effective pitching is crucial for conveying ideas and gaining support, whether you're presenting a business proposal, a project, or any other concept. Here are some common pitching mistakes to avoid: Some of the most common pitching mistakes to avoid are: 1)Lack of clarity 2)Ignoring the audience 3)Overloading with information 4)Lack of storytelling 5) Weak opening 6) Neglecting the problem-solution structure 7) Poor delivery 8) Ignoring competition 9) Unrealistic projections 10) Neglecting Q&A preparation 11) Forgetting the call to action

Make sure you have the correct names for the person you're pitching and the outlet. NEVER have (outlet name) or the name of a competitor because you copied the pitch and forgot to change it out.

Targeting the wrong journalists and media outlets is considered a mistake in the realm of public relations. As PR practitioners, meticulous research is the bedrock of our success. Pitching an ill-conceived story to an irrelevant journalist or media outlet betrays a lack of preparation and can have dire consequences.

The most important rule in pitching is to ensure that you don't appear like you are spamming. Pitches that stand out are the ones that are personalised with more than just the journalist's name. The pitch needs to demonstrate a good story, relevant to the topics they have worked on before, and most importantly a hook that is unique and has not been done in the recent times.

Personalization is the secret sauce required in today’s media relations arena. First, do your homework. Understand the reporter’s beat and topics of interest. You can’t advance to the next stage of media relations excellence until you understand and respect this. Secondly, contact the reporter and ask about the types of stories that interest them. Then follow-up with a story or two that meet that interest. Lastly, personalize the pitch. Generic is out. Actually, generic, non-personalized pitches went the way of the brontosaurus. When you personalize the pitch, it shows you care and wish to develop a genuine media/PR pro relationship.

Bottom line: When to comes to media relations, the press is our number one client. You wouldn't spam a client with irrelevant nonsense or you'd lose the account. Apply the same mindset to media relations. Provide value, be professional, forget strong relationships and take your time to get the pitch right.

This is a great point for me and is particularly more of a grave mistake if you don’t tell a story in your pitch. There has to be a compelling narrative that will capture the audiences attention and immerse them in the possibilities of what you are pitching can do for them also. It’s almost like “I would like to create a memorable story too with this product or service. Make your pitch more engaging, relatable, and memorable and you will have the client sold on the spot

No "spray and pray" tactics--send pitches only to journalists who cover your topic on their beat. You're wasting time and creating ill-will otherwise.

Get to the point. Reporters & journalists are busy people. Being efficient, clear, and concise are ways to demonstrate that you're respectful of their time and expertise, while still communicating your needs/asks/interests/etc. If your outreach is clear, concise, and relevant, they will appreciate your efforts — even if they are unable to act on them or engage with you at the time.

Journalists get literally hundreds of emails from PR pros every day. If you don't state exactly what your pitch is about in the first sentence, the reporter is moving on. It's easy to think, "I've got to set it up." You don't. Saying things like, "Climate change is a crisis that affects us all" is useless. You're pitching a climate reporter, they already know this.

The subject line is key here - if you get that wrong, your contact won't even get the chance to read your beautifully written, personalised pitch. Tell them what you're offering right at the top. If it's a product review or an event invite, they need to be the first words in the subject line! Tons of great opportunities go unfulfilled because the subject line isn't clear and concise.

Here are some tried and true pitching tips that increase response rates and can generate interest from the press: - Headlines should always indicate how your pitch can be of service to the journalist receiving it. Don't be cute, just say it. - Keep the pitch itself short and concise - 400 words or less, including a short bio or about section at the bottom for background. - No attachments, but careful and strategic use of links. Have the rest of your resources ready to send when they are asked for. - If there's no news, use a data point. No data, present a problem/solution. No problem/solution? Better be a darn good story!

Journalists/editors spend not more than 5-10secs (sometimes, even less) to go through a pitch. If it doesn't engage them, forget about the story ever seeing the light of the day. My suggestion, is to start with a hook to engage the recipient, For eg, did you know more than 50% of teenagers are on the risk of diabetes in the US, instead of "Diabetes is becoming very common among..."

The mistake many professionals make is as follows: 1) They either don't send the follow-up 2) They either send it a few hours after sending the first email or the next day. The inbox of journalists and media editors is ALWAYS full of emails. So don't hesitate to remind yourself! Be polite, but not pushy. If you are rejected, don't try to pitch the same topic again. Try again another time with a different information topic. Ideally, send your pitch 2 days after sending your first email.

You, me, media persons, editors, publications and everyone else is bombarded with tons of email every day. It is okay for anyone to miss out on an important message with such chaos. It is also okay to follow up. However, there is an efficient process to do that. Avoid calling, sending a WhatsApp text, Twitter DM and SMS just after sending an email to the journalist. Give them some time. If you are afraid, you will forget it, schedule an email for the next day. If you have been in the industry for some time, you may be familiar with the day-to-day work of the journalist. Do not call or message them during the time they file stories. Respect their time.

Failing to follow up thoughtfully after sending initial pitches also severely hurts PR efforts. First, make sure all contact information included is absolutely correct before blasting out reach. Beyond no response on the initial email, always offer to resend full details since journalists are incredibly busy. Maintain persistence while demonstrating professionalism and patience. If possible, vary your outreach channel - try a phone call or personalized tweet in addition to another email. Relevance has likely increased over time too so reiterate timely news hooks. The key is striking the delicate balance between tenacity and gracience in your continued pitch engagement and relationship nurturing.

You can either over-follow up or under-follow up on a campaign, and either can be a huge mistake. A gentle nudge can be just what a journalist needs to cover your story and is always worth doing. Journalists are busy people and often need a polite reminder. I would recommend waiting 3-4 working days to follow up with a journalist, and only to follow up once. Ensure that your follow up email is always polite and includes the links and images needed to cover the story so that the journalist has all the necessary information in one place.

The world is rather busy, and following up is normal. What makes it annoying is when you keep following up (leave it to 1) Follow up on irrelevant channels (stay away from the phone) Or your timing is off (send it 2 days after, not 2 hours)

You should always have information about the speaker (short bio, photo, social media link) as well as a presentation about the company or product. Create a separate presentation for journalists. If your product can be tested, be prepared to give this opportunity to journalists.

Ensure that you have all the information necessary for a timely response. This can be make or break for coverage! Try and think about what the journalist (or their boss) may need to know before they agree to cover the story, and ensure that you have this information documented so that you can easily copy and paste! It's also worth discussing this with your client and having a bank of questions and answers ready to go, as sometimes waiting on a client's response can delay getting back to the journalist.

PR pros often focus heavily on crafting the initial pitch while neglecting preparation for possible media interest and engagement. Make sure to have communications clearance and availability first should a journalist request an immediate interview or quote. Have handy relevant talking points, approved messaging, access to key spokespeople and recent company information beyond your original pitch. Lacking readiness to capitalize on reporter interest that you actively worked to garner can permanently damage your credibility. Instead, expect and welcome responses by proactively organizing all materials needed to immediately secure positive coverage when outreach succeeds.

There's 2 ways to test One method is through raw data: reply rates, coverages rates are great ways to determine what angles are better then the other However, in order to determine why something worked so you can replicate it you need human feedback so you can understand why it worked on them.

The pitching process inevitably involves trial and error but failing to learn from slip-ups squanders opportunity to strengthen strategy. Analyze every outreach campaign to identify what worked and what missed the mark. Study both successful placements and non-responses to inform smarter targeting and framing. Regularly ask journalists, even after good coverage, for constructive feedback on how to improve approach. Tracking data also reveals patterns on optimal contact cadence, personalization levels, follow up style etc. Continually fine-tuning based directly on real experience versus guessing boosts future results and relationships. View missteps as feedback for growth.

It may seem simple, but you'd be surprised how many people forget to include hyperlinks! Make it as easy as possible for the person on the receiving end of your pitch to click out to your socials and website.

Pitching "news" that isn't newsworthy is a common problem, too. As a PR practitioner, don't just take your client's non-news item and push it out because that's what they want. It won't get coverage, and you'll get blamed for it. Instead, work with them on finding a way to create something that's actually newsworthy. They may not appreciate your initial pushback, but when you deliver results, they'll see why they pay you to do what you do. They are the experts in their field; show them why you're the expert in yours.

It's always important to remember that journalists/reporters are people, too. Follow them on social media and get to know them. Check in even when you don't have something to pitch, ask them what they are working on, or if there is anything you can support for their work. This is how you build relationships and increase the likelihood of them wanting to work with you.

One of the most important parts of the outreach stage is really researching your client’s niche and understanding where their target audience is looking for answers to their questions or engaging with content before launching a campaign. Quality over quantity is so important and understanding an outlets audience, the types of stories they cover and their needs is a key part of this. It can be tempting to fire out a mass media list in bulk and hope for the best, but it’s really important to take a step back and consider how this could later impact those important journalist & PR relationships. A media list of 20, well-researched, relevant publications and journalists is more valuable than a list of 100 outlets who *might* cover your topic.

Sounding robotic and the perception of lacking authenticity, which can come from trying too hard to memorize a pitch rather than rehearsing and feeling it. Infuse your pitch with genuine anecdotes that share personal experiences or challenges overcome. It is crucial to humanize your message, allowing your passion for your work, expertise, and value to shine through, connecting with your audience.