Beyond Nontraditional Media – try unorthodox beats

As legacy media contracts and we find fewer journalists to pitch our stories, we’ve been rightfully leaning into Nontraditional Media for alternatives.

Newsletters, podcasts, creators, and whatever format proves popular next are great options.

But there’s another route you can also take to expand your reach, even with Traditional Media: Pitch unorthodox beats.

When the few reporters still covering your industry start to feel tapped out, change the angle and aim at different desks.

Two fresh examples I encountered just this week:

Science award → “overcoming adversity”

A veteran PR pro at a science research organization knew honoring standout science students wouldn’t break through with the last few science writers. So she adjusted her aim toward writers who tell inspiring stories of overcoming adversity, such as the Washington Post’s “Inspired Life” column. Instead of choosing award winners based on scientific merit, she uncovered two amazing personal triumphs.

Destination marketing → sports podcasters

A destination marketing organization made a genius pivot inside Nontraditional Media. Instead of paying travel influencers to visit, they invited sports podcasters who cover teams visiting the area in the coming year for a complimentary 2- to 3-day familiarization trip. Because these podcasters weren’t used to this treatment, it felt like an honor instead of business as usual. They accepted without asking for pay and aired glowing reviews to their audiences. It was a relatively inexpensive way to reach a new but highly targeted audience – fans likely to travel for an away game and stick around and explore.

I’m not saying unorthodox beats are better than Nontraditional Media. In this season of ongoing disruption, test both.

For your next story, before defaulting to your “usual suspects” media list, ask:

If I stretched, what unorthodox beats might find an interest here? If I pitched them, what would they most want to hear?

Then seek elements that support your new angle, and if you find them, go for it!