The Public Relations Blog

As layoffs, buyouts, and now AI transform the journalism industry, media strategies must evolve to keep up.

If you are pitching media and not getting the traction you did 10 (or even two) years ago, you’re not alone. In a recent state of journalism survey, 49% of journalists reported they “seldom or never respond to pitches.” It likely has less to do with your company’s story and more to do with how your media strategy fits with the current state of journalism. 

Understanding the optimal timing for pitches will help you pitch like a pro.

Crafting the perfect media pitch takes time and effort. You've identified relevant media targets, created personalized pitches, and included critical information and compelling angles. But what about timing? When you hit “send” can be just as important to your pitch's success. 

Targeting only 1-50 recipients per pitch can maximize your open and clickthrough rates.

When it comes to media pitching, many PR pros wonder how many journalists they should email to get maximal engagement with their pitch. New data from an analysis of over 14 million pitches provides a clear answer: Pitching to a highly targeted list of 1-50 journalists yields significantly higher open and clickthrough rates than pitching to larger groups does.

Shouting doesn’t make you stand out — the content of the subject line does.

When crafting the perfect email pitch, your subject line is key to getting recipients to open your message. With writers putting so much thought into creating compelling, effective subject lines, many ask: Should you capitalize words for emphasis? The short answer is that it doesn't really matter.

When pitching, find the balance between consistent and irritating to appeal to busy reporters.

You probably know just how bothersome spam or sales calls can be in and outside of the workday. The frustration you feel receiving these calls is comparable to how a news reporter may feel receiving pitches that don’t always pertain to their beat, for example.

As a company desiring news coverage, what are you to do? Your company needs to build relationships with the right reporters and be helpful instead of irritating or spammy. Here are six tips to help ensure reporters don’t hate your company.

Avoid creating friction between you and journalists after a story goes live.

Getting a positive story featuring your company in the news is always cause for celebration. Your company will likely want to thank the journalist for the article and see if you can keep pitching your company to that journalist. However, this can actually cause problems with your company’s relationship with that journalist. Here are some problems to avoid so your company can maintain positive relationships with journalists.

There are 10 elements of news and newsworthiness, but two outshine the rest.

When it comes to determining whether a story is considered newsworthy, there are many factors journalists and editors evaluate. However, at the core, many argue that newsworthiness ultimately comes down to just two key elements: geography/proximity and subject matter relevance.

A step-by-step guide to amplify your earned media coverage to reach a wider audience.

Securing a story in a priority outlet or being featured on TV is a huge win, but many business leaders make the mistake of thinking publication is the final step, when really there are several steps after earning media coverage to see the highest return on investment.

Use these strategies to slice, dice, and personalize your company’s media segments.

Pitching journalists can seem chance-oriented, like throwing spaghetti against a wall to see what sticks. To boost your opportunity for success, you need an organized system for keeping track of media contacts and targeting pitches. The key is to segment your lists into smaller groups with shared interests. Here are smart ways to slice and dice your lists for better pitching results.

Here are the key takeaways, tips, and trends from analyzing media pitches to improve your company’s outreach.

An extensive analysis of over 14 million pitches sent to journalists over the past year reveals several noteworthy trends and best practices that PR professionals should know. By understanding when and how reporters prefer to be pitched, you can refine your own media outreach strategy for greater success.