From Conde Nast Traveler’s “The Art of Chilling” to Westchester Magazine’s “The Royal Treatment,” a plethora of enticing story angles have made, Esencia Estate, one of the Riviera Maya’s most recognized luxury hotels
Glancing through The New York Times travel section or the slideshows on Fodors.com, the titles of the ever present stream of travel stories are a representation of travel public relations success. Ever present in a story’s title, is a glimpse of the story angle that was successfully pitched from a publicist’s desk.
Determining angles for media pitches is as much an art, as it is a calculated science. We’re breaking down the art of the story angle and offering five tips to strengthen your pitching efforts to maximize media results.
Five Tips for Determining Captivating Angles and Getting Stories Placed
1. Do Your Research – Knowledge is everything in media relations. Take the time to read the articles of the editors and writers you are pitching to understand what interests them. Once you have a firm understanding of the editor’s beat and the types of stories they write, come up with an angle that they have not covered. The media is always looking for something different, so if you are pitching a story about a hotel that is in a destination that the outlet recently covered, you need to make sure that your angle sets your client apart.
2. Be Creative, but Don’t Lose Site of the Classics – Keep in mind the need to balance your pitches. Yes, of course, you want to come up with creative, punchy new angles that journalists may not have heard or thought of before. But, it is also important to keep in mind that the classic angles have lasting value. If you know that a certain outlet has an annual story, such as The New York Times’ “52 Places to Go in 2014,” position your clients as the perfect fit for that story. There is a constant stream of stories covering the world’s top beaches, the Caribbean’s most affordable luxury resorts, etc. Know this and use it to your client’s advantage to balance your pitching efforts.
3. Pay Attention to Your Subject Line – With hundreds of emails flooding the inbox of journalists each day, it is easy to understand why the subject line of pitches is so influential. There is a moment to capture the attention of the press with a subject line that speaks the essence of the story, is newsworthy and also enticing. Since you have limited space, it is highly recommended to send yourself a test version of the email to see how the press will first see your pitch come into their inbox. Remember to keep it short, pithy, timely and relevant.
4. Make Things Easy for the Press – The more helpful you are in your pitches, the better your chances of success. Give the press the story in an intro that is captivating and concise, drawing them in. Include pertinent information that relates to the story in an easy to process form such as bullets. Most importantly, offer a link to a complete image library with photo credit information included in the body of your email. This way the process is simplified and the journalist can run the story straight away without additional back-and-forth communication.
5. Be Polite and Persistent in Your Follow Up – Proper follow up is essential both to ensuring coverage and fostering your relationship with the press. Be persistent, but also polite in your interactions with journalists. Once you send your pitch in an email, give the press a day to process it, then follow up via phone, leaving a voicemail if necessary. Sometimes it can take time to get through, so be patient and understanding in your interactions with media contacts. Ultimately, you are a source for the press and they will view you as such and come to you for information in the future once you develop a relationship.
What great story angles have you come up with lately? Sound off in the comments.