Looking to boost your media visibility? This PR checklist provides actionable tips for successful pitching in every sector:

BASICS

• Get the name of the journalist right.

• Know what the journalist is covering. Read his/her previous articles.

• Send only relevant stories. Do not pitch in bulk.

PERSONALISE

• Generic press releases often get ignored. Personalise your pitches to resonate with individual journalists.

• Have a catchy subject line. Make it short and relevant.

HOW

• Start with the most compelling information.

• Be honest about what you are pitching. Present the facts; do not flourish the news or lie in any circumstance.

• Say why this is important to a wider audience. You can connect your story to a current trend, problem, solution, controversy, or human interest.

• Offer an interview on a particular topic with yourself/your spokesperson.  Use data, facts, quotes, or anecdotes to support your angle.

• Include a quote and an appropriate image when offering commentary. Use Dropbox or Google Drive when sharing images with the press, not attachments or WeTransfer.

• Be prepared to answer basic questions.