Blog owners, journalists, and editors receive emails nonstop from companies looking for exposure. They will often be put together in the form of a pitch, but if it doesn’t stand out it’s just going to be sent right to the trash with the rest of them. The truth is, most pitches are weak and don’t stand out, therefore they are never even read.
If you are trying to get some press for your business you need to know how to get your pitch read and how to write one in a way that the recipient actually reads it instead of deleting it. Use the four tips below to greatly improve your results when seeking PR.
- Know who you are pitching.
You need to know who is on the other end of any pitch. This is why blindly firing off generic emails will never yield good results. Spend some time researching each target to see what makes them tick and make sure to craft your pitch in a way that hits some of those marks. Social media is a great place to dig for information and look for ways you can connect with someone, along with reading their previous writing.
Simply referring to or referencing something that they have done in the past or a hobby, is a great way to grab their attention. It shows them that you have put some time and though into the email and didn’t just blast them what looks to be a press release. They appreciate this, trust me.
You can also engage with the target on social media a bit before you pitch them, and this is a good way to get your name familiar with them. Then, when you reach out if you have successfully engaged with them, your name will ring a bell and this will help ensure your pitch is read.
- Don’t use generic pitch templates.
There are a lot of outreach and PR tools and software that everyone is using. While they can be great tools if used properly, they can kill your chances of securing press immediately if you don’t know how to use them or are lazy in your approach.
Too many people use the pre-built templates and just blast it to any email address the software scrapes. A well-seasoned journalist can small a template pitch from a mile away. Not only will your pitch be deleted, but you will probably also be blocked and blacklisted. Do you know how many of the identical pitches they receive? Several a day, so they become trained to spot them and delete them without giving the pitch a second of their time.
- Avoid copy/paste emails.
Now, if you aren’t using a tool or software to send out your pitches, and instead going manual emailing, you still need to avoid being lazy. It’s too easy to write a fairly generic email pitch and just copy and paste it to anyone and everyone you can think of. Again, the only thing this will get you is a trip to the trash.
You have to address each recipient by name, let him or her know why you are specifically reaching out to them, and then convincing them that your pitch is worth exploring. Also, don’t forget to include a value-add in your pitch. Are you going to send the story out to your 1.2 million social media followers? If that’s the case, let them know, because that is something that they are likely to deem valuable and will be more open to considering your pitch. When you have something to offer it makes it much easier to get your foot in the door and start the conversation.
- Be direct and straight to the point.
The people you are pitching have very busy schedules. They don’t have time to read a long drawn out pitch. Be short, be direct, and let them know what you want and what you can provide in terms of value in return.
Trust me, your recipients will appreciate a direct and to the point pitch that they can skim and understand within seconds. Then, if they are interested, you can go into more detail. They know you want press, so don’t insult their intelligence by filling them with fluff. Cut the BS and get right to the point if you want to see favorable results.
