It’s no secret that the media world is changing. Longtime publications are folding, new ones are popping up, and reporters are utilizing platforms like Substack to start their own news sites and newsletters. Likewise, publications are turning to freelancers instead of hiring fulltime staff. It’s becoming more difficult for companies in the AI, IoT, mobile, wireless and telecom industries to keep pace with who has moved where and what they are writing about. When reaching out in this new media environment, which is better for gaining media attention and reaching your target audience, a press release or a pitch?
According to the 2021 State of Journalism survey from MuckRack, 61 percent of journalists either strongly agree or agree with the statement: “The way most companies share information with the media is outdated.” OK, that stings a little, but it’s true, otherwise reporters wouldn’t share stories about bad pitching and press releases so often on social media sites. For many companies, that means rethinking not only what to pitch but also who to pitch, and when to pitch them.
A press release is great when you need a digital record of a company’s announcement, or you want to reach a wide audience without any real expectations of coverage. Having a press release online also supports your SEO strategy and can help in page positioning in search results. A press release is a great way to get softer company news “on the record.”
Likewise, a pitch provides the reporter or editor a unique angle, as well as access to your experts and possibly some credible third parties
Here are three tips to make sure you’re making the right choice when selecting a pitch or a press release:
- Save your press releases for the most important news. According to Cision’s most recent State of the Press Release report, 41 percent of PR pros sent fewer than five press releases in 2020 using a wire service. A quarter sent 10 to 24. Only 14 percent sent 50 to 100 or more per year. Most companies have “lighter” news all the time, such as a new executive, new office opening, or a new product update. Many of these are best left for a blog or customer newsletter than issuing a press release over the wire. Keep in mind that even if you decide to pitch a reporter, such as a local publication with more vested interest in a topic because of its location, you do not need to issue it over the wire to get coverage. A good pitch should suffice.
- Know your targets inside and out. “Spray and pray” is a PR tactic that rarely works. It’s not enough to put your release on a newswire and hope it comes to the reporter’s attention. Nor is it good to hit send to a massive list of reporters and editors with the same pitch According to the MuckRack survey, the average reporter is now covering three or more beats, making it even more difficult to get their attention unless your pitch is a direct hit. Some beats are horizontal, where a reporter covers specifically defined industries like transportation, healthcare and retail. But it’s becoming more common for reporters to have a vertical strategy, where they cover a topic like AI or machine learning across multiple markets. The bottom line: Know specifically what topics your targets cover, and don’t waste their time or yours unless the topic clearly is in their coverage area.
- Consider news vs. features when crafting your pitch or press release. Evaluate your copy and decide if it is more likely to get picked up as a pitch for hard news, or for a softer feature story. Both might require an interview with your executive, but a feature might also include additional use information and possibly a customer. If you have a customer, great, but even if you have a use case, a feature pitch approach might make the most sense.
The great thing about pitches and press releases is they do not have to go hand in hand – you can do one, the other, or both. A mix of the two helps keep your pitching fresh and that’s great news for both PR and marketing professionals and their clients.
Want to learn more about how Calysto can help you tighten up your pitches and press releases? Contact us.