Market Fresh Friday Pitching & Media Relations Presented by Samantha Craven

Defining the Pitch Two ways to “pitch” your story to media o The press release o The pitch How do you decide which is best for your story?

Advantages of a Press Release Share news with many media contacts Easy media coverage

Advantages of a Pitch Pitching is one-on-one Build relationships with media

Targeting your Press Release Who should you pitch your story to? List of reporters/media contacts o Build list manually o Use media database – CisionPoint CisionPoint – Vocus Vocus

Targeting your Pitch Who should you pitch your story to? 1-2 targeted reporters

Planning a Press Release Consider this: What is the key message? Who is the primary audience? What objective does the news release serve?

Elements of a Press Release Logo Date Headline Subhead City of origination Lead paragraph Quotes Links Boilerplate Contact

Tips for Writing a Press Release Short, succinct headline and subhead Lead should clarify relevance of news Tie to current news or trends Write simply—use active voice, be direct, clear Follow the AP StylebookAP Stylebook Important information in the first 2 paragraphs Length o 200 to 300 words o 2 to 3 sentences o 5 to 6 paragraphs

Sending a Press Release Send by or fax Do not send as an attachment Include links Avoid the spam folder

Elements of a Pitch Introduction Explanation Key message Call to action

The Pitch Connect with journalists one-on-one Many forms—letter, , phone call, Tweet Be clear about what you want Make it relevant Establish a relationship Be creative

Measuring your Success Count clips o Search for mentions o Google news or monitoring service o Accurate count of stories Calculate impressions o How many people saw your message? o Based on circulation or unique visitors/month o Rough estimate of message exposure Which type of measurement is right for you?

Media Relations Make follow-up calls quick and direct Keep trying Have a plan First impressions are important! Line up spokespeople

Tips for Media Interviews Understand purpose Assemble data Talking points Concise speech Relax!

Other Types of Media Relations News Conferences Media Tours Press Parties Crisis Communication

Questions? Any questions? Thanks for participating! If you have additional questions after the webinar, contact me: Remember to follow Missouri Partnership on Twitter and like us on Facebook! Join us Friday, Oct. 5 for Advertising and Messaging