Today's digital environment has turned social media, webinars, networking events and even sidewalk introductions into branding' markets where only those with quick, compelling pitches survive.
In the 1990s, these short spiels were named "elevator pitches” by high-tech entrepreneurs, because they could be conveyed during an elevator ride. The tech bubble ballooned and burst (and ballooned again), but elevator pitches are here to stay. Everyone-whether seeking employment, a tinder date, a modelling gig, free products on Instagram or profitable business associations-needs one.
Yes, Tinder dates too… the 2018 elevator pitch is also known as a ‘BIO’ babes!!!
FIRST, SOME THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND.
Keep your ‘pitch’ as clear and concise as you can. Write it once, and then go back and remove as much “fluff” as humanly possible, while still making sense and avoiding the risk of sounding like a robot.
Your pitch doesn’t need to be overly formal. Keep the tone warm, casual, but professional.
Approach your pitch from the brands point of view. How can you make it so enticing for them that they have to say yes? Make it easier for them to say “yes” than “no.”
Try to find a contact if possible–I’ve found that getting a hold of a specific person warrants a much quicker response than just, “PR@brand.com.”
3 KEY ELEMENTS TO LANDING BRAND & CREATING LONG-LASTING RELATIONSHIPS.
1)Describe yourself in 5 words or less.
Don’t write too much. PR people don’t have a lot of time. They don’t — even if they know you. So keep your pitch brief and to the point.
Use a distinctive title or phrase that makes people think, "This sounds interesting" or "This is what I'm looking for." Consider the difference between "I'm a copywriter" and "I turn browsers into buyers.”
Are you and actor selling apparel via an online store linked to your Instagram account? “Actrepreneur” could do you just right!
2) Be able to explain what you do in 2 sentences
After introducing yourself, introduce what you’ve got to offer.
Lay out what you’ve got, and if possible, include the monetary value of that exchange. (See below example). Always, make the brand an offer that is equivalent or higher value to what you are asking from them - this is called the 51/49 strategy (give more than expected!).
“Hey there! I hope your week is off to a great start! My name is Ash I’m an influencer and I write the Sydney-based blog, lifeofpash.com (you can see some recent posts of mine here, and here.) - In the last year I have been able to grow my IG following to over 17K highly engaged followers.
Reaching out because I’m currently in planning mode for the 3rd quarter and I’m working on quite a few upcoming fitness posts. In particular, I’ve been dying to try out [X fitness brand’s] high performance compression tights and would be interested in doing a review on my site (typically valued at $300). My 10,000 weekly readers have been asking for a Q&A post on fitness products so I thought this would make for a great, organic partnership!
Is that something that you would be open to?
Please let me know your thoughts–would love to team up together!”
3) Maintain the relationship even when you’re not pitching.
After you work with a brand, don’t ghost on them like a bad boyfriend. Send a quick recap after your content goes live with stats on the number of views, clicks, and any other relevant stats that may be of interest to your PR contact.
Also, don’t forget to occasionally check in with your contact to keep the relationship going. If you see the brand getting good press in the news, reach out with a quick congratulation. Magic things start to happen when you genuinely care...
Lastly, just believe in yourself, take a deep breath and throw yourself in the deep end!
Think of it this way–no brand is going to be upset about the possibility to get some publicity (whether its FREE or paid)!
And just remember, the answer to an unasked question is always NO.
Credit:
INSTAGRAM: @iblamesid from @espl.media
MEDIUM BLOG: Sidney Pierucci
