The one thing your pitches desperately need
Here's a winning pitch strategy hardly anyone is using, plus leads on 2 events PR pros won't want to miss this fall.
Joni Sweet is a seasoned writer, editor, and content strategist with 13+ years of media experience. In this newsletter, Joni reveals her current assignments and insider tips to help PR professionals sharpen their pitches, avoid rookie mistakes, land coverage for their clients, and build stronger relationships with writers. Get ready for candid advice, a touch of sass, and secret strategies to make your pitches stand out.
Hi friends!
Thank you all for your feedback on last week’s Substack, “Do relationships with journalists really matter?”. Relationship-building is hard work but the pay off is so worth it! I’m thrilled the newsletter resonated with so many of you and validated all the effort you put into forming genuine connections with your media friends like me!
Journalists are busy, and trust me, the easier you make their job, the more likely they’ll cover your clients. This week, I have an idea for something you can do right now to make your pitches stand out (and help us freelance writers land stories that feature your clients!). I’ve also got announcements about two special events you won’t want to miss!
It’s back-to-school season, after all.
Big thanks to my sponsors, Hannah Smith & Britt Klontz, for supporting this week’s newsletter!
👉 Don’t miss this PR pitch writing course
Are your PR pitches failing to land coverage? Join Britt Klontz & Hannah Smith for this live cohort, four-week training course delivered over Zoom.
Begins October 10, 2024.
Get 10% off tickets with the code: JONI
✨Can’t make the live sessions? No worries! Each session will be recorded and shared with attendees, so you can revisit the material anytime.✨
🎁 Special bonus offer: I’m giving every participant in this course an exclusive 20% discount code they can use on a Flash Consulting session with me! Sign up now to get the code when class is in session.
🎁 Gift guide AMA, coming your way!
Holiday gift guide season has already started, so my friend Amanda Lauren and I have are teaming up for a special holiday-themed AMA over Zoom.
Got questions about pitching your clients for holiday gift guides? We’ve got you covered! Whether you’re curious about what catches our eye at Forbes, need tips on how to make your pitch stand out, or want insider advice on crafting the perfect submission, we’re here to help.
Mark your calendar for Tuesday, Oct. 8 at noon ET (9am PT)!
This event is exclusively for paid subscribers to *both* of our Substack newsletters. Even a 1-month subscription is enough to get you a spot, so the most you’ll need to pay to attend is $17 total. Please sign up here. We can’t wait for a little face time with you all!
Need a little help upgrading your subscription? This guide can walk you through it.
You should include headline ideas in your PR pitches. Here’s why.
Let me tell you a quick story. Last December, I was pitched an opportunity to visit the Barcelona HQ of a woman-helmed adult film studio. The opportunity intrigued me, but film and the adult entertainment industry are outside my usual beats. I wasn’t sure how I could write about this and my initial instinct was to decline the trip. After all, there’s no point in me joining a trip (or having someone host me) if I can’t sell a story about the experience.
Here’s where things got interesting: The PR person (Dawn Watt of Little Leaf Agency) didn’t just send the usual pitch—she included a list of thoughtful, creative headline ideas for stories I could tell about the filmmaker and the trip. Suddenly, I could envision multiple angles that fit within my wheelhouse and editors who might be interested in these ideas.
That long list of headlines took something intriguing but unfamiliar for me and turned it a tangible story idea could actually sell. It made me see the opportunity in a new light, and (spoiler alert!) it worked. I put my journalistic spin on one of the ideas and got a commission at Jezebel. Within a couple of weeks, I was in Barcelona learning about this filmmaker’s incredible work to make adult entertainment more inclusive and ethical. (Read the Jezebel story here, plus a follow-up piece I landed at Business Insider.)
So, why does this matter to you?
Dawn’s approach to including headline ideas wasn’t just a nice touch—it was a game-changer for landing coverage. By providing a list of headline ideas, she made my job easier and gave me a clear path to landing a commission. This is a lesson in how a little extra effort can go a long way.
When you’re crafting pitches, don’t just stop at the basic information about your client and topics they could speak on. Sure, that might land you coverage—if you happen to catch the journalist at a very specific moment when they're looking for that info. But if you include suggested headlines that turn your client into a story—one that has *actual* value for readers—that gives your pitch real legs.
Here’s how you can use this tactic:
Study headlines at your target outlets—then mimic them. Each publication has its own unique style for crafting headlines that capture readers’ attention and evoke a specific voice and tone. By familiarizing yourself with these styles, you can tailor your headline suggestions to fit seamlessly within the publication’s existing content and make your pitch feel like it could be turned into a story almost instantly. Some of my favorite publications to find headline inspiration include Travel + Leisure, Business Insider, and Thrillist.
Be creative and specific. Don’t just provide one generic headline. Offer a variety of options that cover different angles and highlight compelling aspects of the story.
Think beyond your client. What’s the bigger story here? How does your client fit into it? Very rarely is a story about any one person or brand (although that does happen from time to time, like my Erika Lust profile). Write sample headlines to help the journalist visualize the story’s impact by connecting it to broader trends, issues, or themes they cover regularly.
Use strong verbs. The absolute best way to improve your headline ideas (or write well in general!) is to use “vigorous verbs” (shout out to my favorite writing professor, Bob Steuding, for this advice!). Instead of a bland headline like “New App Helps Users Save Money,” opt for something more dynamic and engaging, such as “App Slashes Your Bills and Boosts Savings.”
Keep it short and punchy. Aim for headlines that are concise yet impactful (people’s attention spans are so short these days!). A good rule of thumb is to keep headlines under 10 words. Short, punchy headlines are easier to read and more likely to grab attention quickly.
Will a journalist actually place your headline at the top of their story? Probably not. Headlines go through so many changes related to the publication, editor’s preferences, news cycle, and SEO needs, so it might not even resemble your original idea once the story goes live.
But giving writers headline samples to work with offers a crucial starting point. It demonstrates that you’ve put thought into how your pitch fits within a publication’s broader coverage and makes a writer’s job easier by providing ready-to-use, compelling options to pitch or run with. Even if the final headline is different, your suggestions can guide the journalist and increase the chances of your clients getting the attention they deserve.
And if you want one-on-one help coming up with headline ideas for your clients, let’s get you set up with a Flash Consulting session…
How I can help you
Feeling like you're pitching into a black hole? I get it. PR can be seriously frustrating when you’re not getting feedback from journalists.
Don’t just guess what might work—get the answers you need to make informed, impactful decisions in a Flash Consulting session.
Whether you need affiliate marketing advice, media strategy help, or just someone to tell you why your pitches are not landing, I’m here to give you the honest insights you’ve been missing. Book a Flash Consulting session today.
Nicole Biemer, founder and CEO of NB Publicity, booked Flash Consulting with me last week. Here’s what she says about the experience:
“We had been struggling to land coverage for a client, so we booked a consulting session with Joni—and it was the best decision we could have made. Joni took the time to review our pitches; provide spot-on, actionable recommendations; and even shared some incredible story ideas we hadn’t considered. She went above and beyond, and we’re excited to put her suggestions into action. We’ll definitely be booking more sessions with her in the future!”—Nicole Biemer
(Psst… if you’re a paid subscriber, you get a discount on this! Email me for the code!)
⭐NEW FOR Q4 2024: Agency-Wide Trainings⭐
Several PR agencies have asked me whether I offer agency-wide staff trainings, and guess what? I finally do. I’ve created an hour-long workshop designed to sharpen your team’s writing skills, boost their pitching game, and give them the insider knowledge they need to make their pitches stand out to journalists. And if you’re looking for something specific, I can also custom-tailor a workshop to fit your team's unique needs.
No fluff—just practical tips that get results. Email me for a proposal.
These are FANTASTIC tips. I've read a lot of "here's the xx things every PR person needs to know" and while I appreciate them, I don't always learn something new. Not the case here. I'm going to print them to hang them up by my desk.