10to1PR Wins Two National Awards including “PR Agency of the Year” and “Most AI Ready Agency”
Scottsdale-based 10 to 1 Public Relations (10to1PR), a public relations firm offering strategic communications services that are targeted, compelling, and achieve clients’ goals, earned two 2024 national industry awards from the Bulldog PR Awards. The two awards include a Gold Award for the Most AI Ready Agency and a Bronze Award for the Midsize PR Agency of the Year category. Bulldog PR Awards is the only public relations awards program judged exclusively by journalists to celebrate the best and brightest in the industry.
The AI award was given based on 10to1PR being at the forefront of Deepfake Crisis Management and spreading awareness about digital deception and the threat of AI-generated deepfakes to businesses across all industries. The company offers a free digital deception guide on the 10to1PR website and provides business owners with strategies to protect their company from AI threats and inform those who do not have access to PR or reputation management resources.
“AI can be a useful tool to assist companies everywhere, but in the wrong hands, AI can be just as harmful to businesses as it is helpful,” said Josh Weiss, President and Founder of 10 to 1 Public Relations. “We’re grateful to be recognized for our efforts to help companies prepare for and protect themselves from Deepfakes, and for the Bulldog PR Awards to once again name us Midsized PR Agency of the Year.”
In the last few years, 10to1PR has been named PR Agency of the Year in several international, national, and local competitions, and has earned dozens of awards in various categories celebrating the work of this talented team on behalf of its clients. Earlier this year, Newsweek named 10to1PR to its list of America’s Best PR Firms in five categories.
The Bulldog PR Awards is connected to Bulldog Reporter which has been providing news, best practices, and insights to PR and communications professionals since 1980. Filled with insights on topics critical to PR pros and communicators, including media relations, crisis communications, influencer marketing, and more, the Bulldog Reporter email newsletter offers compelling and relevant articles, plus timely updates about journalist moves and agency news.
10 to 1 PR Sweeps Public Relations Category at American Marketing Association Awards
10 to 1 Public Relations won all three awards in the public relations category at this year’s American Marketing Association Phoenix Chapter (AMA Phoenix) Spectrum Awards. The Spectrum Awards are the premier marketing awards program in the state and a testament to the incredible talent and groundbreaking campaigns that hail from across Arizona.
10 to 1 PR won all the public relations awards, which recognized developing successful local public relations campaigns, national public relations campaigns, and effective press kits.
Sweeping the public relations category underscores the effectiveness of our mission to dominate local market and national industry media. Thank you to the American Marketing Association for recognizing our teams efforts to create and execute strategic public relations campaigns that deliver meaningful results for our clients.
Josh Weiss, President and Founder, 10 to 1 Public Relations
Here’s a summary of the winning public relations campaigns:
National Public Relations
Category Description: This category honors public relations campaigns that target a national audience and focus on building relationships with national media and influencers.
The Campaign: To meet credit unions’ ever-evolving needs, AVANA Companies launched AVANA CUSO (a Credit Union Service Organization), formerly Extensia Financial, in 2023. 10 to 1 PR was integrated to amplify the rebrand and increase awareness and education on the benefits of the CUSO. This became an opportunity for 10 to 1 PR to establish AVANA CUSO as a leader amongst other CUSOs, educate credit unions looking to partner with a CUSO and attract new partner credit unions.
Results: The goals of placing a story in a national finance outlet, a national credit union outlet, and a local Phoenix outlet were all met. In credit union industry outlets, the AVANA CUSO announcement press release was repurposed and shared in CUInsight and Credit Union Times. The press release announcing the hire of COO Chad Witcher was also repurposed into stories in CUbroadcast and CUInsight. The most successful thing our team achieved was leveraging the partnership between Sunlight FCU and AVANA CUSO. In the credit union industry, our team secured an opportunity to record a podcast episode with a representative from Sunlight FCU and AVANA CUSO on one of the leading credit union industry podcasts, CUbroadcast. The partnership details were discussed in the podcast episode and how AVANA CUSO works to diversify Sunlight FCU’s portfolio outside its local market by still serving low-income populations in particular. Alongside the podcast episode, we secured a story written by a credit union reporter at a national finance publication, American Banker.
Press Kit/Sales Kit
Category Description: This category honors a comprehensive set of materials that support and promote a brand or product to the media. Examples include a press kit for a new product launch or a sales kit for a tourism destination.
The Campaign: A global semiconductor equipment supplier, ASM, was planning a new North American headquarters in Scottsdale, Arizona, due to the growth the industry has experienced. ASM contracted with 10 to 1 Public Relations to develop a public relations campaign to share this news of their expansion plans with local, national, and industry media. A large part of this work was creating a press kit for the launch event.
The press kit included the following materials:
Fact Sheet – 10 to 1 PR started with the creation of an extensive fact sheet. This allowed 10 to 1 PR to gather all of the most relevant information, key talking points, background and history, and more. 10 to 1 PR was able to confirm accuracy with the client and prioritize they key points.
Press Release – 10 to 1 PR then utilized the fact sheet to draft a press release draft that would be shared with media that attended the event as well as those who were out of state or could not attend. This would be a more formal representation of the desired messaging and also include quotes from ASM executives and key community partners.
Visuals – 10 to 1 PR was able to secure renderings/images of the new ASM headquarters. This was important to help journalists understand and communicate what the new headquarters would look like for their specific audiences.
Results: 10 to 1 Public Relations was successful in executing the event press kit and exceeding expectations with their public relations campaign to drive stories about ASM’s expansion with local, national, and industry media. 10 to 1 PR generated over 100 media features in national outlets such as the Wall Street Journal, Yahoo!, Reuters, Bloomberg; industry outlets such as Semiconductor Engineering, Semiconductor Digest, Computer World; and local outlets such as all the major local TV stations, local NPR, the Arizona Republic (Arizona’s newspaper of record); and others. These stories were all considered very positive and incorporated ASM’s story into the larger story of economic and technological growth in Arizona and the U.S.
Local Public Relations
Category Description: This category honors public relations campaigns that target a local audience and focus on building relationships with local media and influencers.
The Campaign: In July 2023, Unical Aviation relocated its global corporate headquarters from Los Angeles, California, to Glendale, Arizona. 10 to 1 PR was integrated to amplify the benefits of moving to Arizona and establish Unical Aviation as a leader in the aerospace market.
The objectives of this project included amplifying positive messaging around this relocation to support Unical Aviation’s hiring efforts and establishing Unical Aviation as a trusted global aircraft parts supplier in the Phoenix market. The goals indicated at the beginning of this project included targeting the local Arizona publications to aid in Unical Aviation’s new hiring initiatives and the aviation industry publications to elevate Unical Aviation as a leader in the industry.
Results: For the internal communications strategies, goals and objectives were met, as our customer, vendor, and internal communication documents were shared with the appropriate audiences, assisting in Unical Aviation’s goals of amplifying positive messaging around this relocation to support Unical Aviation’s hiring efforts and establishing Unical Aviation as a trusted global aircraft parts supplier in the Phoenix market.
Goals and objectives were also met for the external communication strategies, as our team was able to secure media placements in local media for the formal announcement of the move to Arizona, including the Phoenix Business Journal, ABC15, Daily Independent, Greater Phoenix Economic Council, Glendale Arizona, AZ Big Media, West Valley View, Glendale Star, and Glendale Independent. We also secured placements in the Los Angeles market, LA Business First, and an industry publication, Connect CRE.
10 to 1 Public Relations Clinches Two Hermes Creative Awards
10 to 1 Public Relations was recognized with two Hermes Creative awards. Both recognize 10 to 1 Public Relations’ expertise in public relations campaigns. These awards acknowledge 10 to 1 PR’s success in executing multi-level campaigns that deliver results to support client goals.
Hermes Creative Awards is administered by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals (AMCP) and is an international competition for creative professionals involved in the concept, writing, and design of traditional and emerging media. Hermes Creative Awards recognizes outstanding work in the industry while promoting the philanthropic nature of marketing and communication professionals.
“At 10 to 1 PR we believe that a successful communications campaign should share our client’s story in a targeted compelling way that supports the client’s goals. We share our client’s stories the way they should be told and the recognition we’ve received is a testament to the hard work and dedication it took to develop and execute these campaigns.”
Josh Weiss President and Founder of 10 to 1 PR
Here’s a summary of the winning campaigns that were recognized:
The Situation: Unical Aviation, Inc. is a leading provider of aircraft parts and components to the global commercial aerospace market. In July 2023, Unical Aviation relocated its global corporate headquarters and parts warehouse at the recently built Falcon Park 303 in Glendale, Arizona. Alongside the move to Arizona, Unical Aviation set a goal to hire for dozens of new positions in Arizona across many departments, including warehouse, finance, aircraft repair, human resources, IT, and more.
Our Results: 10 to 1 PR amplified positive messaging around this relocation to support Unical Aviation’s hiring efforts and established Unical Aviation as a trusted global aircraft parts supplier in the Phoenix market. 10 to 1 PR secured media placements in local media for the formal announcement of the move to Arizona, including the Phoenix Business Journal, ABC15, Daily Independent, Greater Phoenix Economic Council, Glendale Arizona, AZ Big Media, West Valley View, Glendale Star, and Glendale Independent. We also secured placements in the Los Angeles market (the previous location of the headquarters), LA Business First, and an industry publication, Connect CRE. Industry publications were included as well; Aviation Week, MRO Management, and the local publication Arizona Digital Free Press. These placements included key messaging objectives, positioning Unical Aviation as a leader in the aviation industry, and elevating a new hire announcement to recruit and retain employees.
The Situation: The campaign we spearheaded focused on changing perceptions among young people and their parents through career exploration with a new initiative from The Rosendin Foundation (TRF), Rosendin’s 501c3. The Rosedin Foundation hosted a free summer camp called TRF Camp Build for middle school boys and girls at their training centers and prefabrication warehouses in five cities. For one week, dozens of students in each city learned hands-on skills from construction experts using professional-grade power tools, materials and computer systems.
Our Results: In every market, 10 to 1 PR got reporters to come to TRF Camp Build to share stories in local, industry and business media that showcased the incredible skills of these children. TRF Camp Build was a huge success for the campers and the industry. Our efforts secured 96 unique TV, newspaper, digital, and magazine stories that ran in all five markets (Phoenix, Austin, Anaheim, Nashville and Sherman, TX). We also landed national stories with the construction industry and business magazines. In total 10 to 1 PR secured over 350 earned media stories with consumer, business and industry media outlets across a wide spectrum of mediums including television, newspaper, radio, and digital. This does not include press releases posted on a news wire, sponsored posts, or marketing of any kind. Our earned media results came from 10 to 1 PR’s stellar pitches, media relationships, award nominations, and well-crafted thought leadership articles. In addition, we used TRF Camp Build to win regional awards for community service, a leadership award for the camp director, and industry giant ENR Magazine gave Rosendin’s CEO the Southwest Legacy award.
10 to 1 Public Relations Wins Its Third “PR Agency of the Year” Award in 2023
Scottsdale-based 10 to 1 Public Relations (10to1PR), a strategic communications firm servicing clients in various industries across the country, has won its third PR Agency of the Year award of 2023. The most recent was awarded at PRSA Phoenix’s annual Copper Anvil Awards held on October 12, 2023, where the company earned six additional awards for successful public relations campaigns and tactics on behalf of its clients including media relations, corporate social responsibility, community relations, internal communications, public affairs, and special events.
Earlier this year, 10to1PR was named PR Agency of the Year by the International Titan Awards, and Mid-Sized PR Agency of the Year by the Bulldog PR Awards which recognizes the top PR agencies across North America.
“It’s a tribute to our talented staff that their efforts have earned three unique PR Agency of the Year awards within the same year including an international organization, a major national industry award, and now this Phoenix area local award. This further motivates us to continue expanding our reach to serve more clients on a national scale, demonstrating our commitment to delivering strategic communications that exceed our client’s expectations.”
Josh Weiss, President and Founder of 10 to 1 Public Relations
10to1PR was selected as the Agency of the Year due to its overwhelming list of accomplishments on behalf of its clients and its impressive growth in the last few years.
10 to 1 PR Wins American Marketing Association Award for National PR Campaign
By Laura Slawny, Vice President at 10 to 1 PR
One of our greatest joys comes from winning awards for our clients. While some individuals shun the spotlight, we believe awards can have a powerful impact in boosting brand recognition, building reputation, and instilling trust with customers and business partners. We also love that it gives us a chance to share stories about inspirational people that have a genuine impact on their communities.
Recently, we won a prestigious award from the American Marketing Association – Phoenix Chapter in the national PR campaign category for building brand awareness and industry recognition for electrical contractor Rosendin. Over the last year, we were honored to share their favorite stories which helped Rosendin increase brand awareness, community engagement, and talent recruitment.
Laura Slawny, Vice President at 10 to 1 Public Relations (right) receives award from AMA Phoenix’s President.
Our PR efforts aimed to position Rosendin as an industry leader and innovator, prioritizing brand visibility through nearly 500 media placements and interviews. These efforts highlighted Rosendin’s people and projects, establishing them as a trusted source of expertise and an incredible place to work. We amplified their commitment to corporate social responsibility through volunteer projects, fundraisers, and donations in the communities throughout the U.S. We also highlighted Rosendin’s commitment to providing a safe, inclusive, and caring workplace focused on developing individuals by profiling team members, career paths, and Rosendin’s commitment to safety at all costs.
A snapshot of some of our PR campaign results:
26 interviews with local and industry media throughout the county
126 features for Rosendin’s completed projects companywide
78 stories highlighting Rosendin’s local community events designed to increase recruitment
One of the stories we generated for Rosendin with a leading industry outlet – read it here.
We value every interview, every article, and every opportunity we secured for our client. But most of all, we value our trusted relationship with Rosendin’s marketing team. This incredibly talented group helps us navigate the complexities of the industry, providing guidance and grace so we can be our best.
Winning prestigious awards highlights the power of industry recognition and has a positive impact on business. But this statue from the AMA shines brightly because it reflects the stars on 10 to 1 PR’s dedicated team and the bond they have built with our friends at Rosendin.
We thank them all and could not be here today without them.
How to Leverage Community Outreach Initiatives for Positive Brand Awareness
Written by Annie Appleton, PR Executive at 10 to 1 Public Relations
Corporate social responsibility, such as community outreach and charitable work from a business, has long been a tool used by public relations professionals to help bolster an organization’s reputation. There are a lot more benefits that can come from performing community outreach projects other than being a positive story to feed to the media. We’ll run through some of those benefits, plus how to turn a community outreach initiative into a PR win.
Why Community Outreach Matters
Performing community outreach is a great building block for positive brand reputation and recognition. Having strong community outreach initiatives also helps build trust between the business and the community. It shows that the business cares about its community and the people in it, thus helping to create a more loyal customer base. This also reigns true internally for the business or organization.
“Roughly 82% of U.S. consumers actually consider corporate social responsibility when deciding what services and products to buy and from where. Similarly, a survey of millennials’ work habits indicates that 86% of Generation Y workers greatly value their companies’ corporate social responsibility programs and would quit their jobs if those programs started to slip.”
We are seeing more and more from both an external and internal standpoint that people care about what values a business stands on. People are choosing where to work and shop in businesses that align with their own core beliefs. With the rise of social media, audiences can determine by one post if they will support a business or not.
How to Identify Relevant and Timely Causes
The first thing we look at when start to think about a community outreach initiative is the calendar. We review what holidays are coming up, what time of year it is, and what is timely. For example, in June, a community outreach effort could be centered around Father’s Day, Pride Month, or summertime.
The next thing to consider is the who, what, and why:
Who in the community needs help
What are we going to do to help
Why we chose this particular problem to solve
Finding a cause or organization that is relevant to your business is a good place to start when it comes to deciding the “who.” Here in Phoenix, AZ, it gets hot in the summer. For those who haven’t experienced it, imagine walking into an outdoor wood-fired pizza oven. It is like that, only hotter, from May – October. Homelessness is a big issue here, caused in part by not enough affordable housing and an unstable economy. Here is why the who, what, and why come into play:
Who: People with little to no access to shelter from the heat
What: We will host a water drive by donating cases of water to an organization
Why: According to reports at least 130 people experiencing homelessness died from heat-related deaths in 2021
Getting PR Recognition for Your Community Support
Our client Air Pros collaborated with their local Big Brothers Big Sisters organization on a donation to support kids in the community.
Once you have identified your cause and how you are going to help, there are several things you can do to leverage the work you are doing for positive public relations. Consider:
Creating an event around your community outreach project.
Make sure to take photos with your company’s logo visible
Invite the media to your event and offer interviews about the cause
Send a post-event story (along with your photos) to the media
Add how your company practices corporate social responsibility to the company website
Post your photos and community outreach projects on social media
The Big Picture: Impacting the Community
We worked with our client FirstBank to create the ‘Give it Forward’ campaign to raise awareness for donating to local nonprofits for Coachella Valley Giving Day and Arizona Gives Day.For this year’s campaign, FirstBank surprised local residents by covering their gas bills and encouraging them to ‘give it forward’ by donating to a nonprofit of their choice.
Most importantly, community involvement helps the community at large. When performing acts of service there are real people in real need that are the most important beneficiaries. Think about a back-to-school supply drive. Those who benefit the most will be the teachers that often have to buy supplies for their classrooms out of their own pockets, and the children who will have the supplies they need to learn. That should always be the main focus of a community outreach project, not how it benefits the business doing the service, but how it benefits the community.
The internal benefits of community involvement are vast. These programs and projects are wonderful for team building and unifying employees. They get the whole team to work on one goal – helping others. It can help raise employees’ morale as well. If employees are given a voice on what projects and issues are important to them, it can leave them feeling not only more professionally fulfilled but also fulfilled on a personal level. Many businesses and organizations choose to schedule volunteer days where, instead of going to work, they volunteer at an organization for the day. This gives the employee more control to choose a cause close to their heart.
Takeaways
Taking part in community outreach programs is a wonderful way to practice corporate social responsibility. Community outreach can help to build brand recognition and reputation, foster trust with customers and the community, and bring a team closer together. But when we look at the bigger picture practicing corporate social responsibility by helping the community around us is invaluable to the community and the individuals that are at the receiving end.
We should all try to leave the world a little better than when we arrived. Companies are no exception. There is so much good that can be done in the world, so many people that could use a helping hand, and not enough people that are willing to extend that helping hand. I encourage you to go out and be involved in your communities, and strive to be the good in the world, you will be surprised how even the smallest of things can make an enormous difference in the lives of others.
Hermes Creative Awards is one of the oldest and largest creative competitions in the world. Winners range in size from individuals to media conglomerates, and Fortune 500 companies. Hermes Creative Awards honors the messengers and creators of the information revolution. Armed with their imaginations and computers, Hermes winners bring their ideas to life through traditional and digital platforms.
As a firm focused on creating the highest caliber PR campaigns and results for our clients, it’s especially rewarding when independent third-party organizations recognize our strategy creation and implementation efforts as among the best they’ve seen compared to our industry peers. I’m most proud that these three Hermes Creative Awards recognize our team’s hard work and dedication to serving our clients’ needs and achieving their goals.
Josh Weiss, Founder and President of 10 to 1 Public Relations
Here’s a recap of the winning campaigns that were recognized:
Platinum Winner: “Establishing Worzalla as a Top Local Employer” – Strategic Campaigns/PR Communications/PR
Worzalla, a leading book printer, enlisted the agency’s help to strengthen its employer brand and attract top talent. Through a comprehensive PR strategy, 10 to 1 Public Relations crafted a compelling narrative that highlighted Worzalla’s positive work environment, employee benefits, and commitment to the local community. The campaign’s success in enhancing Worzalla’s reputation as a desirable employer contributed to its well-deserved recognition.
Faced with the challenge of introducing a groundbreaking product, Intel turned to 10 to 1 Public Relations to devise a PR campaign that would captivate local audiences in Arizona. 10 to 1 Public Relations orchestrated an unforgettable experience that showcased Intel’s revolutionary technology. The campaign’s exceptional execution and ability to generate excitement surrounding the announcement made it a resounding success.
Risas, a prominent dental company, faced a reputational challenge that required expert handling. 10 to 1 Public Relations devised a comprehensive PR campaign focused on transparency, proactive communication, and stakeholder engagement. Through strategic messaging and meticulous crisis management, 10 to 1 Public Relations successfully safeguarded Risas’ reputation, earning the admiration of both industry experts and the public.
10 to 1 Public Relations adds these Hermes awards to its extensive roster of awards recognizing the firm’s outstanding work over the last decade.
What’s Next in Public Relations: Four Takeaways from the PRSA Western District Conference
By: Erica Fetherston, Director, 10 to 1 Public Relations
The PRSA Western District Conference is an annual opportunity for public relations professionals from across the West to gather and discuss opportunities, trends, and challenges within the industry. With this year’s event in Tucson, it was just a short trip down I-10 to immerse myself in everything PR for a few days.
While there were some incredibly impactful and thought-provoking sessions throughout the conference, there are several key points that stick out to me now that I’ve been back to work for a few days. Here are four things that I’ve been thinking about:
1. AI will have a huge impact, but we aren’t sure how yet
Everyone is talking about ChatGPT and how it will change the public relations industry forever. We all agree there will be a huge impact as we learn how to leverage this new technology, but there are some major warnings to keep in mind. AI can be a useful tool to spark creativity or help with brainstorming, but it should not be trusted to create original written content that is completely factual and free of bias. Public relations professionals should not fear the integration of AI into our daily lives, as its rise will make our jobs as strategic advisors and critical thinkers will become all the more significant for our clients and organizations. If organizations are going to integrate it into their use, however, they should create clear policies to dictate how it should and can be used.
2. Understanding and checking biases is constant work
As strategic communicators, it is our daily role to ensure that the messages we are distributing and the language we use avoid bias. Everyone has biases, no matter their experience or background, so the first step is understanding and recognizing what biases we may possess ourselves. Then, we must constantly review our own work and messaging to ensure that our biases do not have a negative impact on our intended goals. One tool we learned about was ‘asset framing,’ or defining by assets rather than deficits, problems, or challenges. Additionally, if we aim to communicate with a specific audience or group that we do not belong to or have experience with, it is recommended to reach out to that group to confirm what kind of language they prefer. This can be helpful as language and preferences are constantly changing, so it is always better to get those confirmations than to make assumptions.
3. Thought leaders are leveraging LinkedIn more and more
LinkedIn isn’t just for entry-level job seekers. There are millions of senior-level executives in every imaginable industry on the platform. Increasingly, these executives are using LinkedIn more frequently as part of their thought leadership strategy. They use the platform to share news and insights while engaging with their network to solidify their reputation as a thought leader in the industry. If a robust LinkedIn strategy is not part of your thought leadership campaign, it should be!
4. Measuring the impact of PR continues to be a challenge
All public relations professionals know the challenge of reporting the impact of public relations wins and campaigns. We may secure an amazing earned media feature in a top-tier outlet for our client or organization, but what is the measurable outcome that we can report? The answer seems to be that it depends on what metrics matter most, and what metrics are achievable. There may not be a one-size-fits-all solution, as measuring impact changes from campaign to campaign or client to client based on the underlying goals. It is important to ask: What metrics matter? What metrics/data do we have access to?
Many things may change but one thing will be true: Public relations professionals are often at the forefront of periods of transition and innovation due to the nature of our roles and responsibilities. Having to create and execute strategic communications around a global pandemic, social justice movements, an up-and-down economy, and so much more has prepared us to be some of the most adaptable and resilient pros out there. Opportunities like the PRSA Western District Conference only help us stay further ahead of the curve so we can deliver the best possible services to our clients and organizations.
How to Better Personalize Your Story Pitch for Media
By Madeleine Williamson, PR Coordinator at 10 to 1 PR
From an outsider’s perspective, pitching the media to cover a story may seem easy. After all, anyone can email a reporter information about a story. Right? However, only 8% of stories pitched to reporters make it to publication. In the public relations industry, it can be argued that pitching the media is one of the hardest tasks to do.
Public relations professionals specialize in pitching. One strategy PR pros use to help their pitches make it to publication is building relationships with reporters. Building relationships with reporters benefits PR efforts in the long run and ultimately leads to successful storytelling for both the client and the media.
So, how do public relations professionals build a relationship with a reporter? The first step is to better personalize your pitch. Personalizing a pitch for a reporter makes the story more likely to run while also building a relationship that will increase the likelihood that future stories will run, too.
Here are 5 tips on how to better personalize your pitch:
Do your research
You can’t pitch unless you know who you are pitching, and you certainly can’t personalize a pitch without learning about the reporter. Decide who you want to pitch your story to and why. Ask yourself the question: why would my pitch be relevant to this reporter? After you’ve decided that the pitch is relevant, then get a grasp on who the reporter is. This is what will help you to better personalize your pitch later. What topics do they cover most? How long have they been reporting on that industry? Do they write quick summaries or long articles that require weeks of research? Find out as much information about the reporter and their style of writing as you can.
Recognize media complaints about pitches
Be aware of past complaints or requests from reporters you may be targeting. Common complaints from reporters include frustrations with the lack of imagery in pitches, or receiving irrelevant story topics when on tight deadlines. Make sure you are listening to these complaints and adapt your pitch accordingly. In fact, the next time you pitch that reporter, say that you remember them mentioning they are on a tight deadline and ask what more you can do to help, include photos in the original pitch, or give a specific example of how your pitch relates to the topic they report on.
Personalize the subject line
The subject line of any pitch is key to getting your pitch read. Reporters have to want to open your email. Luckily, personalizing the subject line of your pitch doesn’t have to be difficult. Remember, personalizing a pitch means making the reporter feel that you specifically chose to pitch to them. More personalized subject lines could reference past work done by the reporter, or specific sections the reporter covers in the publication they work for.
Reference social media
Social Media is a great tool to use when trying to personalize a pitch. Mention that you follow the reporter on Twitter and saw their tweet about a certain topic. Point out that you and the reporter are alumni from the same university if it’s listed in their bio. Most reporters appreciate when people engage with their content on social media. Showing a reporter that you see the work they are doing and care enough to reference a post will help your pitch stand out.
Keep in touch
Personalizing a pitch doesn’t stop once the pitch is sent. To keep in touch with the reporter and to continue to build a connection, follow-up is required. Thank the reporter for their hard work, ask the reporter if they are looking for any other story topics, or tell the reporter you read their story and enjoyed it. Just be sure that if you are sending a follow-up to the pitch it has a purpose. There is a difference between keeping in touch and bothering a reporter.
Remember that building relationships with reporters by personalizing pitches will take time. Nothing happens overnight. Feel inspired to try some of these tips and see what works for you. Who knows, you might begin the start of a great new connection.
