We talk to journalists every day to find out how PRs can stand out and have compiled an essential checklist for pitching.
Read on below for our 5 top tips on how to get your pitch noticed in our essential checklist for pitching:
The basics
Get the journalist’s name right: simple but crucial.
Subject lines should be a description of what you are about to pitch. Make it short, strong and relevant. An enticing headline will be the difference between a journalist deleting or opening your email.
Personalise it
For many journalists, a generic blanket release is an instant delete.
Instead, tailor your idea to the specific journalist – Roxhill’s database is packed with tips on how individual editors like their pitches to be delivered – and explain right at the top why this idea works for their publication. Then attach the release for further info.
We’ve compiled the top tips from our webinars with the editors of the leading seven glossy newspaper magazines. Download our guide and learn the best time to approach editors, top tips on how to secure coverage, and more.
The method
Make the delivery of images as hassle-free as possible.
The majority of journalists tell us the best way to deliver images is to embed one low-res example in the email and paste a Dropbox or Google Drive link at the bottom with more options. WeTransfer links expire, which is frustrating if you need them quickly on press day.
The research
There is no quicker way to win over a journalist than by demonstrating that you know their publication.
If you’re about to contact a journalist, take a moment to read and digest the latest edition of their title along with their recent articles. The journalist will be pleasantly surprised that you’ve taken the trouble, and it will help you focus your pitch better.
Be discerning / targeted
Make sure you are emailing the right journalist for your story.
Work out what you’re going to pitch and research which journalists it would be right for. Check their recent articles as well as social channels, and target one person from each publication at a time. If the whole team attend the ideas meeting with the same stories, you are not going to be popular. Specific stories suit specific journalists and there’s nothing more satisfying than matching the two.
Keep these tips handy
Download our free Pitching Checklist now to save it for later, or share it with your teammates.
