The 3 B’s of Pitching Journalists: Brevity, Brevity, Brevity

I’ve spent my entire career as either a consumer or producer of story pitches and there are several truths that have stood the test of time.

In a post discussing a recent Muck Rack survey of journalists, PRNEWS hit on a point that bears repeating. In a list of reporter responses outlining what comprises the perfect pitch, the author included this:

“69% prefer pitches under 200 words”

(For context, this post totals 197 words, headline excluded.)

There are a lot of reasons this may be true, many tied to the current environment in which reporters are under pressure from newsroom cutbacks, a lightning-fast news cycle, greater scrutiny and increased overall responsibilities.

The most important, however, is the simple fact that short and to-the-point email pitches – written in clear, jargon-free prose – work best.

They capture the reporter’s attention. Make a powerful case. Demonstrate respect for the journalist’s time. And leave the door open for follow-up.

Stuffing your pitches with extra facts, multiple proof points and complex language will only detract from their power. Whether coming from a founder, communications-team member or agency representative, the ability to crystalize pitches into their simplest form is an absolute requirement for success.

Uncertainty Shouldn’t Sideline Communications – There’s Work To Be Done

Uncertainty. These days, it surely ranks as the longest four-letter word in the English language.

I had the opportunity yesterday to attend an insightful mergers and acquisitions event hosted by my former colleagues at Weber Shandwick. We heard from a cross-section of veteran bankers, lawyers and M&A advisors during the two panels that were convened. Uncertainty came up again and again.

It was cited as the primary reason merger activity, among other things, has ground to a halt. And for good reason. Business leaders can’t pull the trigger on major initiatives without at least some window into what will happen tomorrow. Long-term investors typically don’t love uncertainty, either.

At moments like these, while we wait for mergers and other major initiatives to proceed, communicators can still make important progress for their organizations. I’d think about two areas, in particular.

Updated messaging. This is a perfect time to revisit and refresh core messaging around your company and its business lines. Almost certainly, the events of the past weeks – and the new realities that may follow – require some adjustments to messaging. Why not get that work done now and be ready when the window for action reopens?

Ongoing storytelling. Uncertainty has the insidious ability to create an information vacuum, which in true chicken-and-egg fashion feeds further uncertainty. So, it is critical to keep communicating as everyday business proceeds. The key is to do so authentically and be sensitive to the challenges customers and clients are facing.

The good news is this: Periods of uncertainty are just that. They eventually end. And once companies have regained the ability to forecast, longer-term initiatives will move forward again.

Until that time, there’s plenty of productive work to be done.

The Power of Authentic Communication in Uncertain Times

What a week. My chart of the Dow Industrials is a roller coaster unlike anything I’ve seen before, and keeping up with the news headlines has been enough to bring on a serious bout of PTSD. It’s been brutal, and scary, and challenging for just about everyone running a business.

Which raises an important question: How can you communicate with customers, clients, employees and others at a time like this?

The answer, of course, is not so simple. As is often the case in these situations, you want to reach out with some level of reassurance. Yet, the last thing we want to do is wade into the brutal morass of tariffs, inflation, recession and global politics.

Further, what reassurance is there to be given? Nobody knows what Monday will bring. And with such uncertainty, what messages can be delivered?

The truth is this. In such situations, it’s not so much what you say, but how you say it. People want to know that the organizations they entrust with critical goods and services are 1) paying attention and 2) care. So, staying silent is not a great option.

Instead, here’s a better way:

Reach out by acknowledging the challenging moment and reinforcing your core messages – the ideals of the company and your commitment to them.
Let them know you’re on the job, with both eyes on the ball. You are in it together and they are top of mind.
Be authentic in your communication. This is not the time for self-serving “thought leadership.” It’s time to be real, and personal, and speak plain truths.

This type of communication need not be long. Or polished. Or pretty. It just has to land. It can be an email, a social post or even a phone call.

In such situations, it’s easy to get so caught up in what we shouldn’t say, that we forget the power of authentic communication. It doesn’t take much to make a very big impact.