Media coverage is a great way to attract new customers and any business that masters the art can get a steady stream of news stories with media backlinks to their websites. But the question is: how do you make first contact with a journalist?

If you're a Star Trek fan you might be familiar with the term first contact – the critical, initial meeting that takes place between humans and extraterrestrial life.

Well, with their odd ways of interaction, journalists can sometimes seem like an alien species to someone who is trying to get media coverage for their business or their client!

So, how do you get off on the right foot with a journalist when you make a cold-call pitch to them?

Be careful! ...if you strike the wrong tone your "news" will go unread and straight into the trash. But by using the smart approach and striking the right tone, you can give yourself the best possible chance of getting your PR piece published.

Now, before we get to how to pitch, let's look at what you need to do to even get your pitch considered.

John's Tips

Use the right channels

Think about how you would feel if someone pitched you something on your personal Facebook or Pinterest account?

Probably about as irritated as a journalist if you did the same to them, right?

After all, personal accounts are where you post about your hobbies and your children, not about business. Of course some people use Facebook for business reasons but, before you engage, think about what platforms align best with your business. Twitter and LinkedIn are the obvious examples but if your story appeals to a certain platform, it could be worth pitching on there too.

Strike the right tone

I have had emails which say: "Hey, how's it going?" "I hope you and your family are keeping well" and the ubiquitous "Yo!".

You wouldn't do this to a stranger if you...