As an award-winning Scottish PR agency, we are well-versed in the art of pitching. From posing guest interviewees to suggesting full-length features, we bring our creativity, passion, and expertise to craft the perfect pitch fit for the publication in question – be it the FT or BBC.
Now, we’re bringing you some of our insider knowledge.
The Times is one of the UK’s leading daily newspapers with a print circulation of over 365,800 and 37.8 million monthly online readers (SimilarWeb). Achieving coverage in The Times can be worth its weight in gold.
To help you gain that all-important coverage, here are our top tips for pitching to The Times business desk.
Do your research
Before sending out your pitch, you need to do some research. Is The Times the right publication for your business? Does your target market read The Times’ business pages? And if so, consider whether they read it online or in print. These are just some of the questions you should ask yourself when preparing a pitch for The Times – and indeed any newspaper. Being strategic with your pitching by targeting the most relevant publications will deliver the best results for your business.
Equally, a winning pitch will be tailored to the interests of the publication and the journalist who will inevitably write the piece. Get to know the regular features in The Times, and note which journalists are writing what – and when. Writing a personalised pitch that considers the structure, features, and tone of the publication, has a greater chance of being picked up.
Keep it short
Tracey Boles, Deputy Business Editor of The Times, has one key piece of advice for all pitches – Keep them short!
As journalists can receive upwards of 100 emails a day, brief, punchy pitches will work best to capture their interest. An attention-grabbing but informative headline, followed by a couple of sentences summarising your key messages is more than enough.
Likewise, when it comes to following up on a pitch – keep it brief.
Timing is everything
The Times Business Desk officially opens at 6:00 am and closes at 9:00 pm. And, while stories are published throughout the day, it’s best to pitch in the morning to maximise your chances of being picked up.
The news conference is usually held at 10:30 am, where key features for the day are decided upon. Sending your pitch in ahead of this will keep your story front of mind at the morning meeting.
Get creative!
As mentioned, journalists receive hundreds of pitches each day. It, therefore, takes something bold and different to spark their interest.
Tracey recommends taking an original angle on an existing story or sharing a quirky or surprising take that will intrigue Times readers. Thinking outside of the box and injecting creativity into your pitch will afford you much greater chances of success.
Our advice? Look at key trends, news stories, research and data to inform and inspire your pitches! Consider your business’ unique edge and how you can bring that to life.
Now that you’re all clued up, it’s time to start drafting your pitch to The Times business desk. Let us know how you get on.
Do you need help devising a winning PR strategy? Get in touch with us here to discuss how can help your business.