5 Things To Consider In Your Journalist Outreach
Approaching journalists with your news story is the bread and butter of PR but it’s no mean feat to try and grab their attention…
It’s a well known fact that journalists are extremely busy people with limited time to be sifting through multiple pitches, so just how do you get your email noticed?
Well, there’s no secret as such, but the below pointers may just help you construct your best outreach plan yet.
Five things to consider when outreaching to journalists
A scroll stopping subject line
On average, one journalist will receive hundreds of emails a day, so, in order for your pitch to be noticed, you need to ensure your subject line has the ability to stand out from a sea of others.
If your angle is around money saving, ensure you quote precisely just how much a consumer can save such as “This hack will save you £8,000 at Chanel”. More data led? Ensure you’re revealing something new, letting the journalist know that. Here’s an example: “New survey reveals the sunniest place to live in the UK”.
A concise and helpful pitch
The devil works hard but journalists work harder. Therefore, make their job easier with your email outreach by following the below format:
Ensure your outreach email gets straight to the point and concisely summarises your release. Two - three (short and snappy) paragraphs should do the trick
Insert any standout data in your email to capture their attention
Explain relevance - does it relate to something currently in the news?
Keep everything within the email. Don’t insert your release as an attachment, embed all details
Ensure you link to high res, relevant imagery; journo’s usually prefer Dropbox or Google Drive
Expert comments or partnerships
To give you release extra credibility, it’s wise to partner with experts to provide bespoke commentary. From psychologists to consumer behaviour experts, adding in an additional source will often strengthen your story.
Unsure where to find such experts? Try submitting a request on Response Source, Editorielle or Twitter.
Headline options
One angle does not fit all. Ensure you’re providing the journalist with around three headline options. This easily demonstrates that your story has multiple relevancy points and can work for multiple news stories.
Manners matter
Finally, if your story does make the cut and a journalist provides you with your dream coverage, be sure to follow up and thank them. If you then go on to build organic relationships with editors, you can consider introducing them to your client roster to see if any of your brands / experts can work for any other pieces they may be working on.
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