Many marketing executives may be missing the big picture when it comes to securing media placements in target publications.  The role of a PR professional is to help the editors share relevant information to their readers.  The editors are bombarded daily with pitches, mainly bad, via email, fax, phone and snail mail.  Most do not take the time to review the publication and the editor beat to get a feel for what they cover.  Consequently, the pitch is off base and often ignored.

The best strategy is to create a pitch with the reader in mind.  For example, the recent computer hacking incidents present a huge challenge for CTO’s and CIO’s to educate their employees regarding how to prevent and mitigate attacks.  If you provide a product or service aimed at this challenge, take the time to frame the solution in a simple, easy-to-understand format.  Use common sense when approaching the editor and do not expect immediate coverage.  Work to be a leading source in your industry that can provide relevant content on a long-term basis.