Less is more

Korisa Geiger //August 9, 2013//

Less is more

Korisa Geiger //August 9, 2013//

Great media relations experts have to be on message and direct and to the point. This can often be the biggest challenge when pitching reporters. The key is to draft the story in a short message, whether you’re pitching through the phone, by email or on social media networks.

Getting a journalist’s attention has become more challenging than ever, so the first step in setting your pitch is to get them interested in your story. You can provide details, images and video once you’ve hooked them on your idea.

Twitter is a great way to pitch to reporters in a specific niche or location. An example is a recent media relations campaign promoting our client, the Town of Frisco, for its largest event of the year — the Colorado BBQ Challenge. The event pulls in travel and foodie reporters throughout Colorado to sample savory barbeque and experience the mountains during summer. Twitter was used as a tool to reach the target media. Here are a few tips for using Twitter for your pitch.

• Abbreviate – shorten the titles or names as much as possible but still make them readable. No need to throw out proper grammar here. Example: if the event is the “Colorado Barbeque Challenge” event, use “CO BBQ Challenge” instead.

• Use Tags – tag your client’s Twitter page, but don’t include every specific #hashtag associated with the topic. For example, you can use CO #BBQ Challenge, especially if you’re targeting a reporter who covers barbeque.

• Create Lists – build your list of targeted media as you would in a media database — that way it’s easier to find all the Twitter handles of the people you’re pitching.

• Be Brief – the key to a great Twitter pitch is to include exactly what you want in a short message. Example, 40K attend @townoffrisco CO BBQ Challenge for BBQ, chef demo with celebrity Brian Malarkey, Breck Whiskey Tour & more. Details or tix DM me.

When using Twitter as a pitching tool, keep these tips in mind and you’re sure to succeed. Happy tweeting!