5 Tips For An Effective Email Pitch

What are journalists looking for in an email pitch? It's the question you should be asking yourself each and every time you send a pitch to them.

You have such a small window of opportunity to convince a journalist you have a story worth covering so you need to make sure you don't waste it.

Your press release needs to be clear and compelling, your imagery needs to be strong but getting the story over the line ultimately rests on that email pitch.

I've got a couple of episodes dedicated to pitching to a journalist up on my PR podcast, The PR Pod, which are worth checking out but here's five tips to give you a head start.

?? What utility does this pitch/angle have for the readers of this publication?

You need to have a thorough understanding of the publication, their content and their readers to answer that question.

Just because it is a lifestyle publication which publishes content on where to eat out in your city doesn't mean they're interested in bottomless brunches.

Are they likely to write long-form articles or do they tend to focus on quick Top 10 lists? Do they direct their readers towards new events around town or do they prefer to shed light on industry movers and shakers? Once you understand the content and who will be reading it, you'll be able to craft a far more tailored pitch that is likely to get cut-through.

If you can't quite get your head around what content appeals to that publication, touch base with a writer and ask if you can set up a quick phone chat to ensure you understand exactly what they're after. Just make sure you've done your research in advance so you're at least going into that conversation armed with as much information as you can find. You want them to fill the gaps versus telling you things you easily could have found online.

?? Check if they have run similar coverage recently

Do your due diligence. If you're putting forward a particular product to be considered in an online Valentine's Day gift guide and the publication ran that gift guide last week, it's obvious a) you're not reading that publication and b) you don't have attention to detail.

See where the gaps are in their coverage and what similar stories they've run in the last 12 months.

I have a bar client which specialises in cognac so one of the things I did recently was check a handful of websites I thought may run stories along the line of - everything you need to know about cognac, or 5 things you should know about cognac.

I discovered one of them had run similar stories in regards to tequila and whisky in the last year but not cognac. So, I knew there would be good chance that angle would appeal to them - their readers clearly like to get educated about drinking alcohol. I pitched the cognac angle and had an email back within five minutes to say they'd like to run it, featuring my client as the thought leader of cognac.

If you spot the angle you wanted to pitch has already been covered recently you can still reach out to the journalist to ask them to keep your client in mind for their next update to the story, but I'd be accompanying that with 2 - 3 other angles that may appeal to them now.

Also, make a note of the last time they ran that particular angle which would have been perfect for your client. If it's a timely angle you think may get updated regularly - say, best bars to visit in London - I'd make a note in my task list to touch base with that journalist three months after their last update was done (or however regularly you think they update it). That way, you're spoon-feeding them content at about the appropriate time they're going to be looking for it.

?? Don't use hyperbole or far-fetched claims

A pitch saying this is the best whisky bar in Sydney or this is the most amazing moisturiser you've ever used is going to result in that email being binned very quickly by a journalist.

If you're making those kinds of claims, it shows you are not focused on the narrative or the back-bone of the product/offering. You're just making loose claims because you think it will get a journalist's attention.

Instead, identify the compelling elements you believe make it a strong contender to be considered one of the best whisky bars in Sydney, outline them succinctly and invite the journalist down to judge for themselves.

It is for the journalist to judge if that product, venue or offering is the best and not the PR. You just need to give them the information to ensure it's on their list as a consideration.

?? Make the most of your email subject heading

The email subject heading is prime real estate. It's the first thing a journalist will read and it needs to be compelling enough for them to click and open that email.

Don't waste space by putting "Press Release:.... " at the start of the subject heading. That's two redundant words taking up crucial space. Look at using your press release headline instead as that should be a catchy insight into what the release is about.

?? Follow-up your pitch

It's perfectly acceptable to follow up the initial pitch and in fact, that's the time you're likely to get it over the line.

Journalists often skim read through their emails and then get distracted. They may have identified your pitch as being really interesting or relevant but then it slips their mind. They're human, it happens. So, give them at least 48 hours and then follow-up to see if they got your email and recap on why you think the angle is relevant to them.

Never follow up a pitch an hour later with a phone call to make sure they received it. You don't know the priorities, challenges and pressures of their work day so give them the time to read it.

If you're pitching something that is extremely time sensitive for publication later that day or the next day then of course, follow up within an hour or two. If not, give them some space to get through their emails.

If you've followed up once and you've still not heard back, give it one last attempt but make sure you include two or three new angles in there for them to consider. It's very likely by that point they've now read your first two emails and your angle just wasn't of interest to them. If you're going to pop up in their inbox another time, you better make sure you're giving them some new opportunities to consider.

Interested in some more tips?

My PR podcast, The PR Pod, provides practical advice for mastering public relations tasks plus tips to get ahead in your career. You'll find it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.