I’m sorry to say but it’s true. Sometimes your product/client isn’t “the story.” A great PR person knows that news coverage is typically based on trends, and an effective pitch can help demonstrate to a reporter a greater trend story of which your client or product is a critical piece. In addition, reporters with aggressive deadlines will often appreciate any extra data or information you can share to show a story is, well, worth covering. Often simply demonstrating a “round-up” of products that meet a single need can push your story through.

So how do you pull together that well-constructed pitch?

You can certainly scour the Internet for like-minded products, services or information, or you can save time by connecting with other professionals using a nifty new service, “Pitch with Me,” created by PR pro Heather Whaling of Geben Communication. The service enables you to find products and services that may be complimentary to a pitch you are creating, or to locate pitches to which you can lend a hand.

The service offers an easy three step process:

1. Submit a “need” through the Pitch with Me site, along with your contact information, a general description of the media outlet, an overview of the pitch and the type of resource you’re looking for.

2. Check the homepage to see if you can fill a need, or follow @pitchwithme on Twitter, an automated feed of submissions.

3. Got a resource? Contact the poster and begin working together to develop a strong packaged pitch.

Pitch with Me is designed to help PR pros pitch smarter by meeting the needs of reporters in a more effective way. Check it out, and give us your feedback in the comments below.

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