How to Pitch Your Physical Therapy to the Media

Through your media relations efforts, you heard through the grapevine that a writer, journalist, producer or the like is interested in telling a story with ties to physical therapy. Maybe it’s a story about preventing back pain while running, dealing with chronic pain, or preventing injury/surgery.

Regardless, your instinct is immediate: You want to be part of this story.

Making a story pitch to a writer or journalist isn’t a science. In the end, they’ll either like your ideas and feel you’d be an ideal source for their story, or they won’t. In all its subjectivity, media relations is funny like that. Considering that movement-related stories are told every day by small-town journalists, regional TV news anchors, and big-time blog and publication writers all across the country, it’s safe to say that we in the profession want PT front and center within the narrative of these stories.

It can be good for your individual clinic, but it can also be incredibly great for the PT profession. Education is a marketing mandate, after all. Improve your chances of making yourself and your profession part of the narrative by considering the following tips:

Be Quick

Journalists, writers and other news people work on tight deadlines. It’s the nature of the business. Once you hear someone is looking for you (or someone like you) to round out a movement-based story through information, comments, perspective, and more, don’t hesitate. Reach out ASAP. Email is fine –in fact, the following tips are based on an email pitch – but if you have a contact number, a quick phone call can work great, too.

Get to the Point

No need to exchange pleasantries. In the first line of the email pitch, tell them why you’re reaching out. “I’m reaching out because I heard you’re working on a story about chronic pain, and as a licensed physical therapist, I can add value to your piece.” People are so busy these days, so make it easy for them to understand why they’re reading your email.

Tell Them What You What Them To Know 

In the first paragraph, tell them about yourself, specifically as it has to do with the topic at hand. This is where you start to build your credibility. Then, lay out some of your thoughts for their story. In other words, tell them what information you have to share with them which you feel will help enhance the story they’re trying to tell – specifically as it has to do with your unique position as a physical therapist. Just keep in mind that the goal is to pique their interests in you, not to necessarily provide them full interview talking points.

Make Yourself Available

 Before you sign off, make sure the recipient of your pitch knows exactly how to get in touch with you. Include your email address (and any alternative addresses), your phone number(s), and even social media info, as some people may prefer that direction. And if he/she reaches back out to you? Respond right away. After all, you don’t want to lose the connection.

Set the Right Expectations

Not all people to whom you send story pitches are going to get back in touch with you. In fact, most won’t. But don’t let this discourage you. There’s a bigger play here as it relates to educating not just the masses, but also writers and journalists about the critical role physical therapy plays (and can play) in people’s health care. Such education is key to long-term coverage and developing a higher level of cultural literacy when it comes to the PT profession.

But when you do find success, the value is incredible. Not only are you doing your part to promote the profession, but you’re also generating an incredible amount of marketing capital you can use to boost your professional credibility within your local market. Such media coverage is truly invaluable.

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