Are you confusing journalists with your 'About Me' section?

Last week, I took you through nailing down your one liner pitch.

This week, I’m talking about your ‘About Me’ section.

Now, you might think this is the easiest part of a pitch, but it can actually end up being one of the most confusing for journalists.

Here, I’m going to take you through exactly how to check that yours is a help rather than a hindrance to your pitch.

Make sure it’s easy to find

Your ‘About’ section should be clearly labelled both in your pitch and on your website. There have been times that this hasn’t been the case and I’ve given up on a pitch - avoid this by making sure the journalist knows exactly where to look to find more information about you.

Don’t be vague - share examples

When someone tells you they’re a ‘consultant’ without proper further clarification, do you actually know for sure what their job or expertise is? Make sure you give concise detail that better explains what you do - and not just to people in your industry. You need to speak in layperson’s terms so that anyone and everyone can understand what you do.

The easiest way to do this? Share your job title then clarify what this looks like day-to-day. For example, I might say I’m a ‘media consultant’ but to some people, this will mean nothing, so I might clarify it by saying, ‘which involves advising business owners on how to get media coverage from a journalist’s point of view.’ Give them a clear picture of what your role is.

Don’t be afraid to share the experiences that led you to this

Allow the journalist to get to know you a little by sharing some of your background. You don’t need to give them everything here, but share your most relevant work experience that has brought you to this role. You can also share something extra (perhaps your big ‘aha!’ moment or wake up call) that you think might resonate.