Breaking into the media spotlight can be daunting. Depending on the market, the competition for story pitches can be intense. An editor or producer could get dozens of pitches a day via email or phone. Sometimes it seems like everyone and their grandmother has an idea for the evening news or the morning edition.
It is easy to get discouraged and think about giving up on public relations and what it can do for your business or organization. But, as the saying goes “Nothing worth having comes easy.” So, keep in mind that any rejections are not personally about YOU but your particular pitch may not resonate at the moment with the news outlets, the media may be covering hot, breaking news or you may need to do more research into what an editor or producer is looking to cover. At any rate, you must have patience and persistence until you get that first feature. How do you handle the “waiting game” until you become a media darling?
- Stay positive. It may seem like no one is responding to your submissions but continue to submit anyways. There are various reasons why media might pass but getting down about it or negative about the media won’t help you succeed.
- Make sure what you are submitting is appropriate for the media outlet. You might want to consider hiring a professional Public Relations firm or an individual who is well versed in writing and submitting to the media. They can give you tips on the language and angle of your pitch and assist in getting it in front of the right people.
- Set goals for the amount of submissions you want to do per month. Do you have enough activity to do a press release each month? Do you have an employee of the month you want to submit for coverage? Did you hire new employees that can be featured in the business section of the newspaper? You may have plenty of stories to tell and you don’t even know it!
Be prepared for many rejections before you get a bite. Sometimes it is all about timing so be consistent in submitting press releases and media alerts. Patience and persistence DO pay off!