It’s no secret: Being able to grab the media’s attention lies in a well-crafted pitch. It can be an automatic door opener when done right…and well, you know what happens when it’s done wrong. Creating the perfect pitch is within everyone’s reach. Follow a few basic rules and before you know it, you’ll land a media placement that will catapult your business and have potential clients knocking at your door!

Here’s a things to remember when crafting a perfect pitch:

1. Keep it short. Top tier media outlets get an overwhelming amount of emails everyday. Keeping your pitch short will increase the odds of it being read all the way through. If an editor opens up a thousand-word email they’ll quickly lose interest and close it, but 2 or 3 short focused paragraphs will grab their attention.

2. Keep it simple and to the point. Remember, a pitch that is easy to read is easy publicity. Stay on point and deliver a clear and concise message to the reader. If they don’t understand the message you’re trying to deliver, don’t count on them contacting you for clarification. If it’s not clear, consider it deleted. Give them the hook, then the meat. It’ll make their job easier and guarantee the results you want.

3. Interview yourself first. Why should the media care? And why should they care now? A great pitch should always be crafted around the answers to those fundamental questions. Also, ask yourself: What’s unique and different about me? What makes me special? What makes my product special? Honest answers will come in handy when creating a pitch and will help you sell yourself to the media.

4. Know who you’re pitching. Pitch what will peak their attention. If the media outlet your pitching does a lot of stories that involve women, tell them why your product would be valuable to women. If it’s not valuable to women, be considerate— don’t waste their time.

Those are just a few things you need to be aware of when crafting your pitch. Right now I’m offering the “Perfect Pitch” formula my PR firm uses to land our clients top national media coverage free to all new members of the PitchRate community. It’s a great guide to follow when creating a pitch that wows the media. And all new members will also be enrolled in my free 2-week Publicity Results!: Catapult your business to the next level mini-program! If you’re a small business owner or entrepreneur who wants to attract more clients, increase profits and live a richer life, this program is for you.

If you’re already a member of the PitchRate community, just contact us and we’ll send you the Perfect Pitch formula and enroll you in our free 2-week mini-program.