Something I had never given much thought to was the before period. Julio Romo points out how important creating a network is BEFORE you ever start to pitch a story. Making sure you follow your intended audience of journalists, and even some of the target audience, in order for them to know your name, and possibly follow you back, is crucial. How do you expect people to willingly follow you if they don't know who you are?
An important point Romo makes is to tailor each story to appeal to different specific people. Even in the overall target audience of journalists, some news sources are interested in different areas of your story. Make it easier for them and highlight that portion. If they don't think the news will apply to their column, they won't read the whole story. They're busy people and receive many possible news stories a day.
Lastly, always remember you are still competing for attention. Just because you think your story is the best for a specific news outlet doesn't mean they see it and feel the same way. Engage and capture your audience so they become as enthusiastic as you are about the story you're pitching. Otherwise, they won't even make a second glance.
Romo, J. (2012). Pitching Using Social Media. In S. Waddington (Ed.), Share This: The social media handbook for pr professionals (pp. 137-144). United Kingdom: John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
I never thought about how important it was to create that network before the story, but it really makes sense. If you want people to know your story and get it out there, that is a great way to spread the word. Hopefully, people will talk about the story and spread it through their networks as well.
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