Hey everyone! Yesterday was pitmad and boy was it a doozey! I’ve participated in quite a few pitmad events with varying results, but this one I was determined to get in front of as many people as possible. And it worked! In past events, I believe the most reweets I ever got was around 80 or so. This event I got nearly 200. Here’s what I did to reach this new personal record:

1. Interact with the pitmad hashtags as soon as you start seeing them.

The actual event may only last one day, but in truth, if you want to do well, you need to start interacting before that. Simply search for the hashtag a week or two in advance and look for people putting together lists. Some will ask for retweets in return but some are simply happy to support. Don’t be shy! Comment on as many as you can!

Sometimes, you can also find people offering feedback on pitches. Definitely check them out before you take their advice, but it can be a great way to put the finishing touches on pitches.

2. Retweet or comment on a lot of other pitches

While lists and retweet exchanges are a more reliable way of getting retweets, sometimes people will return the favor on the day of the event. Support other writers and many will be happy to return the favor.

3. Keep looking for boosters/supporters, even during the event.

During the event you can still find people offering retweets. Keep you eyes open and interact!

4. Interact throughout the day

Some people have busy lives, so this may seem like a hard thing to do, but really, it only took me 5-10 min every hour or so to do #2 and #3. If you have a tight schedule, the best times to interact is right after posting a new pitch.

5. Post all three pitches during the first half of the day

I’ve realized after several events that the busiest time of day for pitmad is most certainly early morning to midday, and so this is the best time to post for maximum exposure. (Keep in mind this is for CST and may vary based on timezones).

6. Keep at least one pitched pinned

I like to pin my new pitches as I post them, but if I see they aren’t getting much attention, I switch back to the more popular pitch to pin. After noon, I pin my most popular and keep it there for the next few days. Some people keep their first pitch pinned all day of the event, and perhaps this would be a better option, but I’m not 100% sure. I think I may try doing that next event and see what happens.

And that’s pretty much it. It did take some extra effort, but the exposure alone was well worth it in my opinion because in addition to all the retweets, I gained nearly 50 new followers. This method worked for me, but by no means am I claiming to be an expert. I can only hope some of this advice might help a few writers in their next pitching event.

Keep writing,

Allison N Moore

PS – Here is the tweet that got me almost 200 retweets