Adjusting Tone and Language While Building the Perfect Target Audience
To streamline the pitching process, many public relations professionals will work from a pitch template that gives them a structure they can easily update with the information pertinent to any particular pitch. In addition to cutting down on the time it takes to prepare a pitch, templates also help to ensure important information for the target audience is not left out.
The problem with working from a template, however, is that it can result in pitches that feel generic and uninspired. The best pitches will grab the outlet’s attention by hooking the reader with something engaging and exciting. To ensure that happens, publicists must adjust the tone and language of the template to properly capture the content they are promoting and align with the target audience they are trying to reach.
The following are some tips that can help publicists as they seek to develop pitches that connect with outlets and lead to media opportunities that connect their clients with the perfect target audience.
Pay attention to your topic
A key goal of the pitching process is to give writers and editors a vision for the type of content they could develop from your pitch. Consequently, adjusting the tone to match the content and align with the outlet makes the pitch more effective.
For pitches on the economy, politics, and general news topics, keep your tone neutral and factual. Be clear and concise. The goal is to maintain a balanced tone when communicating more complex topics.
For trending lifestyle or light-hearted topics, be casual and relatable. Causing an initial spark and making a connection will help deliver the actual message of your pitch effectively.
If you send out an informative pitch on new technology, for example, framing the content in a straightforward style and including statistics will increase its value. If you are offering guidance on lifestyle topics — a holiday gift guide, for example — you might want to adopt a more light-hearted tone. In any case, including quotes from the client gives the outlet a sense of their voice and helps them evaluate whether the client is a good fit for their readers.
Don’t ignore the news cycle
You can enhance the impact of your pitch by adjusting its tone to take into account the current news cycle. Outlets will always seek to share content that enhances their readers’ understanding of current news, so your pitch becomes more valuable if it shows that your client can do that. For example, effectively pitching topics related to the recent US presidential election required adopting a very informative, unbiased tone.
Essentially, you need to read the room as you develop your pitches. If a tragic court case is trending and you have a client who is a lawyer, jump on the opportunity, but remember to approach it with a sensitive yet informative mindset and never make light of serious events happening in the news. Instead, offer clear facts and be direct about how your client can add to the ongoing discussion.
On the other hand, if you have a lifestyle client and there is a celebrity uproar in the news cycle, you might be able to craft a pitch in a more lighthearted manner. For example, when the news was covering Cardi B’s controversial flooring choice, I successfully pitched a client who designed flooring in an engaging way that was humorous yet still showcased his expertise.
Let generative AI help refine the tone
Generative AI tools like ChatGPT or Gemini are known for their ability to edit writing to match a particular tone. The right prompt can rapidly reframe a pitch template that has been personalized with the correct information and make it more appealing to any type of outlet.
I suggest writing the first draft of your pitch without focusing on the tone to ensure you have the content you need and a structure that is easy to follow. Next, use AI tools to fine-tune how the pitch is presented. A helpful prompt would be something like, “Rewrite this pitch to make it more appealing to an outlet that is focused on helping startups with their financial operations,” or “Rewrite this pitch to tie it into trending stories focused on how small businesses are dealing with the challenge of growing inflation.”
To be effective, pitching must support your overall goal of helping your clients connect with the perfect target audience. By adjusting your tone and language to better communicate your content and align with the outlet’s readers, you improve your chances of accomplishing that goal.
