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THE PITCHING TO JOURNALISTS

TOOLKIT

CONTENTSIntroducing Pitching to Journalists…….........................................

A Very Quick Guide to Pitching to Journalists- PR Isn’t Just Press Releases………………………………………………...- How to Come Up With a Pitch…………………………………………...- Types of Media Coverage and the Best Times to Send a Pitch………………………………………………………………………….………..

Example Pitches- Guest Article Pitch………………………………………………………………….- Actionable Insights Pitch…………………………………………………….- Breaking News Hook Pitch…………………………………………….…...- Sector Overview Pitch…………………………………………………………...- How X Will Help Y Pitch………………………………………………………..- Product Review Pitch……………………………………………………………

Conclusion…………………………………………….………………………………….

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A VERY BRIEF INTRODUCTIONThanks for downloading our Pitching to Journalists Toolkit, which this ebook is a part of.

If you haven’t already read our Guide to Pitching to Journalists, then we highly recommend giving this a read as well. It tells you everything you need to know about the pitching process and will be 10 minutes well invested.

In this ebook we’ve collated real world examples of 6 of the most common types of PR pitches. All of them were written by our PR professionals, on behalf of our clients. We have of course removed all personal details from each pitch.

Here’s a complete list of the pitches included in this ebook:

● General guest article● Actionable insights● Breaking news hook● Sector overview● How X will help Y● Product review

Confused by some of these terms? Read on and we’ll fill you in!

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A VERY QUICK GUIDE TOPITCHING TO JOURNALISTS

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PR ISN’T JUST PRESS RELEASESWhen many people think of PR, they immediately think of press releases. While almost all PR agencies certainly pump out a lot of these on behalf of their clients, they only serve one purpose - to inform the press about a company announcement.

But the average startup may only have a couple of genuinely newsworthy announcements to make in any one year. So how do you continue to win media coverage, when you have no company announcements to make?

Well, it’s actually easier than you might think. All you need to do is pitch other types of stories to the media. This can be about anything. Is there a breaking news story that you could offer a journalist an expert opinion on? Is there

When it comes to pitching to the media, this is the golden rule we stick to (and yes, we’re paraphrasing!):

“Ask not what a journalist can do for you, ask what you can do for a journalist.”

a recognized problem in your industry which you can offer a solution to? Is there a major change impacting your sector which you can provide actionable advice on?

Different types of pitches

While you can pitch anything to the media, our many years of hard-won experience tells us that the following types of pitches are the most effective at winning media coverage. Here are the terminologies that we use to describe different types of pitches.

Pitch type What is it?

General Guest Article

Actionable Insights

Breaking News Hook

Sector Overview

How X Will Help Y

Product Review

Used when pitching for a guest article spot in a publication, which is talking about a general topic relevant to your industry.

Used when pitching actionable and practical insights which are based on your own experience and expertise.

Used to jump on a breaking news story that’s relevant to you or your business by pitching to offer expert opinion and insight.

Used when pitching to provide an overview or analysis of something that’s happening at a high level in your industry.

Used when pitching a story, advice or insight that provides a solution to a known problem.

This one’s nice and simple. It’s used when you’re pitching your product to professional reviewers

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HOW TO COME UP WITH A PITCHNow you’re aware of the main types of pitches, you may be wondering how do come up with pitches of your own. Ultimately, the success of any PR strategy comes down to the strength of what you’re pitching. If it offers little insight, interest or relevancy to the influencer, then they’re not going to pick it up.

This maybe sounds a little abstract, right? Well, for a far more detailed explanation, download our PR for Growth Playbook which provides step-by-step advice on how to develop a pitch. And our example pitches contained within this resource will help bring the above to life.

So how do you come up with killer ideas for pitches that journalists will want to bite your hand off for? It takes clearly defined business goals, a well crafted narrative and expert knowledge of your industry and current trends, as the below graphic demonstrates.

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Type of media coverage What is it?

TYPES OF MEDIA COVERAGE AND THE BEST TIMES TO SEND A PITCH

A successful pitch to a journalist can generate different types of media coverage. Here’s a list of the main types.

Guest Article

Expert Commentary

Guest Appearance

Profile

Interview

Product Review

When you write an article that’s published by a publication under your name

When you provide a comment for a story that’s attributed to you

When you appear as a guest, such as on a podcast

When a journalist writes a profile about you

When you get a feature interview in a publication, such as a trade journal

When your product is professionally reviewed by a publication

When it comes to emailing your pitch, here are the best times to send it:

GUEST ARTICLE PITCH:ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND

STARTUPS

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SUBJECT: Hi [NAME], regular contributor pitch for [PUBLICATION NAME]

Hi [NAME],

[YOUR NAME] is a [YOUR UNIVERSITY] grad with over 20 years of experience in brand management, technology marketing and innovative business strategy. His passion has led him to drive the go-to-market strategy and monetization efforts for successful startups in different industries, including [STARTUP NAME 1], [STARTUP NAME 3] and [STARTUP NAME 3].

[YOUR NAME] has been a mentor at [PROGRAM NAME], [CITY NAME]'s leading tech startup accelerator since its inception, over 7 years ago. He ran the digital thought leadership practice for creative advertising agency network [AGENCY NAME], raised funding and ran a marketing consulting startup in the past. In addition to this, he’s also a seed investor and advisor in several startup syndicates. Additionally, he’s an advocate for diversity in the entrepreneurial space.

[YOUR NAME] is interested in contributing articles to [PUBLICATION NAME] on a regular basis about topics on early-stage entrepreneurship and tech startups including:● In-depth analysis on startup and funding trends● Background and "founder journey" stories of dynamic startups that are dominating

headlines and also flying under the radar.● Entrepreneur profiles from underrepresented groups (e.g. women founders, Black

founders, Hispanic founders, immigrant founders, etc.)● Q&As with prominent angel investors, venture capitalists and corporate

development leaders

Some of the titles he could immediately start working on include:● Three women-led startups you need to know about● What's an oracle and why it (and not Bitcoin) is the killer app for blockchain● Five Black venture capitalists changing the game● Why it pays to be an early adopter (of tech platforms)● Six reasons not to raise venture funding

Let me know if this would be something you’re interested in. Looking forward to hearing from you.

All the best,

PITCH 1 - GUEST ARTICLE PITCH: ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND STARTUPS

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1. We used the subject line to refer to the journalist or editor by name, clearly stated the purpose of the pitch (regular contributor), and named the publication to further personalize it.

2. The first paragraph is the introduction. Use this to briefly explain your professional background and key achievements. In this example, we’re highlighting the business and startup leadership experience this person has.

3. The second paragraph is the social proof - this explains why you’re qualified to write guest articles on the topics you’re pitching. In this example, we’re providing more details of this person’s experience in the startup ecosystem.

4. Now come the details of the actual pitch, after we provided context and social proof up top. Here we explain that this person is interested in contributing regular guest articles to this publication and provide some examples of the topics they’re interested in writing about.

5. And finally, here’s the business end of the pitch. In this section we provide five guest article titles that the person can start work on immediately, should the journalist or editor accept the pitch

THIS IS WHY WE WROTE IT HOW WE DID

PITCH 1 - GUEST ARTICLE PITCH: ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND STARTUPS

ACTIONABLE INSIGHTS PITCH:CHANGES WITHIN AN INDUSTRY

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SUBJECT: [NAME] - Story pitch: a race to trace - how to still meet the DSCSA legislation requirements

Hi [NAME],

I hope all is well? I’m sure you’ve heard about the Drug Supply Chain Security Act coming into play on November 27th. As it turns out, limited number of vendors and a lack of readiness among manufacturers to comply with this legislation led to the compliance date being postponed in July 2017.

I’m writing to you on behalf of [YOUR NAME], co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer of [COMPANY NAME], a leading track and trace company, providing leading-edge solutions to help companies and governments across the globe meet regulatory compliance requirements, protect their products, and lower supply chain costs.

[YOUR NAME] is keen to offer his insights on the current state of supply chain traceability legislature and to offer your readership actionable takeaways on what can be done in order to comply with this new legislation:

1. How to select a reliable serialization software2. The importance of data quality management from production down to the

dispensers3. Partner up – collaborative efforts between all trading partners allows to comply

with regulations in time

He’s available to offer you a comment on a story you might be writing, to schedule an interview, or to write a thought leadership piece if you’re too busy. Let me know if this is something you would be interested in. Looking forward to hearing from you.

All the best,

PITCH 2 - ACTIONABLE INSIGHTS: CHANGES WITHIN AN INDUSTRY

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1. We used the subject line to call out the journalist or editor by name, then clearly stated what type of pitch it is and the subject of the pitch.

2. The first paragraph is used to set the scene. As the hook of the pitch is about an upcoming regulatory change and the impact this is having on businesses, we’ve immediately explained this and provided a link to a data point that supports our angle.

3. The second paragraph is the introduction and explanation of why you’re relevant to the hook you presented in the opening paragraph. In this example we explain why this person is qualified to comment on this issue facing the industry, which is due to their industry experience.

4. Now comes the details of the actual pitch. We refer to this type of pitch as “actionable insights”, where we’re offering to provide helpful insights and takeaways on a topical subject or problem facing the industry. In this example we’ve provided three topics that this person can provide insights on.

5. And finally, here’s the business end of the pitch. In this section we explain what we can offer on this story, which includes a comment, interview or for this person to write a thought leadership guest article for this publication.

THIS IS WHY WE WROTE IT HOW WE DID

PITCH 2 - ACTIONABLE INSIGHTS: CHANGES WITHIN AN INDUSTRY

BREAKING NEWS HOOK PITCH:CORPORATE MERGER

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SUBJECT: [NAME] - Story Pitch: How logistics companies can compete with Maersk-IBM blockchain

Hi [NAME],

I’m sure you’ve heard the news about Maersk and IBM announcing their intention to form a blockchain joint venture to solve the logistics industry’s biggest challenges. However, a number of these issues actually need to be resolved first before blockchain can be implemented effectively.

[YOUR NAME] is co-founder of market leading AI logistics solutions provider [COMPANY NAME]. Based on her industry experience she believes that there are necessary steps that other logistics companies must take to participate in the blockchain revolution and compete with giants like Maersk-IBM, and others like Amazon, including:

- Becoming more digital- Improving historically poor data quality- Forming a decentralized ecosystem of customers and suppliers- Adapting quickly and changing legacy mentalities

[YOUR NAME] is keen to offer her insights on this topic and would be available to:- Provide a comment for an article you may already be writing- Schedule an interview for a new article- Serve as a potential source for these type of stories

Please let me know if this is of interest, and how you would like to proceed.

Kind regards,

PITCH 3 - BREAKING NEWS HOOK: CORPORATE MERGER

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1. We used the subject line to call out the journalist or editor by name, then clearly stated what type of pitch it is and the subject of the pitch.

2. The first paragraph is used to set the scene. As this pitch is based on a breaking news hook, the first paragraph starts by mentioning the breaking news story in question. It then explains the angle of the pitch (about the need to resolve a range of issues before blockchain can be implemented).

3. The second paragraph is the introduction and explanation of why you’re relevant to the hook you presented in the opening paragraph. In this example we explain why this person is qualified to comment on this issue facing the industry, which is due to their industry experience. This section then expands on the angle of the pitch by explaining some of the issues that need to be resolved by logistics companies in order to participate in blockchain technologies.

4. And finally, here’s the business end of the pitch. In this section we explain what we can offer on this story, which includes a comment, an interview or to be used as a source for stories similar to this.

PITCH 3 - BREAKING NEWS HOOK: CORPORATE MERGER

THIS IS WHY WE WROTE IT HOW WE DID

SECTOR OVERVIEW PITCH:INDUSTRY TECHNOLOGICAL

CHANGE

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SUBJECT: [NAME] - Story Pitch: Opportunities in Latin America’s banking sector abound for global tech firms

Hi [NAME]

With over 45% of the population lacking a bank account in Latin America and VC firms showing a willingness to back new entrants to the market, the opportunities for technology and start up firms to compete in what is basically virgin territory seems very promising. The trends have already begun with fintech investment tripling in growth from 2015 to 2016 and more than doubling in growth from 2016 to 2017.

[YOUR NAME] is the co-founder and CEO of [COMPANY NAME], a global fintech company headquartered in Brazil that offers local payment solutions from Latin America for merchants. She is keen to offer her unique insights on this emerging sector and can speak as an expert on the following topics:

● The new cultural shift in the startup landscape that will allow startups to help small businesses across the region.

● Which types of tech firms and which industries seem the most competitive and promising

● How and why Latin American fintech firms are proving to be just as attractive to investors as US-based counterparts

[YOUR NAME] would be more than happy to provide expert commentary for any future stories on this subject. She is also available for interviews, or I could also pen an article on this topic which could provide your readership with great insight and actionable takeaways.

All the best,

PITCH 4 - SECTOR OVERVIEW: INDUSTRY TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE

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1. We used the subject line to call out the journalist or editor by name, then clearly stated what type of pitch it is and the subject of the pitch.

2. The first paragraph is used to set the scene. As this pitch is based on a sector overview hook, the first paragraph starts by explaining the industry in question. It also provides data points to support the angle of this pitch.

3. The second paragraph is the introduction and explanation of why you’re relevant to the hook you presented in the opening paragraph. In this example we explain why this person is qualified to provide an overview of this industry, which is due to their industry experience. This section then expands on the angle of the pitch by providing three topics that this person can provide an expert overview on.

4. And finally, here’s the business end of the pitch. In this section we explain what can be offered to the journalist/editor, which in this example is expert commentary, an interview or a guest article submission.

THIS IS WHY WE WROTE IT HOW WE DID

PITCH 4 - SECTOR OVERVIEW: INDUSTRY TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE

HOW X WILL HELP Y PITCH:INDUSTRY SKILLS SHORTAGE

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SUBJECT: [NAME] - Story Pitch: This 19yo Engineer Learned Code on a Nokia 2690 & is Now Helping Young Africans Fulfil their Dreams

Hi [NAME],

According to HP Africa’s MD, David Rozzio, 2019 is the year when disruptive technologies in Africa will begin to scale. 2018 saw the rise of new technologies and next they will begin to take shape across a myriad of industries. Inevitably, 2019 will require more tech talent than ever to achieve this potential, and it seems this talent can be found in the most unexpected of places.

19-year old tech prodigy [YOUR NAME] personifies the creativity and genius that thrives within Nigeria. After learning to code on a Nokia 2690, and using it to build a number of apps he is now working with MIT backed startup [COMPANY NAME]. Passionate about education, he is using his self-taught skills to help other intelligent, young Africans to gain access to the tools he didn’t have, which they need to nurture their talents.

[YOUR NAME] is also an engineer at [COMPANY NAME], one of the biggest ride-sharing platforms in the MENA region and founder of [COMPANY NAME], an exam preparation app for Africans by the teachers and engineers of Lagos, Nigeria, tailored to address constraints like low internet speeds in Africa.

Please let me know if you are interested in an article, commentary or interview with [YOUR NAME], covering:● How he was able to go from rural Nigeria to an MIT backed startup● How to build successful apps for African markets● The future of tech in Africa

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Many thanks,

PITCH 5 - HOW X WILL HELP Y: INDUSTRY SKILLS SHORTAGE

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1. We used the subject line to call out the journalist or editor by name, then provided a catchy summary of the person we were pitching on behalf of.

2. The first paragraph is used to set the scene. As this pitch is what we refer to as “how x will help y” (presenting a solution to a problem), we’ve used this paragraph to explain that the growth of new technologies in this region will create issues with tech talent shortages, but that these shortages can be plugged in unexpected ways.

3. The second paragraph is the introduction and explanation of why this person is relevant to the hook that was presented in the opening paragraph. In this example we’re providing an inspirational backstory and also explaining how this person is providing a solution to the problem that was outlined up top.

4. The third paragraph provides further social proof of why this person is an authority on this topic. In this example we’ve provided details of other relevant career achievements.

5. And finally, here’s the business end of the pitch. In this section we explain what can be offered to the journalist/editor, which in this example is expert commentary or an interview, along with the topics this person can provide expertise on.

THIS IS WHY WE WROTE IT HOW WE DID

PITCH 5 - HOW X WILL HELP Y: INDUSTRY SKILLS SHORTAGE

PRODUCT REVIEW PITCH:VOIP SOFTWARE

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SUBJECT: [NAME] - AI-Virtual Phone App Product Review Suggestion: [APP NAME]

Hi [NAME],

I saw your previous [COVERAGE] on the best VOIP software for businesses in [PUBLICATION] and I was wondering if you are considering writing a similar story soon?

We’d like to put [COMPANY NAME] on your radar for any future review pieces or listicles you may be working on, [COMPANY NAME] is an AI-powered virtual phone service for businesses and entrepreneurs, leveraging AI and automation to help businesses improve customer interaction, lead generation and gather data to generate helpful insights.

[COMPANY NAME] offers several features that make their service unique compared to other VOIP services:

● AI-Powered interface that notifies, answers and redirects calls● Ranks “leads” based on the likelihood of becoming a sale● Conversational AI answers general questions about a business via text● The dashboard keeps entrepreneurs updated on the status of calls/leads

[NAME], CEO at [COMPANY NAME], is available to provide a quote if you decide to feature the app or share insights and non-promotional content if you plan to cover Voice AI, VoIP or lead optimization.

Thank you for your consideration,

PITCH 6 - HOW X WILL HELP Y: INDUSTRY SKILLS SHORTAGE

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1. We used the subject line to call out the journalist or editor by name, then explained that this is a product review pitch

2. The first two paragraphs introduce what the pitch is about. In this example, the first section references a recent article that the journalist wrote that is relevant to the product that’s being pitch. It then introduces the product.

3. The following section provides more details on the product’s unique selling points. In this example we list out four features that are unique with this product.

4. And finally, here’s the business end of the pitch. In this section we restate the purpose of the pitch and also state this person’s availability to provide input on any non-promotional pieces that the journalist or editor may be working on.

PITCH 6 - HOW X WILL HELP Y: INDUSTRY SKILLS SHORTAGE

THIS IS WHY WE WROTE IT HOW WE DID

CONCLUSIONPitching to journalists can seem daunting at first. They’re known for having limited time and even more limited patience. So it’s hardly surprising that journalists can get a bit shirty when it comes to PR, if approached in the wrong way.

By using these examples you’re sure to stay on their good side, which will increase your chances of winning media coverage.

Now you’ve read our Pitching to Journalists Toolkit, why not explore some of our resources, including...

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THE HOW TO BUILD A BRAND TOOLKITTHE PITCHING TO JOURNALISTS TOOLKIT

Resource Type What is it?

The Ultimate Startup Press Release Guide

The Tech Journalist Email Database

The PR for Growth Playbook

The Startup PR Strategy Toolkit

If you have an announcement to make, learn everything you need to know to write a killer press release.

Download our database of tech journalist contact details so you can send your pitches to the right people.

For a complete overview on how to use PR to grow your business, download or PR for Growth Playbook.

Our Startup PR Strategy Toolkit provides everything you need to plan your PR strategy.

Startup PR doesn’t begin and end with a nod from TechCrunch. When applied correctly, PR plays a fundamental role in building legitimacy, credibility and awareness – the vital foundations for growth.

At Publicize, our mission is to help you build the foundations for growth with PR and social media strategies tailored to your needs.

To learn more about how you can use #PRforGrowth, book a free consultation with one of our specialists and hear our thoughts on how a PR and social media strategy could be tailored to your needs.

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