The power of a pitch

The journalists you pitch a story to matter more than you may think

A PR industry pro recently shared in PRWeek that it is better to focus pitching efforts on local media with the hope that other outlets will subsequently pick up the story. While local efforts are a great start, it isn’t always the most efficient way to pitch a client or a story.

The one-two punch

Why not reach out to a reporter at the local or regional Associated Press, a multi-national news agency, to cover the story in addition to your local media outlets? An AP reporter’s story can attract hundreds of local media outlets, statewide outlets, national and even international coverage – all from that one article stemming from one pitch.

Since a number of outlets can pick the story up, the angle that an AP reporter would take might be different than that of a reporter at a local media outlet. This translates not only to wider coverage, but broader coverage, as well. As a PR professional seeking the most successful and efficient PR campaign for a client, doesn’t it make the most sense to work smarter, not harder? If you can pitch one outlet that feeds into numerous other outlets, you’ve done your job successfully and efficiently.

Leverage Avalon

Many PR firms only have local capabilities; they are really only good at “backyard PR” or local PR. Conversely, many companies need PR firms with national contacts and national capabilities to penetrate news coverage in several local markets as well as the industry trade media and the national media.

This means that it’s important to do your due diligence in hiring the right PR firm. Axia Public Relations, for example, specializes in national PR work and has the unique ability to reach local markets through Avalon, our productized system for helping companies with multiple locations. From two locations to 20,000 locations, we have the experience and a competitive advantage to manage hyperlocal PR for all your stores, offices and facilities across the country.

Go viral

In today’s world, news coverage can go viral in a matter of seconds or it can take a few days to pick up speed. One pitch to one reporter can lead to a handful, dozens or even hundreds of stories – if you created a well-written pitch, pitched the best contact and reached an outlet that other outlets look to for sharing stories.

A pitch is a powerful thing; use it wisely and you can achieve outstanding results like other Axia clients:

When Axia pitched news reporters about Sanidoor’s touch-free public restroom door opening system, the story went viral after the Orlando Sentinel published it, followed by a daily Tampa, Florida, newspaper and then the LA Times. ABC News in New York City saw the LA Times story and ran it as a Tech Bytes segment nationally on nearly every ABC network affiliate.
One pitch for Brightway Insurance to Kiplinger’s Personal Finance led to publication in the print edition of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance on the outlet’s website as well as other high-profile media outlets like the Chicago Tribune and The Dallas Morning News.
Following Axia’s pitch of The Bougainvillea Clinique’s director’s use of fat to reconstruct breast cancer patients’ breasts, a TV interview featuring the topic and organization aired on multiple Fox affiliate stations.

Be efficient with your pitches and your time. It is important to remember that not every news story is worthy of going viral, and not every news story is worthy of an AP pitch.

Call Axia Public Relations today if your company has a story that you need help telling.

marjorie-comer-axia-pr Marjorie Comer is an award-winning PR professional at Axia Public Relations. She graduated from Rockhurst University with a Bachelor of Arts in communication. Marjorie cheers for her hometown Kansas City Royals. Follow her on Twitter @Marjorie_Comer.