How To Write a Proper Media Pitch: Tips That Actually Work

Imagine you are in an RPG game. You approach someone and then roll your speech skill check, and depending on your stats, you are more or less likely to get what you need from the other character.

That’s pretty much how it works in real life with your PR pitch emails. But instead of skill levels, other parameters define how your message would be treated, and there are some techniques that would increase your chances of success. You’ll learn everything about those from this article.

So — it is time to level up!

What is a media pitch exactly?

Long story short: a media pitch is a brief message or email that you send to journalists, bloggers, or other media professionals to persuade them to cover your story or news. For example, you can offer the recipients to cover your press release. 

The purpose of a media pitch is to grab the recipients’ attention and convince them (for instance, the press) that your story is newsworthy. A good media pitch is clear, concise, and compelling, and it should provide enough information to make the recipient interested in learning more.

The key elements of great email pitches

Several key elements go into a great media pitch email. Here are some of the most important ones:

• A clear subject line
• A brief introduction that captures the recipient’s attention
• A concise summary of the story or news angle
• Supporting details and facts to back up the story
• Contact information for follow-up

Tips on writing PR pitch emails

A survey by Fractl shows that more than 46% of journalists receive at least 11 PR pitches per day, while almost 29% receive more than 26 pitches. Quite a clutter to break, huh?

To make it to the press, your media pitch needs to be engaging from start to finish. So now that we know what a media pitch is and what it should contain, let’s look at some tips on how to write an effective PR pitch email. Ready? Go!

Make sure your story is newsworthy

Before you send out a media pitch email, make sure that your story is truly newsworthy. Ask yourself whether it is interesting, relevant, and timely. If your story doesn’t meet these criteria, it’s unlikely that journalists will be interested in covering it. 

It is very similar to marketing sales emails, in a way you have to persuade someone to do what you need.

Of course, you can’t always choose what topic to work with. But it’s in your power to make the existing material as interesting as possible — it’s all about the approach.

Make sure it’s relevant to the recipient

Before sending your PR email, research the recipient to ensure that your pitch aligns with their interests, industry, and recent coverage. Look for any recent articles or social media posts that could give context to your pitch.

Do your research and make sure that you are pitching to the right people. You are more likely to get a response if you are targeting journalists who cover stories that are similar to yours.

Ideally, you should know your recipient and their press. For instance, here’s an example of a media pitch for a sustainable clothing brand. This is a general pitch that emphasizes the occasion (Earth Day): 

Here’s how you would want to personalize it for a fashion media. In this pitch, the focus is on the brand’s collection itself, and only after that, there’s a mention of the industry’s pollution issues: 

And here’s the pitch in case you would want the attention of a media focused on ecology. The main point of the message is the brand’s mission and commitment to ecology, and there’s no description of the clothing collection:

Always personalize

Use the recipient’s name in your media pitch email and make sure that you tailor your pitch to their specific interests and needs. This shows that you have done your research and that you value their time.

Avoid sending a generic email blast and instead, personalize your email. Address them by name and mention any previous articles they have written or topics they have covered that relate to your pitch.

Make sure to clearly articulate why your pitch is relevant to the recipient and their readers. Focus on how your story can benefit their readers or provide unique insights that align with their interests.

Remember to check that every i is dotted and every t is crossed — the recipient will notice an error and won’t take you seriously. 

Keep your pitch short and simple

Keep your media pitch short and to the point, and make sure that it can be read quickly. A good rule of thumb is to aim for no more than 200 words — the study shows that 100–200 words are preferable for most journalists.

Use bullet points

Bullet points make your pitch easier to read and help to break up large blocks of text. Use them to highlight the most important information in your pitch.

Without bullet points, it’s difficult to grasp the email quickly, which is crucial if the recipient does not have much time. Imagine getting this message — how likely are you going to reply or ever read it till the end?

And here’s the same email with bullet points: reader can instantly comprehend the message and consider it: 

Keep your subject line to the point

This is, of course, a universal email marketing tip. Your subject line is the first thing that the recipient will see, so make sure that it’s clear and to the point. Avoid using vague or clickbait subject lines that don’t accurately reflect the content of your email. Remember: sometimes less is more (especially in the media pitch email subjects).

Send from the right address

When sending out your media pitch, it’s important to do it from the right email address. Make sure that your email address is professional and clearly identifies you and your organization. Avoid using a personal email address or one that is associated with a non-business-related website.

✅ From: [email protected]

⛔ From: [email protected]

Send to small, targeted groups

Avoid sending your pitch to a large group of journalists at once. Instead, send your pitch to a small, targeted group of people who are most likely to be interested in your story. It is tempting to get a better reach, but if you spam your media pitch to every contact, it will most likely affect your credibility.

Do not use BCC

When people want to send an email to multiple recipients without them knowing, they use BCC (Blind Carbon Copy). But it’s one of the worst things you can do when sending a media pitch. This can make your email look impersonal and unprofessional, and it may even cause your email to end up in the recipient’s spam folder. Instead, take the time to personalize your pitch and send it to individual recipients.

Focus on building a relationship

Building relationships with journalists and other media contacts can be a key component of your PR strategy. Engage with journalists on social media, attend industry events, and be responsive to their inquiries. This will help you establish trust and credibility and increase the chances that they will cover your story.

Don’t forget to follow up

Following up is an important part of the media pitching process. If you haven’t received a response within a week or so after the initial message, it’s perfectly acceptable to send a follow-up email. Keep your follow-up message brief and to the point, and provide any additional information that may be helpful. 

Use Selzy to reinforce your email marketing game! Selzy email marketing tool helps you with everything ― from deliverability to email clicks, openings, and other analytics. It integrates seamlessly with Google Analytics and helps you track your goals. 

Using Selzy you can check who opened your emails and pick the list for the new follow-up email — or you can set it up automatically after some time. Try it now!

Brilliant media pitch examples

To help you create a successful media pitch, we’ve compiled a few examples:

Media pitch example 1

A pitch from a mental well-being brand to a lifestyle media journalist:

Media pitch example 2

A media pitch of a new book to a literature online media journalist:

Media pitch example 3

A general pitch example:

Final thoughts

Crafting a successful media pitch takes time and effort, but it can pay off in spades. By following the tips outlined in this article and using some of the examples provided, you help your pitch to get noticed and your story to be covered by the media. Remember key outtakes:

• Make sure your story is newsworthy.
• Make sure it’s relevant to the recipient.
• Always personalize.
• Keep your message short and simple.
• Use bullet points.
• Keep your subject line to the point.
• Send from the right address.
• Send to small, targeted groups and don’t use BCC.
• Focus on building a relationship.
• Don’t forget to follow up.

With a little bit of luck and a lot of hard work, your media pitch can help you achieve your PR goals and get your message out to the world!