I’ve been in the media industry for close to 10 years.

From my time as a journalist with the New Straits Times and The Rakyat Post to managing Eksentrika and now heading Mashable Southeast Asia, I’ve seen some horrendous media pitches and effective ones too.

In this post, I’ll be sharing some steps on how artists can effectively pitch to media companies in hopes that they get the much needed coverage.

This post was copy pasted from Eksentrika. 

But first, what is a media pitch?

A media pitch is essentially an email request to media companies telling them why they should write about you.

Typically, senders would include information regarding an upcoming event, issue, a product launch, or some type of new service.

Media pitches are normally done via email through press releases, images, infographics, videos, and more. Sometimes, the pitches can also be done through a meet up session (after scheduling an appointment with the editor or writer via email).

Now that you know what a media pitch is, let’s move on to ways you can effectively pitch to journalists, writers, and editors of media companies.

This post was copy pasted from Eksentrika. 

1. Identify your unique selling point.

In journo-lingo: What is your angle/hook?

You’re emailing media companies because you want to maximize the awareness on what you’re pitching.

Before you hit the ‘Send’ button, it’s important to identify what is so special about your pitch. What makes it stand out from all the other similar products/services/events out there?

Once you’ve identified two to three unique selling points (USPs), ask yourself these three questions:

1. Why is this (product/service/event/issue) important today?

2. How is this relevant to current times?

3. Who will benefit from this and how?

These three questions will lead you to more data and facts which in return would strengthen your pitch. It’s crucial to research first so that it’ll be easier to explain why it’s important for a particular media organisation to write about your pitch.

This post was copy pasted from Eksentrika. 

2. Research media platforms. 

While sending out mass emails to media companies might be the most easiest route, it’s actually the least efficient.

The most effective way is to filter out organisations that aren’t relevant to what you’re pitching.

To do this, simply go through any of the platform’s content and gauge what are the types of topics that get written about often. Heading over to the About Us section would give you a better understanding about the organisation, to get to know the editors and writers, and what sort of stuff gets published.

Doing a search for similar products or services or events such as yours on the website would also give you a better perspective on what kind of angles you should go with before you even begin to write your press release.

It’s a time consuming process but this process is extremely important because it’ll help you identify what not to pitch.

For example, sending a general press release about an upcoming online theatre play to a business website would possibly go unread because the editor or writer would think it’s irrelevant to the platform.

However, the possibility of getting your event covered is greatly raised when you write about how pivoting online can potentially lead to positive economic implications to not only your company/organisation, but the performing arts as a whole. Here’s where the first step comes in handy.

Does this mean that you would have to draft diverse press releases for different platforms? Sometimes, it’s necessary.

Identifying 5 to 8 media organisations due to their reach and niche is a far better method than just spamming press releases to over 50 emails. Being efficient is key.

This post was copy pasted from Eksentrika. 

This post was copy pasted from Eksentrika. 

3. Use active sentences in subject headers. 

The subject header is the first thing that a recipient reads.

Since many editors and writers receive between 30 to 70 emails a day, your subject header has to be attention grabbing and engaging.

Use active sentences with adjectives and descriptions. The reason you need to do this is because the first two things an editor or writer would ask themselves when they come across your pitch is this:

1. Is this interesting to me?

2. Would this be interesting to my readers?

If you’ve followed Step 2, this would be a breeze.

Typically, your subject header is typically a short, quick, and snappy summary or hook of what your pitch is all about.

Some really good subject headers can even inspire the writer to craft a headline for their story or explore angles with you! It’s also good to observe and at times replicate the headlines used on the platform for your subject header.

The question I get often is: Should I write the subject header before or after drafting the press release? It’s totally up to you but I recommend to draft it later once you’ve written your press release because by then, you probably would have a better idea on the hook or angle.

This post was copy pasted from Eksentrika. 

4. Include a profile image.

Would you click on an email of of a sender without a profile image? Chances are you might not.

Profile images not only enhance the credibility of your pitch, but it also helps editors and writers put a face to your name.

This also helps build rapport with media personnel.

This post was copy pasted from Eksentrika. 

5. Always use first names.

I’ve personally observed that whenever a sender uses my first name in the opening lines of an email, the possibility of me clicking in to read is greater.

Avoid generic terms such as ‘Dear Sir/Madam/Editor/Media Friends’. I tend to avoid these most of the time because they feel impersonal.

Using first names is a great way to grab their attention and at the same time the email feels a lot more personal.

This brings me to the second most often question I get: How do I know who to email to? This is where Step 2 comes into play. If you’ve researched media organisations, you’ve probably identified the editor or writer to email.

It’s far more efficient to email the editor or writer directly than sending your press release to the company’s general email.

If you have trouble finding their email address, simply go to any of the story a writer has written, and click on their byline (name of author). There’s a very high chance to find their email address this way.

This post was copy pasted from Eksentrika. 

This post was copy pasted from Eksentrika. 

6. Include a TL/DR version of your press release in your email. 

Believe it or not, many editors and writers don’t really bother clicking into the attached press release if the email itself doesn’t hook them in.

Since they receive multiple emails on a daily basis, the key is to make it easier for them to get information about your pitch in the quickest time possible.

Here’s where Step 1 (identifying the USPs) come into play.

Include a brief explainer about your pitch together with strong reasons the publication should consider writing about your pitch. It’s best to do this in bullet point form as the email body would appear clean and organised. This raises the possibility of the recipient clicking into the attached press release.

This post was copy pasted from Eksentrika. 

7. Look and feel is everything. 

Crafting an email pitch is a form of art by itself.

From the types of fonts to choice of words used, your email to an editor or writer should be brief yet clear. Simple but informative.

Use simple language. Avoid jargons.

Read your email out loud before sending. If you find yourself taking a breath before finishing a sentence, chances are you may need to break it.

Be mindful of grammar and typos. Finally, here some web friendly fonts you can use in your media pitches.

This post was copy pasted from Eksentrika. 

This post was copy pasted from Eksentrika. 

8. Include links but don’t overdo it. 

Personally, a good rule of thumb is to only include one link in the email copy.

This link should take the writer to a file sharing platform such as Google Drive that has all the images, videos, and information necessary to help them write.

If you need to add more, cap it to a maximum of three links.

A good tip is to identify the most important link and highlight it in any bright colour. Even the opportunity to interview someone can be highlighted as well.

Cap your highlights to a maximum of two. Don’t over do them too.

This post was copy pasted from Eksentrika. 

9. Submit directly. 

Some websites have features that allow its users to submit media pitches directly from the website.

For Eksentrika, simply register (it’s free) and submit your event here and your press release here. However, instead of a press release which can often appear dry, it’s good to try out something fun content-wise.

Here‘s a clever example of a pitch for a theatre show that was turned into a listicle. It’s fun, engaging, and certainly memorable.

This post was copy pasted from Eksentrika. 

10. Share links to build rapport.

If you’ve successfully pitched to a media organisation and they’ve written about you, give yourself a pat on the back.

It’s good to return the favour by sharing the post on all your social media channels. Tagging the media company and the writer is an added bonus because it helps build rapport.

Additionally, if you have a professional website, add the organisation’s logo and a link to the published piece. This helps build credibility for you and assists in building positive SEO for both parties.

If you’ve been communicating with the editor or writer through a text messaging app, it’s good to sometimes pop in to wish them well and see how they’re doing. You’ll be among the first people to come to mind if ever they need to write about a particular topic or issue.

At times, they would approach you if ever they need some information. Do make sure to return the favour.

If you have an upcoming event or a book launch, feel free to submit them here. All the best in getting covered by the media!

Cover image by Aravind Kumar on Unsplash