So, you have written a PR and now it is time to send it out for distribution. But do you know how to email a press release that helps to pitch your story? Let’s find out!
Everybody is aware of the benefits of a press release for the benefit of a business but in order to make a successful PR distribution, you would also require to pitch it perfectly to get featured. Journalists, reporters, and submission sites receive a ton of PRS every day and most of them get rejected due to a bad pitch. Learning how to send a professional press release can help you stay ahead in the game as it helps to stand out in the horde.
While there is no rocket science behind it, you would still require to know how to email a press release effectively that improves email open rate and guarantees of getting featured on the news sites. If you are not sure how to embark on this journey, here are 9 easy steps to follow.
1. Identify Journalists Who Might be interested in the Story
Once you have developed your press release the first thing to do is find out the journalists who might find your story interesting. The idea is to find relevant journalists from the niche who work with similar topics and industries. As a result, it increases the chances of getting featured by journalists and that can eventually reduce your effort to pitch everybody. Even if you manage to get featured by one credible journalist from the field, the PR can get re-published based on the newsworthiness of the story.
2. Gather Contact Information and Shortlist Them
After finding the journalists, it is time to gather their contact information and shortlist them as you have to pitch them. It is better if you can find the email ids directly, or else you can also use the phone no. or social media profiles to get that. Email is the most preferable medium in this case as it is considered formal and also the most convenient medium to pitch the professional. This list of journalists can help you in your future campaigns as well as try to keep a good connection with them.
3. Attention-Grabbing Subject Line for the Pitch
As mentioned earlier, journalists tend to have a lot on their plates and therefore, they mostly do not get enough time to read every PR they receive. What they do is check the subject line and figure out what it is about. If the subject line is not attractive or relevant enough, the chance of getting rejected is high. Crafting an attention-grabbing subject line is the best way to increase the open rate of your pitch email and make them read through the whole content. Here are some tips to utilize,
- Keep it short and precise – 10 words maximum
- Be specific – mention the industry or relevant keywords
- Make it unique – if you want to stand out, make sure to keep it unique that piques interest
- Provide exclusivity – through data and research
4. Develop an Attractive Lead for Your Pitch
Now it is time to develop a lead for your pitch which is the first thing that journalists are going to read after opening the mail. This lead needs to be clear enough to elaborate and the story and purpose of the PR that sums up the reason behind the pitch email. So, make sure to keep it highly focused based on the 5Ws format (who, when, where, why, and what) of a PR.
5. Craft the Body for the Pitching Email
This is the main portion of the email where you can explain the whole story, starting with the most important information at the beginning and gradually leading to the least important one. This inverted pyramid structure is easy to read and helps journalists quickly have an idea of the whole content even if read only a few lines. However, this is just a pitch email and so you do not require to establish the whole story. Writing around 150 words can summarize the topic.
6. Add Your Press Release
This is something where many would differ, as some prefer to add the whole content in the press release and some want to attach a PDF file of the PR. While both methods are acceptable, data shows that pasting the whole content in the PR can increase the reading rate of the content by journalists as it reduced the time for them that is spent in downloading the attachment and then reading it.
7. Provide Your Media Handles and Other Contact Information
Do not just look for their contact as you should be providing it from your end too. Offering your media handles and other contact information helps journalists to understand that it is justified content coming from a valid person and not just any bot-generated mail. Even if they have some additional questions or queries for information, they can simply contact you over the given contact. Include your signature and other information at the bottom of the email that establishes your authenticity.
8. Wait for the Right Time to Pitch
The date and time that you opt for pitching your PR are crucial for distribution. For example, if you send a pitch email in the middle of the morning, the mail would be seen later or the next day after the pending mails are checked from the inbox. So, pitching on the same day you seek distribution is never a great idea. Instead, you should pitch in the middle of the week which increased the open rate as they receive the most number of emails on Mondays and Fridays.
9. Don’t Forget to Follow Up
Take some time to follow up with the journalists you have pitched which increases the chances of getting your story covered by the journalists. Since the journalists receive a lot of PRs, it’s quite usual for them to forget or skip a mail. But if you follow up, they will definitely check your email and offer a response.
Concluding Thoughts
Sending an email for your press release is something that is happening every day and every hour across the world. With the increasing demand for PR distribution, the competition in the journalists’ inboxes has become even tighter. Follow these aforementioned steps to secure your feature. However, you can always purchase some paid packages that offer guaranteed placements in a hassle-free manner.
