Getting earned media, where you try to generate targeted media coverage to help your client achieve their business objectives, can be difficult. But you can enhance your chances of success by following these tips.

1. Start by understanding business objectives and agreeing on the audience you want to reach. This will help determine if this will be an exclusive media pitch or if it should be sent to multiple outlets, or a combination of the two.

2. Research the company first. Make sure you’re aware of the company’s strengths and any potential vulnerabilities. Identify spokespeople who may not always be the CEO.

3. Set expectations with your client. You can do everything right and your story still may not get picked up now.

4. Create a messaging platform with key messages and talking points.

5. Gather materials for the pitch like bios, company summary and high-resolution photos.

6. Write the pitch and determine which reporters cover the subject matter. We generally send an email with a summary, followed by more detailed information that would be of interest to their audience. Follow up with another email or a phone call. Sometimes before moving on to another reporter, we’ll email them with a courtesy email thank you for your consideration, we’ll pitch to someone else.

7. Once pitch is accepted, help coordinate interviews and follow up to ensure the reporter has everything they need.

8. Once the story is published, make sure no corrections need to be made. They’ll update the online version and sometimes get it in time before print edition goes out.