Pitching Persistence: When to Resort to Plan B

Pitching isn’t easy. Journalists can be rude, your story can be less than newsworthy and your ego can take a beating. But have no fear, you have a secret weapon: persistence.

In media relations, persistence is crucial. Pitching persistence can take many forms. First and foremost, you must follow up. Whether by phone or by email, it is your job to keep the story you are pitching top of mind for the assignment editor or producer. They are inundated with hundreds of pitches every day, and will need prodding to turn their attention to your story idea.

Recently, I put pitching persistence into action while suggesting a story on author Graeme McCreath’s new book The Politics of Blindness. In the book, Graeme calls for the end of the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB), and I felt that his controversial stance was the perfect fit for CBC Radio’s The Current. I made contact with the show’s producer and was thrilled to hear that she was interested in the story.

Interest in a story is great, but if it doesn’t go anywhere you’re back to square one. This is where pitching persistence must come into action. In my case, this meant regular calls and emails to The Current’s producer. My goal was to continually remind her about Graeme McCreath and his cause.  After weeks of calls and emails, my pitching persistence paid off and Graeme did an interview on The Current, garnering national media attention for his book.

Plan B: Switch the Pitch

Too often PR pros get attached to a pitch. We spend hours carefully drafting the perfect pitch and become steadfast in a) our belief that it is the best angle, and b) thinking that since we believe so strongly in it, the assignment editor or producer surely will too.

Switching to plan B, C, or D means taking a fresh approach. Take a hard look at your story and determine what other angles exist.  A different news hook can provide you with other media outlets to pitch. Is there a niche market you hadn’t previously considered? Is there a way that you can change the pitch to make it more accessible on social media networks? Be creative and you’ll be amazed with the options you come up with.

Sometimes what you think is the least interesting part of the story can turn out to be the hook that grabs the media’s attention, so if you aren’t getting anywhere with your pitch you should try a new angle.

And remember, it’s not called stalking when you’re pitching a story, it’s called pitching persistence.