Earned media – an opinion piece, a press release story published, or a quote from an interview – is a valuable third-party endorsement for you or your business.
I’ve been on the receiving end of many op-ed pitches and press releases, plus interviewed countless industry experts as a journalist, and I’ve pulled together some of my best tips.
PITCHING COMMENT & OP-EDS
Have a clear opinion
Comment or opinion pieces, as the names suggest, need to have a viewpoint. If they don’t, they aren’t a comment or op-ed.
For successful pitches, be specific about what you or your subject matter expert wants to say – where they stand – and make it relevant to the publication’s readership.
Editors won’t commission irrelevant op-eds or generic pitches.
Keep pitches brief and punchy
Journalists don’t have time to read the email equivalent of War and Peace, so get to the point.
Have an enticing, relevant angle and a few bullet points outlining the key points that will be covered.
You want the editor to read your pitch and have a pretty good idea what the headline could be.
