All day and every day, journalists and other members of the media get bombarded with stories and other matters demanding their attention. Don't let your story get lost in the noise. Make your press release or media kit stand out with a pitch letter: a personalized letter that gets a reporter's attention and tells her why the story should interest her. While pitch letter voice, style and subject matter will vary widely depending on what you're pitching, several general strategies apply to all pitch letters.
Instructions
1. Stick with the tried-and-true opening greeting of "Dear so-and-so." Use the media contact's name instead of the less personal "Dear Reporter" or "Dear Publicist." Avoid fun, silly or creative salutations; what you deem "creative" or "fun" can easily come off as amateurish or even cliched to the media contact.
2. Present your "hook" in the first paragraph. Hooks are the the bite-sized pieces of information that tell the media contact exactly what you have to offer without forcing him or her to continue reading your letter. Reporters like to get to the point quickly so they'll want to know right away what you're getting at. Otherwise, they might toss your letter into the trash. For example, a bankruptcy expert in Manhattan could say, "Did you know that New York foreclosure rates hit their highest levels this year? I can show your readers five ways they can avoid foreclosure."
3. Lay out the four Ws -- who, what, where and why -- of your story. Outline why the hook from your first paragraph is relevant to the specific media contact's readership, showing that you've done your research on the publication's readership. Also, flesh out your proposed story. For example, a Manhattan bankruptcy expert could explain a summary of his proposed foreclosure-avoidance tips.
4. Detail how the media contact can get back to you in the third paragraph. If he liked your pitch and wants to know more, provide several methods of contact, including an email address, a social media account and a phone number.
5. Alert the media contact that you'll be calling her shortly to follow up on your pitch letter. For example, you could write that you'll give her a call three weeks after the send date of your pitch letter.
6. Sign your name and your business title or credentials.
7. Add a postscript after your name, recommends Sean D'Souza, an author and public relations specialist. In the public relations and marketing world, the reader of the public relations piece will remember two things: the start of the piece and the end of the piece. Your "P.S." could include a quick summary of your hook or an amplified sense of urgency. For example, you could tell the media contact that you've pitched this idea to several news outlets and will only collaborate with whoever gets back to you first.
