An often overlooked step in creating a successful private dermatology practice is the necessity to curate an engaging public image. Hiring someone to do the PR for you is effective but can also be expensive. Doing it yourself can be useful but comes with the risk of gaining less exposure. Local news is one great way to garner media exposure. When looking to pitch your practice to reporters, there are several steps to assure you are doing so in an effective manner.
Remember, dermatology is one of the most competitive medical specialties, so when looking to pitch, the competition can be high.
Research
Research is without a doubt the most important part of successful PR. Without doing proper research, you are hindering your chances at a thriving practice from the get-go.
A great place to start for dermatology is local news. See if any local news stories line up with what you offer. Local news outlets— whether it be television, online or in print— often have designated health reporters who are consistently looking for stories. You both have something the other person needs; use that to your advantage. You will want to make the pitch personal and relate it to their other content.
Remember, it never hurts to pitch, and in a field as competitive as dermatology, your pitches should be equally abundant as they are well-constructed and thought out. This means pitching to several different outlets.
Constructing a Pitch
You made a list of people and outlets to pitch your story to, now it’s about building the pitch. What is it you’re looking to promote? Why should people turn to your practice? These are questions you must answer.
In dermatology, the media and readers are more drawn to stories about common skin conditions rather than rare cases. Decide what issue it is you would like to provide solutions for. Maybe you specialize in eczema treatment— good, that is something that millions of people struggle with. Highlighting that in a story is useful.
Your pitch should check off a few boxes:
- The issue/condition you want to discuss.
- Information about the issue and why it is important for an audience to learn about it.
- New treatment or knowledge surrounding this issue.
- Your expertise on the subject.
Length of Your Pitch
You do not have to write an essay. Your pitch can be short and simple and, in fact, is better off if you keep it as such. Reporters receive hundreds of pitches a day and lose interest in ones that are lengthy and boring. Two paragraphs are the perfect space for you to fit in everything you need.
This can mean a simple introduction, what it is you want to discuss and why you are the best person to discuss it with. It can even have a conversational tone. You do not have to write the story for the reporter nor do they want you to. Instead, provide a pitch with digestible, relevant information that can serve as a catalyst for a reporter’s story.
Timing Your Pitch
Timing your pitch well can be as important, if not more, than the actual information within it. Keep in mind lead times for different types of media. If you are looking to do a magazine story about the dangers of foregoing sunscreen in the summer, you will want to have your pitch ready to go by February and sent out by March at the latest. Send newspaper pitches about a month in advance and television pitches about two weeks in advance.
Time of day matters equally as much. Do not send a pitch at 4:30 p.m.— local news is bombarded with breaking stories and the natural calamity of life at that hour. Instead, send your pitch out early in the day – by 9:00 a.m.— so you can beat the morning meetings and give a reporter time to properly assess your pitch.
Establish Relationships
If possible, establish a rapport with a journalist. You both benefit from this relationship, and as pointed out before, you both have something the other person needs. Dermatology has a vast array of issues to cover and, lucky for the reporter, you are an expert in the field. However, once a story is done, it is important to change up your pitch for the next time you reach out— the same reporter can’t cover an identical topic two weeks apart.
Follow up with media outlets that didn’t respond. Emails get lost in the chaos every single day and there’s a good chance that the recipient never saw your pitch. You worked hard on this, and it is okay to be assertive. Consider changing the subject line; something short and catchy should do the trick.
Overview
Pitching your practice to local news is one of the most effective ways to get more eyeballs on your dermatology practice. Once the proper research is done, it is all about constructing a clear and concise pitch, and getting it out there to the necessary people. Having trouble? Partner with a marketing or PR agency if you have the funds.
