In our social media saturated world, the third party endorsement of a press mention in traditional media is a valuable asset but now do you get a prized target journalist or editor to open your email when you have no established relationship? What is the secret to attracting the attention of a friendly reporter who is going to mention your firm, or an individual in it (favourably!)?
It’s a fair bet that most journalists are receiving hundreds of emails every day (especially since Covid has curtailed face-to-face story gathering) and it’s very easy to be overlooked. So I spoke to Marc Shoffman, an experienced freelance personal reporter who regularly contributes to The Times, Daily Mail and The I who kindly provided some super tips on how to get a journalist to open your email.
You had me at hello….
First impressions are everything so reach out and grab attention with a punchy heading! Marc advises that a, “..good email starts with a catchy subject line”. Marc says he always reads emails if the subject line is interesting, even if it’s from a name he doesn’t recognise. For example, “it isn’t necessarily newsy to say x law firm reveals threefold decline in divorce enquiries but it could be more punchy to go with a catchy headline such as Sticking together: Why there has been a threefold decline in divorce enquiries. The research and who it is from can be explained in the email.”
Marc also suggests writing “article idea” (if that’s what you’re pitching) in the heading so it’s clear it’s not just another press release.
Making it special
Avoid blanket pitches. Journalists, particularly freelancers, need exclusive ideas so make sure you tailor bespoke suggestions that are going to be relevant for their readers. Blanket pitches are easy to spot and do nothing to foster goodwill!
A pitch should not be too long and detailed; a couple of sentences with bullet points explaining the key elements of the story is all that is needed to try and wet the appetite of the journalist.
Make sure your idea passes the “so what” test? Explain why the reader needs to know this information and what action they should be taking. In a nutshell, you must be offering something that is news or practical guidance, not just a sales pitch.
The best articles will provide something new to the reader. Ideally, they will contain a case study and/or relevant statistics.
Be clear who the commentary or research is from. If this isn’t you personally, make sure the expert you are promoting is available to speak to the journalist at short-notice, if needed. Don’t forget to include contact details (preferably a phone number) in the email.
How persistent should you be?
It’s a fine line between being helpful and being a nuisance! Marc says, it’s “…always worth chasing if something is time sensitive but, check if the story has been covered by me already. Often, I have written something and a press person will ring to check if and when I will write something. A Google alert would have shown them what has already been published”.
It’s unlikely that you will score with your first idea so if you want to get coverage in a particular publication, you should keep sending ideas fairly regularly, as long as these are of sufficient quality. If nothing else this might help with name recognition!
Building a lasting relationship
If you can share novel and quality ideas to help your friendly journalist do their job more easily, you are more than half way there. Meeting deadlines and being responsive is also important to forging a working relationship.
Invest time in understanding what they are working on and what they have written about recently (they are unlikely to be re-visiting the same subjects). Maybe try and chat by phone and discuss how you can help.
Finally, it’s always worth engaging with your target journalists on social media. They will appreciate it if you share and comment on their pieces and this will make them more receptive to your next email.
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