How to Write Pitch Email Subject Lines

A well-constructed pitch email can convince a journalist to cover your brand’s story, feature your product, promote your event, or provide you with other types of coverage.

Just like with any other type of email, the goal of a subject line is to grab the recipient’s attention and motivate them to open the email (in addition to providing the factual information, of course). Still, given that journalists receive tons of such emails every day, it’s tough to craft a unique pitch email subject line that will spark their curiosity. 

But don’t worry – in this article, you’ll find some of the best pitch subject line examples and tips to help you write one.

We get it that writing a pitch email for the first time is challenging even for cold emails. While transactional emails get sent automatically with predetermined subject lines, pitch emails should be carefully tailored to present your value and catch journalists’ attention.

8 tips for writing pitch email subject line

Getting back to this particular article’s topic, though, one of the most essential parts of any email is its subject line. Based on the reaction to a subject line, your recipients make a decision to open your email, ignore it, or even send it straight away to the Trash folder.

Below, you’ll find some tips to help you write the best pitch subject lines. Keep reading to make your emails stand out in dozens and hundreds of other emails of this type.

Keep it short

As journalists have to go through numerous pitch emails daily, you should make your subject line concise and straight to the point. This simple gesture can express the respect to journalists and their time, as they have to scan numerous subject lines daily. Make sure it also conveys the email’s message correctly and doesn’t over exaggerate.

Try to keep your pitch email subject lines within 70 characters or around 9 words long.

Personalize it

Pitch emails often get sent to specific journalists, so it’s better to include their names as a sign of respect. Mentioning other specific details about the recipient like their works, preferences or experience also works. 

Personalization can also help you avoid getting marked as spam. Since personalized subject lines are tailored individually, they are less generic and less likely to trigger spam filters.

Be direct

As mentioned above, your pitch email subject line should convey the message of your email correctly without exaggerating it. 

Be direct and straightforward with your subject line and briefly explain how your recipients can benefit from it. This can present the value of your pitch and show the journalist that you are serious about your offer.

Be exclusive

If you want to get coverage from a specific journalist or medium, you can use it to your advantage. Making your recipient feel special can increase your chances, so make sure to focus on the exclusivity of your offer in the subject line. By doing that, you can create a sense of urgency or even trigger FOMO (fear of missing out).

Use multimedia elements

Multimedia elements are an efficient and engaging way to support your point and save your recipient’s time. 

So, if your email includes some multimedia elements, make sure to mention them in your subject line too. Make a short reference to a video, a graph, or other element that supports your pitch email to spark your recipient’s interest and encourage them to read your message.

Don’t abuse caps and additional design

It is essential to sound professional in your pitch as you want to present your value and show journalists that you are not just joking around. Excessive design elements, emojis, and all caps may make your subject line look unprofessional. They can also trigger spam filters, display incorrectly on some devices, and decrease readability. To avoid that, try using title or sentence cases and simple language. 

Don’t be a clickbait ad

To make your pitch email look professional and trustworthy, your subject line should convey a clear message and be honest. Exaggerated subject lines may make your email look like an ad and be treated as spam by both recipients and spam filters. So, don’t include any misleading information, but rather clearly state the benefits and be as transparent as possible. 

Beware of spam filters

Here are some more tips to help you avoid getting marked as spam:

• Use simple and clear language.
• Briefly explain the benefits of your message.
• Perform A/B testing on different personalization elements, tone of voice, CTAs, or other elements of your subject line.
• Avoid unnecessary symbols, such as excessive exclamation marks.

Examples of the best subject lines for pitch emails

Based on your strategy, you can use pitch emails for various purposes, such as launching a new product, announcing an event, or presenting the rebranding of your business. Below, you’ll find some of the best examples of pitch emails’ subject lines for various occasions. Keep reading to get inspired for your campaigns.

Product launch

The most important thing about product launch emails is to simply let your recipient know about its value. How do you promote it in other channels? What characteristics are its selling points? Does it have a unique selling point? 

use this information and other details such as features and pricing in your subject lines (while staying comparatively succinct). Your subject line for this type of pitch email should spark curiosity about the new product and offer something not experienced before (at least, not in this particular sense).  

Here are some examples:

Events

Pitch emails are also often used to promote and announce an event. In this case, your event pitch email should provide noteworthy details about the said event, including the date, time, and venue information. 

No need to go too much into unnecessary details, you just need to explain why the event is absolutely worth visiting and what benefits can the attendees gain from it. An event pitch email subject line should make your recipient interested in learning more about the event and why it is worth writing about (even considering they are unlikely to visit that event themselves). 

Some examples include:

Expansion

Is your company expanding? Then, you can also pitch it to journalists, as expansion often makes good newsworthy material. In your pitch email, you may share what consumers and the market can expect from your growth.

Your subject line doesn’t have to be too detailed, rather briefly state how exactly your company is growing, whether it is a new branch, new country, merging, etc.

Here’s what it may look like:

Rebranding

Getting a new identity is always a big deal, so it’s important to correctly present the new name, logo, slogan, and mission to not spoil your market reputation and keep your customers loyal. So, in your pitch email, explain the reasons for rebranding and your new vision in a positive way.

Here’s how you can do it:

Final thoughts

Pitch emails can serve many purposes from launching a new product to announcing a webinar. You can use a brand pitch email template to save your time and make the process easier.

Creating a pitch email subject line, remember to present your value and spark the recipient’s curiosity. To do so, make sure to:

• Include personalized elements.
• Keep your subject line within 70 characters.
• Use clear and simple language.
• Be direct and transparent.
• Make it exclusive.

We hope this article can help you craft your pitch email subject line. Make sure to also check out our article on triggered emails and good luck with your campaigns.