Monday, July 30, 2012

Plan B

You've spent hours crafting and proofreading a press release, one that you just sent out to the media. A couple days go by, and not a bite from reporters. So now what? Yeah you can follow up by emailing, calling, the works. But before you pull your hair out from frustration, consider the following points via PR Daily:

  • Remember that timing is critical when pitching: Consider what is going on in the world when you are pitching. If you are pitching a farmers market in the midst of a national disaster, then obviously your pitch is going to get pushed to the back burner. Sometimes reporters will pick up on your story after a couple rounds of pitches, simply because the time is right. 
  • Sometimes it takes a while, too: Of course it's better when a reporter gets back to you immediately. But sometimes it'll take a while, depending on several different factors like time, place, market, etc.
  • It's not always about timing, of course, so trust your instincts: While someone can get back to you months after your initial pitch, maybe its time to switch it up after a while. Sometimes we can be so focused on just getting the pitch out and running that we neglect to see when the body of our story is lacking. 
  • Regrouping with colleagues always helps if you need a new perspective: Another set of eyes are always beneficial when you're in need of an extra push. A colleague may be able to show or tell you something that you missed. Even a family member or friend could be of help, after all, they're representative of your target audience. 
Have you ever been stuck when reporters don't respond to your pitch? What was your Plan B? Let us know!

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