A great local or national broadcast placement is a top goal for most brands; however, broadcast coverage can be incredibly difficult to achieve. The good news is, in today’s 24-hour news cycle, producers are looking for anything newsworthy. The bad news is, every brand wants broadcast coverage and newsroom staffs continue to shrink. This means broadcast contacts receive hundreds of pitches per day, and many go unread.
How to stand out:
- Watch the program you’re pitching!
- Know exactly what topics they cover, who the reporters are and when it airs; then, tailor your pitch accordingly.
What works:
- The keys to a good broadcast story are timely, relevant news hooks, human-interest stories and most importantly, visuals.
- Be sure the visuals are strong enough to encourage a station to send a crew to cover – create that picture in your pitch.
- If you are pitching an on-air spokesperson, chef or other expert, share video to show they will engage the audience.
Timing is everything:
- Do not pitch a program when it is on-air or just before the program starts. Producers will not be checking emails or accepting pitch calls. Most importantly, be sure you are not pitching during breaking news, unless your pitch directly ties into it. For local news, you can pitch up to a month in advance, but you must keep following up. The best times to pitch local news are between 8:00-10:00 a.m. and 12:30–2:00 p.m. For national programs, you can pitch as far out as three months, especially if your pitch relates to topics the show will be covering seasonally or around a national event.
Who to pitch:
- Only pitch the assignment desk for timely or breaking news. It is best to call the assignment desk with a brief pitch; they will direct you to the best contact to send your media alert or pitch to. It is okay to call and follow up, just be brief and to the point.
- Many assignment desks have a general email that you can send your media alert or pitch in addition to your phone outreach.
- If your story is “evergreen,” it is best to stick with reporters and producers. Specific reporters who cover a specific topic are good if you have a story that fits perfectly within their beat of coverage.
- Producers are also great to pitch, especially if you aren’t sure which reporter is the right fit or you’re pitching something for in-studio coverage.
- It is best to pitch reporters and producers via email initially.
What to include in your pitch:
- Who, what, when, where, why (especially why now) and visual opportunities are essential for broadcast pitches.
- Keep them brief and clearly state the news hook in the subject line and lead
- If your pitch is too promotional, it will surely end up deleted.
Be prepared:
- Rejection is inevitable when it comes to broadcast pitching; be prepared to hear “no” and learn from the experience.
- Additionally, both local and national broadcast outlets are heavily utilizing paid content.
- Whether your story idea is a hit or rejected, be prepared to receive a request for advertising or integration dollars.