Any public relations professional who has ever sat in front of a long pitch list has probably wondered what reporters and editors think when a new pitch arrives in their inbox. What makes them decide to do one story and ignore another? Muck Rack recently offered an intriguing look behind the media curtain with their annual survey of nearly 2,500 journalists done from January 11-February 8 of this year. A journalist and two PR professionals shared their insights about the poll at a webinar I recently attended. Here are some findings you can keep in mind the next time you get ready to send a pitch out into the media universe.
- Timing matters – Understanding the schedule of a journalist is invaluable. The journalists in the survey said bad timing was the number one reason why they rejected an otherwise relevant pitch. When asked what day of the week they preferred to be pitched, more than half (57%) of journalists said Monday. That is a day many journalists plan what to cover that week. Tuesday was second at 20%. The rest of the week took a nosedive into the single digits. As for time of day 68% of journalists polled prefer to receive pitches between 5 a.m. and 12p.m. EST.
- Be brief and interesting – Journalists are busy people who get a lot of pitches each day, so don’t bury the lead. “The amount of time that an individual pitch has to grab our attention is really really small, especially if it comes from someone that we don’t know,” said Tech Crunch Senior Writer Anthony Ha. “If you are spending a lot of time getting to the point, then I’m just going to be like, Man, forget it and I’ll move on to something else.” Nearly half (46%) of journalists in the survey said they prefer pitches that are a haiku-like 100-200 words. Ha says it’s ok to include more information but make the subject line and first paragraph super compelling. He also recommends press releases be included in the body of the email rather than as an attachment. Ciara Benko, Vice President of PR firm Praytel recommended staying away from client terminology that comes across as jargon. “It’s up to us to translate it into something that makes sense and is easy to read,” she added.
- Do your homework – Following the news pays off in many ways. It can help you connect your pitch to a trending story, which 70% of journalists in the survey said makes a story more shareable. It allows you to know what the reporters you pitch are covering. News knowledge builds awareness about when not to pitch. As Jarryd Boyd, PR Manager of Hinge noted, “There are days where there’s just craziness happening, and it is not the day to pitch your story.” Ha agreed, saying that as an Asian-American he was not open to receiving pitches the day of the spa shootings in Atlanta.
- Follow up – You’ve sent your pitch and the reporter didn’t immediately respond – now what? According to the poll, 90% of journalists say it’s OK to send at least one follow-up email and 38% say 2 or more follow-up emails is appropriate. As for the timing, 86% recommend sending it within a week and the other 14% prefer you wait more than a week after sending the initial pitch.
Media hits are the bread and butter of public relations. They are the best way to show return on investment for clients and raise the public’s awareness about the work they are doing. Getting a reporter to do a story takes hard work and good strategy, but if you think like a journalist you will be more successful. Good luck!
