The 5 rules of perfect pitching according to journalists

Do your emails and messages go unanswered? The reason is inadequate communication. Speaking the same language is the basis of successful business communications. It’s not the journalists of top publications or the owners of business empires who need to adapt to you, but you need to adapt to them. And how do you do that? That’s what we’ll teach you in this article.

Stop spamming

Even email bots know how to block mass mailings, let alone professionals! The golden rule of email: Address to a specific person, and if the contact is not personally identifiable, show awareness of the company. Do some mini-research: look at the company’s website, what media they have posted in, what they have written about, who has written for them, and what values these people promote.

Make no mistake

Please don’t mix up the names! Check who you’re emailing, and if you’re caught doing it, turn the confusion into a joke, but remember the lesson.The same goes for information about your client — be sure to check names and contact details, so that an important email for you doesn’t go to other people.

Be proactive

Prepare everything for the journalist that they may need. We can all be lazy, so help in creating a text template will be greatly appreciated by professionals. Check the journalist’s past publications and tweak the subject line to suit their style. Suggest several headline options — one neutral style, one with data and one extravagant. Don’t forget to upload suitable photos/videos to Google Drive and give them access to a folder. Done!

Check the pitching logic

Want a pitching chart? Here it is: Greeting — brief introduction to yourself — introduction to the material you want to publish — text, photo and video for more details — thank you — goodbye.

If you are proposing a column in a publication, include the subject of the column and a detailed outline of the text. If you want to publish an interview, emphasise the relevance of the topic and the link to a popular news outlet, as well as provide sample questions to be answered by the expert you represent. Simplify the journalist’s job and you are guaranteed a quick response.

Keep it to the point

Stick to the structure of your business letter. First write a template and then check the reading time in chronometer. Your letter should read in 2–3 minutes, no more. The optimal length of your letter is 400 words. How do I cut the text? Remove repetitions and complex structures. Trust me, journalists won’t appreciate your literary style, but they will appreciate your willingness to put important information at the beginning of your text.