It’s no secret that journalists are time-poor, with some being asked to write up to eight articles per day. To make their lives easier – and to ensure they read our releases – we need to make them as punchy and compelling as possible. Whether you’re new to the world of PR or a seasoned expert, these top tips might come in handy when you’re crafting your next pitch.
Yes, it really is all about the subject line
The subject line is the very first thing that a journalist sees when they open their inbox. To ensure your email gets read, make sure your subject line is short, snappy, and straight to the point. While creativity is one thing, being concise is another.
In a recent Roxhill newsletter, Ajesh Patalay, food and drink columnist for the Financial Times, discussed how straightforward headlines are commonly mistaken for being “boring”, when in fact, this is exactly what journalists want.
“Better I thought for subject lines to announce what type of email it is (eg. invite, interview opp, HTSI exclusive), and then name the brand, person or equivalent being offered or sketch the story idea in brief.
“Subject lines, emails and press releases stand out because they have something valuable to offer a journalist and waste no time in offering it. Don’t be afraid to be “boring” if it gets the job done.”
So whether you’re pitching new survey data or offering a product review, add it in the subject line. If you’re pitching a story based on a new survey or study, use the most compelling finding as the headline/subject line.
Example subject lines
Inspired by the advice above, here are some example subject lines:
New survey reveals 85% of UK business owners don’t pay their staff
Case study: My son married (and divorced) the same woman seven times
Review: The kettle that turns water into mulled wine
Beauty expert reveals anti-ageing secrets with no products
While the statements and figures above are certainly not true, hopefully, these templates give you an idea about how to structure your headlines.
Use those bullet points
As journalists are time-poor, you need to convince them to read your release within the first few sentences. To do this, use bullet points at the very beginning of the release to highlight the most compelling elements of the story. This could be standout stats or key messages. Think of these bullet points as super-concise summaries designed to entice the journalist to find out more. If they’re interested, they’ll read it. Simple!
Include insightful commentary
Including quotes from relevant experts or senior members of your company (or your client’s company) can be super helpful for journalists. Rather than having to follow up with you for a quote, including well-crafted commentary in your releases will save the journalist precious time.
Quotes should resonate with readers and sound like a real person said it rather than be stuffed with technical language. They shouldn’t be overly formal or full of jargon. Instead, try to make the quote insightful, personal, or opinionated as opposed to repeating elements of the story or relaying the stats.
Make it personal
It probably goes without saying, but always make the pitch personal. As well as speaking to the journalist, you should also consider the outlet and its readers. Write the release in a way that could be published directly on the website, or with minimal edits. This means considering the reader’s interests as well as the tone and style of the publication.
Keep it concise
Even if you have plenty of material to work with, cut it down. Try to keep the release within one A4 page, focusing on the “five Ws” (who, what, where, when, and why). As long as you include the most vital points, anything else is a “nice to have”. For inspiration, go directly to the source – your local newspaper! Read any story and you’ll probably find the following information nicely wrapped up within the opening paragraph:
Who is the story about?
What is the story about? / What is happening?
Where did the story happen?
When did the story take place?
Why did it happen? / Why is it important?
Follow the same pattern in your release, tackling the five Ws within the opening paragraph of your pitch.
Don’t be salesy
Remember, journalists and their readers are interested in the story, not the product or service alone. It’s a press release, not an advert! So avoid using promotional language and instead, focus on storytelling.
Is the story new and interesting? Does it offer a unique angle or perspective? Is it relevant to the current news cycle? Is it topical? Will people outside of your company care? Keeping these factors in mind will help you craft a compelling PR story.
Include everything the journalist needs
In the ‘Notes to Editors’ section at the end of your press release, make sure you provide everything a journalist could possibly need. Here’s a quick checklist of things to include:
Contact details – To make it easy for the journalist to contact you, include your email address.
Links to imagery – Make sure the links don’t expire!
Methodology – If the release is based on an analysis or survey data, include the methodology.
Sources – If you’ve quoted stats or figures, make sure they’re appropriately sourced.
About section – This section should nicely summarise your company.
Hopefully, these tips will come in handy when you’re crafting your next pitch. But if you need a helping hand from some seasoned experts, we offer a plethora of PR services, including PR consultancy. To find out more, get in touch!
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