5 Tips on how to pitch to media... by the media

1. Keep your pitch short and snappy. If you're pitching a journalist in person, make your presentation shorter than three minutes. If you're pitching via email, keep your pitch equally short -- perhaps just a few sentences or short paragraphs, with relevant contact information. Keep in mind, we hear from a lot of you.

2. Grab our attention. Tell us why we should be writing about your company. Wow us with at least one fascinating tidbit, such as what inspired you to start your company. Think about what the headline for your story is. Don't forget to communicate your passion for your product or service, which will help make your pitch memorable.

3. What's the "takeaway" of your story? Yes, we know you want us to write a profile of your company. But we typically look for entrepreneurs whose stories provide lessons for other business owners. So tell us about something unique or unusual that you've done, that other business owners might learn from. Done something groundbreaking with your marketing? Manage your employees in a special way? Gotten creative in how you've found financing? That's all stuff we can build a story around.

4. Make your pitch to the media different than the one you use for investors. Journalists are not venture capitalists, so we don't want to hear that your company seeks to serve a [insert number here]-billion-dollar industry. Our eyes glaze over when you use words like "synergy" "next-generation" or "bleeding-edge." As writers, editors, bloggers or video producers, we're far more interested in the quirky bits of your entrepreneurial journey. Don't sell us your product; sell us your story.

5. Share your challenges. It's tough being a business owner. We want to hear about the obstacles you're facing, especially if countless other entrepreneurs are facing them, too. And if you've found a way to overcome those obstacles, we want to hear about that, too. That way, we can shine a light on the problem and hopefully bring about solutions and even social or governmental change. The more candid you are, the more interested we'll be in working with you.