3 of 5 Story Ideas to Inspire Your Next Media Pitch
I’m a big believer in consistency over perfection. Consistently going to the gym is going to do more than one perfect workout. Consistently calling your mom is going to be appreciated more than one perfect mother-daughter day. And in PR, consistently sending out pitches is going to land your business in the media a lot more than a single perfect pitch.
So let’s all take a sigh of relief that we don’t have to be perfect, okay?
And then acknowledge that consistency is a different kind of challenge.
Showing up time after time after time takes discipline. Writing pitch after pitch after pitch takes a lot of creativity.
But it’s worth it.
When you can consistently reinvent your story and tell the media about it, your business is going to be on their radar and they’re going to realize just how dynamic you really are.
Even though it doesn’t have to be perfect, it can seem damn near impossible to come up with a new story idea about the same business every single week. But before you let imposter syndrome creep into your psyche, I want you to know that it’s not that hard.
You should believe me on this one because I come up with new story ideas for my clients all year long, and I see a lot of the people who have attended my workshops start coming up with story ideas for their business week after week too.
You have an advantage because you’re passionate about your business. That alone can fuel plenty of stories. And in addition to that, I’m going to share a few places where I look for stories when they’re not jumping right out at me.
1. Things that are happening, AKA the News
Did you open a new location? Hire a new leader? Launch a new product? Whatever is new within your business is worthy of a pitch. I like pitching company news for a few strategic reasons.
It’s a good excuse to be on the media’s radar
It shows your business is growing and relevant
It opens the door for more media opportunities
Have you looked in the business section of your local newspaper? Your business can grab some of that attention.
2. Spring, Summer, Winter, and Fall
In the fall, just like the trees, all the glossy magazines change from bright vibrant summer colors to burnt orange, red, and yellow. It’s predredtiable which means you can anticipate that for every season, publications are going to cover relevant seasonal topics.
So, if you want to send a few pitches about summer skin care, do it!
Or if you want to help your community with tips to layer in winter, go for it!
And if your business is the perfect spot for springtime dates, tell the media!
3. Share your expertise with the world
You’re an expert at something.
Sometimes that expertise is obvious and a good fit for media attention. For example, if you are a parenting consultant your expertise is parenting and you can give parenting tips. Or if you are a baker, you can share baking tips.
Sometimes that expertise can be a little harder to fit in a pitch. Let’s say you create sassy greeting cards for the work environment. Your expertise would probably be something like design or copy. While you can definitely get some attention for that, don’t be afraid to look to your other skills you have like entrepreneurship or employee relations!
Whatever information you have that can make the lives of others a little easier is worth sharing.
Was this helpful? You can find more story ideas and a lot more information about how to pitch in my Foundations workshop!
