Proactive pitching can be a powerful way to get media coverage for your company, even when there is no major news to announce. By finding the right angle and tailoring it to specific reporters, PR professionals can increase their chances of getting coverage. For example, by highlighting a perspective on an industry trend or sharing information about company milestones, you might be able to secure coverage from relevant publications.

Below is a guide to developing and executing a robust proactive pitch campaign that will move the needle for your client.

• Research. Conduct a thorough scan of relevant industry news and brainstorm how to insert your client into ongoing conversations and trends in their industry. While researching, be sure to seek out proof points that will support your pitch. Adding these to your pitch will validate your claim and enhance your credibility.
• Brainstorm a topic. Know what makes a good story so you can propose ideas that work for your client and the journalist. Key elements include relevance, timeliness, supporting data and proof points, and a tie to a credible spokesperson capable of speaking to the topic.
• Develop a press list. You’ll also want to identify publications and reporters writing about the topic. You can start by leveraging media databases, such as Cision, Meltwater or MuckRack, but be certain to double-check the accuracy of information because if the topic you’re proposing isn’t relevant to the reporters, your pitch won’t generate the expected results.
• Consider this as a relationship-building step. Proactive pitches are a great way to build relationships with reporters for both you and your client. It’s critical to ensure that the information you’re sharing is valuable to foster those relationships.
• Draft and distribute the pitch. Once you have nailed down your topic, proof points and press list, begin drafting your pitch, tying together the information you’ve researched and tailoring the information to each reporter. For instance, you might want to explain how it relates to the reporter’s previous articles. Finally, you’ll want to include your rationale for why the information is relevant to their readers.
• Follow up. When distributing a follow-up pitch, be sure to be concise and offer something new and of value to the reporter that may capture their attention. After distributing a round of follow-up emails, you may want to call journalists to see if they have had a chance to consider your pitch and what they think of it.
• Recap results. After executing the proactive pitch campaign, track and summarize the results and feedback to refer to for future activity. Keep in mind that each interaction is an opportunity to learn more about the reporter and build rapport on behalf of your client. Deliver a recap of the results for your client that includes recommended next steps, such as interview coordination.

In summary, PR teams must deliver value and drive results by generating media coverage, even in the absence of news. Proactive pitching is a strategic way to achieve results while building thought leadership and enhancing credibility.