Are you Pitching like a B*tch?

business woman media pitch

marketing planGet more media exposure by creating an email pitch that will get the reader’s attention and a response

Why Pitch like a B*tch? Because we get things done right… the first time.

We are launching a new media outlet to help women (and men too) gain more media exposure to help establish expert status and leverage their media exposure to increase sales. This month’s column reflects why its import to get the pitch right the first time.

We get several pitches sent to our office for the magazine and we received one yesterday that really stood out, but not in a positive way. It was addressed to someone else (at a different magazine), was a generic pitch and came from a third party. Not that having a third party such as a PR firm submit on your behalf, is a bad thing but they should at least get the basics right in a pitch email.

This month’s column will be a bit different. We are going to cover what should and should not go into a media email pitch.

I’ve put together 5 basic components of creating an email pitch that will get the reader’s attention and a response.

1. Get the basics right.

As simple as it sounds, make sure you have the correct contact for the media outlet, the right spelling and right title if necessary. Nothing sends a bad impression like getting the name wrong, you wouldn’t like it, so don’t do it in a pitch.

2. Make sure it’s the right email.

If a publication asks that you submit a pitch to a certain email or form, do it. Don’t think that calling or sending an email to editorial staff will get you in, just the opposite. Taking up editorial staff’s time with reading emails is not only inconsiderate, its showing them that you can’t follow directions.

3. Follow the guidelines.

If they ask for certain information in a pitch, provide it. Make sure if they ask for attachments in PDF or Word, it’s in the proper file format. Also, be conscientious of font styles and formatting, if they ask it to be provided in a certain format, again do it.

4. Wait, don’t worry.

So many contributors make the mistake of doing follow-up and it can really backfire. A good rule to follow, if the editorial staff reaches out to you, email back once or twice, that’s it. Some contributors have followed-up in excess of 20 times, which causes unnecessary screening.

5. Provide quality content that is related to the readership.

If a publication asks for original content, you need to write an original article that hasn’t been used elsewhere. One way to ensure your works go unpublished or your name blacklisted so to speak is to have the same article appear in several publications or blogs. Make your content relevant to their audience.

Pitch like a Bitchpitch like a bitch media Media is excited to announce their city-to-city media tour for the Fall of 2016. This event is perfect for women who are looking for more media exposure and need to cultivate a plan to create massive coverage. You will meet media contacts and get personalized feedback on your pitch, to make sure you’re Pitching like a Bitch! Visit our Pitch like a Bitch Facebook page for more details.

The following two tabs change content below.
My Twitter profile

Kerry Heaps

President at Strictly Marketing Magazine
Kerry Heaps is the Publisher of Strictly Marketing Magazine dedicated to providing valuable marketing content to Entrepreneurs Nationwide. She is the Founder of Pitch like a Bitch Media, which provides valuable media opportunities to Entrepreneurs who seek more media coverage . Kerry’s passion is helping Entrepreneurs with their marketing efforts. She is a sought after guest and has been featured on many media outlets.