Written by Beth Feldman, Beyond PR.
As an entertainment and lifestyle publicist with more than 20 years of experience, I have amassed hundreds of media contacts and been able to successfully land major placements in newspapers, popular daytime and late nights talk shows, evening news shows and influential blogs.
For years I could say, “You name it, I’ve pitched it, and I’ve landed it too,” but over the last year it has become increasingly difficult to capture my media contact’s attention through my regular channels – phone, email, even on social media. The sheer amount of information coming at editors constantly combined with a shrinking staff at mainstream media outlets, it has made it increasingly difficult to reach the media and land a booking. The moment I have a face to face conversation with a reporter or producer, I can usually convince them to book one of my clients, but I have struggled to figure out a way to cut through the noise to simply grab the attention of the media. And that’s when it hit me.
Instead of relying on outdated voicemails (that no one listens to anymore), I now create customized videos wherein I pitch directly to a reporter or television producer. The moment they click on the link, they’re caught off guard because I’m speaking directly to them!
I launched The Pitch Minute earlier this month and so far I’ve gotten great feedback from reporters and producers and publicists, experts and authors are responding positively as well.
The moment I have a face to face conversation with a reporter or producer, I can usually convince them to book one of my clients, but I have struggled to figure out a way to cut through the noise to simply grab the attention of the media.
So what do you need to do so you too can shake up your pitching routine with a video pitch?
Make sure you look camera ready and draft talking points you’re going to want to address in the pitch. Use your phone as a timer and then record your video directly from your computer. I prefer Quicktime video that I can then trim and share on Facebook or upload to Youtube. In your one minute pitch, share a compelling store, tie it into a timely news story and weave in appropriate talking points you would share during the segment. If you have a new book or product, hold it up or make sure it’s prominently displayed in the video frame.
Not everyone is going to love being pitched through video – you have to know your audience, but more often than not, you’ll find reporters with a sense of humor open to receiving a video greeting and a quick pitch that can ultimately lead to a media placement.
I’ve since have launched The Pitch Minute website so that media can reach out with queries for potential expert sources while publicists, authors and experts can pitch themselves to be considered for media bookings. The Pitch Minute offers a simple way for publicists to connect with media and a great way for media to cut through the clutter and get right to the point by watching pitches instead of being forced to delete hundreds of emails that are too long, too boring and sometimes go to spam. Take a look at some of our most recent video pitches and feel free to reach out at info@thepitchminute.com
About Beth
Beth Feldman is Co-Founder of BeyondPR Group, a full-service public relations consulting firm founded by leading experts in the parenting, consumer, lifestyle and entertainment PR industry. A pioneer in the mom blog community, Beth is also the founder of RoleMommy, a parenting blog network, and a nationally recognized parenting expert frequently interviewed by national and regional news media.
Previously, she served as Vice President for the CBS Communications Group where she spearheaded campaigns on behalf of the entertainment, marketing and consumer products divisions. Feldman is currently an adjunct professor in the Mass Communications department at Iona College.
