61% of journalists receive 100 or more pitches a week - if that gives you a bit more context about how competitive pitching can be right now.
Sourcing the right publications and securing relevant media coverage can also only be achieved when you write compelling pitches and build lasting relationships with journalists.
With that in mind, here’s a comprehensive guide to pitching to journalists so you can hook them and achieve more impactful coverage that boosts brand awareness, gets you authoritative backlinks, and improves your visibility within the search engines.
Your subject line needs to reflect that you have done your research on the publication you are reaching out to. Follow the same style and tone and make it clear why your story is relevant to that publication.
Explain who your expert or brand is and why the story is relevant to the journalist. It’s important to do this in a clear and concise manner - don’t add unnecessary fluff to your pitch as journalists expect you to get straight to the point.
It’s important to back your pitch up with data, as this will give credibility to your story and increase the appeal for the journalist. Walking them though the data and explaining why the findings are relevant and important can strengthen the trust of your source.
Like data, including a quote from an expert can add credibility to your story. Include the quote itself along with the name and relevant details of the person who offered the quote - this will save the journalist time.
You need to make sure the journalist won’t need to work any harder than necessary. Your press release and any supporting documents such as images should be made easily accessible to the journalist so they have everything they need directly in front of them.
If you are willing and able to, offering exclusive content to some journalists could further enhance the appeal of your story.
The time you send your email can have an impact on its success. Emailing first thing in the morning (around 7:00 - 7:30) is the perfect time to send your pitches, especially if they are time sensitive. For less urgent pitches, sending them out between 12:00 and 15:00 is the next best time, as this is the period where many journalists re-check their inboxes.
These are just general guidelines. Each journalist and each publication is individual so these times may vary. But by building relationships with journalists, you can get a better understanding of what works and what doesn’t work for different publications.
A journalist is unlikely to think twice about a generic pitch that shows no research has gone into their content. Instead, do the groundwork and gain a thorough understanding of their style and tone and make sure that your story aligns with the journalist's content.
As previously mentioned, you need to make the journalist's life easy. Include your press release and any additional documents or imagery directly in the email so the journalist doesn’t encounter any problems accessing everything they need to run the story. If they do have difficulties, they could disregard the story altogether.
To some journalists, exclusivity is essential as they may only run breaking news and exclusive stories - something that you will be aware of if you have done your research. If you don’t state that your story is exclusive, journalists will assume you have sent it to a number of others, so always state it where applicable.
Getting too personal by interacting with journalists via their personal email or social media accounts is overstepping. It’s important to build strong professional relationships - don’t cross that line.
Pitching to a journalist is just the beginning, you then need to build your relationship with them. This can take time but by crafting pitches that include all the necessary information, exhibit your understanding of their industry, and by avoiding common mistakes like failing to respect professional boundaries, you can begin to form lasting relationships that will increase your chances of securing powerful media coverage.
If you’d like expert help amplifying your digital PR efforts, feel free to get in touch with us today!
