How to Write Press Release Pitches Journalists Can’t Refuse
You spend hours crafting the perfect subject line, pore over every word, and follow-up religiously without being annoying. But why are journalists and bloggers passing up on your press release pitches?
And you can’t help but wonder why… Was it something you did?
Every business can agree that getting press, and organizing a press campaign is very important. One story in a renowned publication can make and break a business — startups and enterprise companies alike. But when you get ignored, rejected, and overlooked, it hurts. It also wastes precious time.[1]
So how do you write press release pitches that won’t waste your time and will catch your target’s eye?
3 Rules to Follow If You Want Press
Part of writing press release pitches is investing in relationships, searching for the right angle, and then sending an irresistible pitch — in addition to distributing your press release[2]. If you want to ensure that editors read your pitches, keep these three simple guidelines in mind.[3]
#1 Target the Writer; Not the Publication
Sending pitches to a generic email address like “questions@email.com” will not work. And it’s a rookie mistake. That’s because a generic and catch-all email address is already saturated with pitches from thousands of others. Unless you have a groundbreaking story as massive as Apple taking over Samsung, your press release pitches won’t get any attention.
The best thing to do is to target a specific writer for each publication.
With this, you can:
- Develop a relationship with the journalist or writer.
- Aim for writers who cover your beat.
- Increase the chances of your email getting read.
The other benefit is that you can personalize the pitch. A personalized email is 26% more likely to be read.[4]
#2 Aim for the Right Beat
A “beat” is a journalist’s term for their area of focus. It can range from broad (like “lifestyle”) to narrow (like, “DIY projects”).
You’ll be glad to know that industry-specific publications cover a narrow beat. A good example is Vox, and they have separate editors for social media, AI, commerce, robotics, etc. On the other hand, sites like Presswire, cover a wide range of general topics. From business to entertainment, and even tech news.[5][6]