By Jasmine Forte
On July 14 we celebrate one of the most accessible foods in the world — Happy National Mac and Cheese Day! This popular side dish has remained one of America’s top ten comfort foods for decades.
Making a delicious serving of mac and cheese is similar to crafting an effective pitch in public relations – it requires a simple mix of ingredients, timing, and just the right amount of flavor to win over an audience. Below are some mac and cheese cooking tips that you can apply to creating that perfect pitch.
- Get Your Ingredients Together First
Being prepared and utilizing the correct tools are essential in both cooking and pitching. You wouldn’t want to make mac and cheese with blue cheese when you really needed to use extra sharp cheddar. The same logic applies to pitching. A hard news pitch requires different ingredients than a soft news pitch, and confusing the two would not result in a positive outcome. Using the right pitch and sending it to the right people is the most effective approach. Once you identify what type of pitch you should create, it’s simple to figure out what ingredients you’ll need.
- Timing Is Everything
Timing is essential. You wouldn’t want to over or undercook your mac and cheese, and you certainly wouldn’t want to send a pitch at the wrong time. The correct timing can determine if your client or event receives media coverage. Find out the best time to contact the journalist and give them ample notice. You also want to remember to pitch stories that are newsworthy and relevant.
- Add Your Own Personal Flavor
Just like a perfect pan of mac and cheese should have a hint of the personality of the maker, you should include your personal voice in your pitch. No one wants to eat flavorless food, and journalists certainly don’t want to read a mundane pitch. Adding your own voice makes a pitch more personable and could potentially determine if a journalist even reads through your entire email. However, don’t go overboard and become outlandish. No one likes too much seasoning in their mac and cheese, and an extreme amount of flair can deter them.
- Make Sure Your Final Product Complements Your Other Dishes
Mac and cheese should be a side dish – not the main course. The same principle applies to a pitch. Make sure your pitch has depth and shares the necessary amount of information, but that it doesn’t give away everything. It should complement the other materials in your PR campaign. You never want your pitch to outshine a press release or social content. Instead, you want your pitch to be a flavorful addition to the other components within you PR campaign.
Journalists receive hundreds of mediocre pitches every day. Following a good recipe will ensure that your pitch stands out amongst the masses. When you’re drafting a pitch, remember that it’s similar to cooking mac and cheese: use the right ingredients, time it correctly, and most importantly, make sure your final product complements everything else you’re bringing to the table. If you stick to this recipe, then your pitch will be perfect every time!