We have explored how increasing Earned Media engagement is directly tied to qualifying your audience, providing ample lead time, and thinking like a reporter, etc. Today, we tackle some common misperceptions and questions PR pros have about approaching the media; let’s dive in.
What are the ideal times to target, and to avoid, when approaching Media?
We begin in familiar territory, looking at it from the Media target’s perspective; our goal is to identify and fit in seamlessly to their work routines. Always good to remember, there are few absolutes that exist absolutely.
Pitching on Fridays and Holidays; good or bad?
USA Today doesn’t print a weekend paper, making Friday an ideal day to pitch their reporters; knowing they are less likely to be “under deadline.” National midday TV shows including The Talk, mostly film four days a week, making Fridays an ideal day to engage producers; knowing they aren’t producing a “live show.”
How to best navigate Holiday pitching?
Holidays is another challenge that requires customization to the client activation being supported. If the timelines dictate holiday pitching is a must, pitch the outlets confidently knowing less PR folks will be pitching against you. However, also be aware that holiday staffing may have a different person than normal covering a beat/industry. This can be planned for by communicating with the proper media target in the weeks leading up to the holiday to identify the appropriate target covering that holiday.
An added benefit of this approach is that many media targets pre-produce content in the days and weeks leading up that runs on the holiday. This ties back to an earlier topic we explored; Increasing lead time for Media also increases probability of success.
What are the “prime times” for pitching media when they are most likely to engage?
Targeting reporters at Dailies requires keeping in mind their daily deadline to close tomorrow’s paper, typically the late afternoon but can vary by outlet or even by section. Ideal pitching windows are generally between 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. in the respective time zone.
National Broadcast pitching requires us to keep their broadcast time in mind. Immediately before and after the show should be avoided as their primary focus will be on that show; whether prepping or debriefing respectively. Oddly enough, during the show can be a good time to catch producers by email if it is a lighter day for them segment-wise. Beyond pitching them on their “non-filming day,” ideal pitching windows are at least 1.5-2 hours before or after their broadcast filming schedule.
Typically, Magazines have deadlines that reflect the frequency of the publication, if it’s a monthly it’s a monthly deadline; weekly outlets have weekly deadlines, etc. Aside from avoiding the “closing edition timing,” ideal pitch timing is the most spread out across the day and can be different target-by-target at the same Media outlet.
Part of our daily challenges as brand marketers is to be able to relate and respect our media targets workflows and factor them into our strategic approach as we do our clients’. Once identified, the path to improvement is hiding in plain sight; the key to unlocking is by understanding and respecting their daily routines and challenges.
To openly explore how these proven tactics can work for your brand, arrange a complimentary Discovery call with Riverbed Media Partners.