Small business owners: how to pitch a story idea to a journalist

Most journalists receive hundreds of story ideas each week. So if you're looking to get coverage for your small business, being able to write a compelling "pitch" is a must. But should you pitch over the phone or by email? How much information do you need to give journalists? And what should you do if they don't respond to your calls or emails? Here are some tips to get you started.

Is your story really a story?

Before you even attempt to create a pitch, make sure your story is newsworthy. Journalists are generally interested in things that are new, unexpected or will resonate with their readers in some way. So do spend time researching the publication or programme you want to pitch to. The more you understand its audience and the kind of stories it typically features, the more likely your pitch is to be successful.

Above all, don't navel gaze. You may be excited about your new product range or securing a juicy new contract, but will anyone else be? If in doubt, wait until you've got a better story.

Develop a killer one-liner

Whether you're planning to pitch by email or over the phone, you should be able to summarise your idea in 15-20 words – or fewer. If you're struggling to do this, think what the "standfirst" of the article might be (the summary sentence that appears under the headline) or, if you're pitching to radio or TV, how a presenter might introduce your story. Try not to get bogged down with jargon or technical language; imagine you're telling a friend (one who doesn't work in your sector or industry) about your story over a coffee and it should be about right.

Phone or email?

The rather unsatisfactory answer is: "it depends". Some journalists are happy for people to pitch ideas over the phone, others prefer email. If you're comfortable on the phone, there's no reason why you shouldn't call, just don't get offended if a reporter is short with you on the phone as newsrooms can be frantic places. But do avoid obviously busy times like press day or – in the case of radio or TV – while a programme is on air.

Do bear in mind that a journalist might have to pitch your story to their editor or other colleagues, so always have an email pitch ready to send the minute you get off the phone.

Most journalists' inboxes are overflowing with press releases and pitches, which means ideas can get missed. So if your story is time sensitive, do pick up the phone and call.

And do make it your mission to get the full name, email address and direct line of the person who can make a decision about whether to run your story. Don't send pitches to generic email addresses, for example features@ or editor@ as these are often not checked regularly. And don't rely on helpful-sounding colleagues who say they will pass your story to the journalist or editor in question – they probably won't.

Press release or email?

There's no harm in pasting one below your email pitch, but you certainly don't need a press release. Relying on them can lead to a lazy approach to getting media coverage – too many businesses send out the same press release to hundreds of publications and wonder why they don't get a single response.

If you want to increase your chances of success, you need to tailor every pitch to the publication or programme you're pitching to. So not having a press release can force you to take a fresh approach to each pitch – which is a good thing.

Keep it short

A good email pitch should be no more than a couple of paragraphs long. It's a good idea to label emails containing pitches with "story idea" in your subject header. A good subject line is also a must and there is more information about how to create them here.

Most journalists get hundreds of emails each day and will scan the first few lines of a pitch to see if it's interesting. Don't bother with pleasantries like "I hope you are well" or background information about your company (you can always add this at the end of your pitch). Just get straight to the "top line" (or the killer one liner) of your story, then expand your idea in no more than a couple of paragraphs.

It's a good idea to show that you're familiar with the programme or publication you're pitching to, but don't be sycophantic. Saying something like "I think this could work for your regular interview or slot" is much better than saying "I read your publication all the time and think it's brilliant".

It sounds obvious, but make sure you include all your contact details – particularly your phone number. If a journalist is interested in your story, they may want to get in touch immediately, particularly if the idea is time sensitive.

There is nothing wrong with pitching the same idea to different publications or programmes ... as long as you are upfront about what you're doing. Journalists are happy to cover some stories that are being covered elsewhere (usually news), but with others (more in-depth features and articles, for example) they may want exclusivity. And there's nothing more annoying to a journalist than starting to work on something they thought was an "exclusive" only to find it's being covered elsewhere – or even on another section of their publication or programme.

Be prepared for knockbacks

Don't be surprised if journalists don't return your calls or answer your emails. Most only follow up on stories they want to cover. But good ideas do sometimes get missed, so there's no harm in putting a few follow up phone calls or emails. Just don't overdo it; there's a fine line between being proactive and being annoying.

If a journalist tells you they're not interested in your story, do ask them why. Some may be brusque, but others will tell you exactly why your idea didn't work for them, which is invaluable information for your next pitch. And do always ask if there's anything else you can help with. Sourcing that hard-to-find case study or interviewee can be the first step to building a long-term relationship.

Above all, don't be too hard on yourself. It takes time to develop expertise in media relations, so try not to take knockbacks personally or let them dent your confidence. Pick yourself up, dust yourself down ... and you will start hearing "yes" more often than "no".

Janet Murray is a freelance journalist and media consultant. Her blog can be found here. She tweets @jan_murray

This piece was originally published in July 2014

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