We won’t sugarcoat it — PR outreach is hard.
57% of top-tier publishers receive up to 500 (!) pitches per week.
You can imagine how severe the competition is. With that many messages in the publisher’s inbox, we’re pretty sure they only skim through their emails at best. Would you blame them?
Don’t feel discouraged, though! We are here to fix the situation and answer the real question — “How do I get my PR email opened, read, and replied to?”
Read on, and we’ll show you how to build relationships with the media, find reporters, and write an email that will grab the journalist’s attention and get your story told.
Free media outreach templates come as a pleasant bonus 😉
Let’s jump in!
Outline:
PR outreach basics
These days, companies prefer to get linked to a website with high traffic, mentioned live by a celebrity, or published in a high-authority online publication rather than to appear in a glossy magazine or become a star of some program on one of the TV channels.
Digital editions replaced printed media, and television networks started releasing videos on their YouTube channels. They all went online to keep up with time and boost their revenue.
No wonder public relations outreach went online, too!
What exactly is online PR outreach?
Online PR outreach is the process of spreading information about your product/service to journalists, bloggers, and influencers to get the press coverage of your business on the internet.
Let’s take a closer look at some of its benefits
To start off, public relations marketing is WAY faster and more efficient.
Imagine you have contacts of hundreds of journalists and influencers from different niches within hand’s reach. Media outlets, blogs, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok… All you need to do is send them your pitch (of course, making sure it is newsworthy, valuable, and perfectly fits their content) and yield results.
Even if a public figure tags you in their Instagram post or mentions you in an interview published on a website with high organic traffic, the benefit from that in terms of the brand promotion will be much more substantial than if your article was published in printed media.
Here are some more statistics to prove a point:
- 31% of US adults are almost constantly online. Meanwhile, 48% go online several times a day. That’s a staggering 85% of daily internet users!
- According to Statista, the global digital population reached 4.66 billion people in 2021.
- 61% of marketers say growing an organic online presence is a must if you want to expand your business.
While looking at the digital marketing statistics, we also noticed that email as a means of reaching out to people stands out a lot. More than 333 billion emails are sent daily, and this number is expected to increase to over 392 billion daily mails by 2026.
Media outreach is most often done via email, too.
But how can you cut through the noise and get your cherished mention if your recipient’s inbox is probably crammed with emails? Let’s go through the whole process step-by-step, from finding relevant journalists’ emails to contacting them.
How to write a PR pitch that gets noticed
Start by determining what type of content you want to promote and figuring out what you will tell the world about your brand!
Make a list of journalists and create targeted, relevant content. Ask yourself questions:
- Where does your target audience live?
- What social network do they use the most?
- What influencers or publicists can help you reach this segment?
- Is the piece of content/pitch that you offer creative and outstanding enough for online publications to get interested in?
- What value does it bring?
The reporters you want to cooperate with need to be potentially interested in your offer, have an audience that falls under your target audience parameters, and boast of a high-traffic website. Otherwise, you might waste your time!
You can monitor website traffic with free tools like Similarweb.com or paid tools like Ahrefs. At least 10% of the website traffic can end up being your potential audience. So, if the website attracts 1 million visitors per month… that’s the deal to put effort into!
Step 1. Find names of the journalists you want to write to
In the beginning, manually compile a list of authors that cover your beat.
The first place you would probably turn to to find top reporters, bloggers, and influencers in your industry is Google, especially Google Search and Google News!
To make your job easier, use Google’s advanced search operators such as ‘inrul,’ ‘intitle,’ or ‘intext’ to navigate the search. And as for Google News, just enter the topic you are an expert in, and it will suggest a list of outlets and blogs that already feature similar articles. That’s where you have the best shot of being published!
The editors/journalists’ names will usually be indicated in the article, and most of the time, you will also have no difficulty finding their profile on the website.
Or you can use Thruuu — a simple tool for searching for relevant websites. Enter the topic you want and get a list of popular articles with links to them. It’s available free of charge. 😉
Still, if you have a bit of money to invest in your search, subscribing to Ahrefs and using its Content Explorer feature will be of most help in collecting the sites where your leads are most likely to reside.
Here, you can discover the most popular articles based on your request and get the names of their authors in just one click.
On top of that, if you click on Details on the right of the article and then navigate to Backlinks, you will get access to a whole list of other blogs and media outlets you can reach out to attract more of your target audience.
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If for some reason you are not satisfied with Thruuu or Ahrefs, here are some other options that can help you find relevant articles or journalist names: JustReachOut, Respona, Exploding Topics.
Step 2. Find email addresses of reporters
Now that you’ve found the website you’re interested in and know the reporter’s name, use Snov.io’s Single Email Search to extract a person’s email address. Just enter their name and domain and receive their email in a matter of seconds.
Or, you can use Bulk Email Search if you need to find emails of many journalists at once. The search process is just the same!
But what if you have a list of websites you want to reach out to but can’t find the reporters’ contact details on them? Or you are unsure who to send your PR outreach email to?
Don’t worry, Snov.io has got you covered! Just use its Domain Search feature, enter a domain name, and enjoy the results:
You’ll see the list of people whom you can filter by their job position. To get their emails, you just need to add them to the prospect list:
Besides, you can collect email addresses from any website on the go without having to switch between the tabs with the Snov.io Email Finder extension for Chrome! Simply launch it, and you’ll get a list of email addresses, so you can either add them all to your list or select and save specific ones.
Tip from Snov.io: once you have your PR contact list in hand, divide them into categories, e.g., based on the topics they cover. This will come in handy when you step into the main stage of your media outreach — email campaign.
Step 3. Choose the PR outreach approach
You’ve finally collected email addresses and are now ready to start crafting a pitch that cannot be ignored and establish communication with reporters. But you can’t start doing it hot off the press!
First, think over a public relations tactic that best suits your outreach goals — be that getting more exposure or raising awareness about your product or service. We’ll list the seven most popular ones, loved by public relations specialists:
Article mistake
The trick here is not to appear as if you look down on the journalist. Don’t be too rough, and don’t rub the mistakes into the recipient’s face. Show your willingness to help instead! Don’t mention more than 2-3 mistakes from the article, and make sure to provide a reason to continue the conversation.
Pitch to an author you’ve met
If you’ve previously communicated with a reporter, then, of course, it’s worth reminding them of that moment. Let’s say you met at some event and received a valuable piece of advice from this person, which you are grateful for. Then in your email, you can offer to work together on the publication and mention how you can return a favor.
Writer/content contribution
To get in contact with a journalist easily, all you have to do is share relevant content. For example, suppose they’ve recently published an article that is missing a few essential details. In that case, you can send them additional research done by you or influencer comments that you collected while conducting interviews.
Partnership inquiry
Write about what made you interested in the company, website, or blog where the journalist works. Share the information about your brand and product, explain how you can be helpful to each other, describe the benefits that you can bring (e.g., % of the profits), and find common ground.
Infographic contribution
Infographic works great on social media (specifically Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn)! And reporters working on these platforms might be more than happy to share evidence and free statistics alongside their opinions. So why not offer a reporter a data visualization of their particular project?
Pro tip: Use a 2-part soft-sell PR approach and don’t share the link to an infographic right in the first email. Ask if they’re interested in it first. This will help you stand out from those who send out bulk emails just to get backlinks.
Exclusive news
Reach out by saying you want the journalist to cover some exclusive material no one has written about yet. Mention they are the most competent in delivering such news, cite a recent article from the journalist’s website to prove the point, and they might eat the bait!
New feature release
Speaking of exclusiveness… A new feature release is a perfect opportunity for press outreach. Find a journalist who writes reviews, for example, about SaaS tools and their features, depending on your niche, and invite them to write about your product. Of course, make sure the offer is beneficial to both parties.
Step 4. Build and send highly personalized automated PR email campaigns
Now that the public realtions strategy has been chosen let’s move on to the next and, probably, most significant stage of your PR outreach — sending out email campaigns.
Let’s take a look at how to craft your perfect PR email template and how Snov.io can help you seal the deal.
How to create your PR outreach message?
Subject line
Remember what we’ve said at the beginning of the article? Reporter inboxes are usually crammed with emails. You need to make your subject line stand out! If it isn’t memorable, high chances are, your email will a) be sent into a Trash folder; b) sink into oblivion in your recipient’s inbox.
What works for us is writing subject lines that reflect why we’re reaching out or the main benefit of our offer. And since everyone’s time is priceless, we suggest keeping the subject line short and memorable.
Here are some subject-line ideas in case you need some inspiration:
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Besides, why not conduct some A/B testing? This will help you find out which option is more popular with your media contacts. You can run A/B testing using Snov.io Email Drip Campaigns feature and test up to 5 versions of the same email to see which one works best.
Greeting
Always stay polite despite your task urgency, and don’t forget to say hi and personalize your salutation. Check out our article on writing an email that converts that will help you come up with a friendly and appropriate greeting.
Email body
According to a survey of 1,300 publishers, more than half of authors and editors prefer to get emails up to 200 words long. And we second that! Who would like to read a philosophical tractate while busy at work?
Keep it short, clear, and to the point. Make sure you include all the necessary information about who you are, why you decided to get in touch, what you want from the reporter, and what the advantages of your cooperation are.
Sign-off
The last line of your email is as important as its beginning! Include your full name, add a clear call-to-action that would motivate the recipient to take necessary action, and finish it off with a polite sign-off, like ‘Thank you’ or ‘Best wishes.’
Here’s one of the templates you can use for your media outreach that takes into consideration the steps and tips we’ve already discussed:
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Subject: Partnership offer for {{first_name}} Hi {{first_name:there}}, I loved your coverage of the [RECENT STORY/COPY] and [YOUR TAKEAWAY]. Since I’ve often enjoyed your take on things, I thought you’d be the perfect person to reach out to at [LEAD’S COMPANY/BLOG]. I’m the [YOUR POST/TITLE] at [YOUR COMPANY]. We’ve recently developed [ONE-SENTENCE PITCH]. In fact, our clients over at [CUSTOMER 1] and [CUSTOMER 2] have reported [SPECIFIC BENEFIT, e.g., increase in sales] since they started using [YOUR PRODUCT/SERVICE]. We’re growing at a rapid rate [RELEVANT STATISTIC], but we’d love to get more coverage in the media. And you might just be the perfect media partner for [YOUR COMPANY]. Of course, this partnership would also be mutually beneficial, specifically: [BENEFIT 1] [BENEFIT 2] [BENEFIT 3] Does that sound like something you’d be interested in? If so, could we schedule a quick 10-minute call? Just book me at any available time on [CALENDLY LINK]. Thanks, [YOUR NAME] |
What is good about it is that it has a short yet relevant subject line and is highly personalized. You underline that you know what topics your recipient covers and provide multiple benefits from partnering with you. You’re also super-specific about why you are contacting a reporter and what you expect from them (schedule that 10-minute call!).
Using another press outreach strategy? We have your back. Choose among a variety of PR templates Snov.io has created for your easy start!
How to send a PR outreach message with Snov.io Cold Email Tool?
It’s time to go master another email automation feature that will help streamline your email outreach — cold email software.
With this feature, you’ll be able to create a super-personalized email, add custom variables to the subject line and email body, add attachments of up to 3MB, add trackable links, set triggers and delays, and test your email before sending.
Step 5. Send follow-ups!
Generally, you shouldn’t write to someone more than three times in a row without success. If you subtract the first email, you are left with two subsequent attempts for your presentation. There should be at least a few days between each email.
But these are not the only rules for writing follow-ups. Some more recommendations are:
- Don’t make follow-up emails longer than the initial one (busy reporters can appreciate an email they can read in seconds).
- Add new facts. Perhaps new data has appeared on the topic you wrote about earlier. An exciting interview came out on your website or some well-known third-party resource. Or there are recent reviews about your product.
- Link to one of the recent posts of the journalist. This is a great way to make your subsequent communication more personal.
- And of course, check if the recipient has read your email using Email Tracker from Snov.io.
It’s always helpful to have a couple of templates on the topic ready to start or continue the conversation with your contact as soon as possible.
When the template is ready, the only thing left is to fill it in and add the key variables. It’s a good save of your and your correspondent’s time.
Consider this follow-up template you can use to remind journalists about your email:
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Subject: Previous email subject line Hello {{first_name:there}), My offer is still available, and I believe [YOUR COMPANY] + [LEAD’S COMPANY/BLOG] partnership could be majorly fruitful for both sides. If you missed my previous email, let me just circle back to my offer: it’s [ONE-SENTENCE PITCH], and it will bring [LEAD’S COMPANY] opportunities like: [BENEFIT 1] [BENEFIT 2] [BENEFIT 3] I’m attaching my Calendly link [CALENDLY LINK], so you can book me at any time to discuss it. It shouldn’t take more than 10 minutes. I am looking forward to talking to you. Best wishes, [YOUR NAME] from [YOUR COMPANY] |
PR outreach platforms and services
There’s an abundance of other free and paid platforms and services to help you get press coverage, collect brand mentions, and boost your brand exposure! Each of them has its pros and cons, so let’s dive into exploring them!
#1 Help a Reporter Out
This FREE service is a goldmine for digital PR enthusiasts. Help a Reporter Out (aka HARO) allows presspeople to connect with sources that can provide expertise on a specific topic of interest, looking for media attention in relevant publications. And if it’s a natural habitat of public relations professionals, why not pay a visit to this platform?
HARO can be used as both a journalist and an expert source (although for pitching information about your product, you’ll almost certainly use it as a source). On the one hand, there are sources like you — public relations specialists looking for a place to promote their brand. On the other hand, there are journalists who are searching for sources to make their content more helpful.
There are paid pricing plans, but the free one will be enough for you. Once you register and select the topics that cover your area of interest, you will receive pitch request emails 3 times a day. Give a precise answer to a topic you are an expert in and look forward to brand mentions (that is, if a journalist approves your pitch).
The only downside is that the competition is insane here. Everyone can submit their pitch, and journalists have to go through many irrelevant messages to find the ones that match their requests and requirements.
#2 Qwoted
Qwoted is a HARO-like service that has similar features — you can review original media inquiries, introduce yourself as an expert, and start building relationships with reporters writing about your industry.
It’s as simple as HARO, but its free plan has a few drawbacks: you’ll have to wait to be approved as a source, you can reply to only 3 journalist queries per month, and you cannot see reporters’ contact information.
But hey, at least there’s less competition! Besides, you can use both services simultaneously and enjoy the best of both worlds.
#3 Forbes Council
Now, getting accepted into Forbes Councils is expensive but guarantees your content will get published on Forbes, helping you craft the narrative around yourself and your company.
The qualification criteria are not that scary — your posts need to be written on behalf of one of the senior-level executives of your company, for example, a CEO, and your company’s income must be at least $1 million.
You need to fill out the form first (you can do this by clicking the link here). It takes time to process the application. You may be asked a couple of additional questions, after which the selection committee will send you an invoice, and you can finally submit posts.
The publication date will be assigned once you go through the editing stage (rework comments are likely!). Mind it; it can take 4 weeks to check and post 1 article, or sometimes even more.
Pro tip: When the selection committee announces the fee, consider how many articles you can write and how many leads you expect to get, and then make a decision. Be 100% sure that your payment will meet your expectations before starting the application process.
#4 Newswire
With Newswire, you can connect with key media for better coverage, distribute your press releases, increase brand awareness, and drive more traffic. This platform has an excellent network for syndication right across the US. Whether you’re looking for national or local attention, they’re there to promote your business news.
As for the price, Newswire pricing plans start at $299. This includes advanced targeting by emailing your press release directly to the media contacts that cover your industry.
Wrapping up
You can write your PR pitches using different strategies: include exclusive data, add a media file with colorful infographics, or spot mistakes in the journalist’s article. However, the basics of writing a successful pitch remain the same, and we tried to convey it in this article.
Follow our advice, use the suggested services and tools, pay attention to the templates’ examples, and adapt these skills in future communication with journalists. With time and experimentation, you will discover what works for you and what doesn’t.
Good luck! Hope we’ve given some answers to your questions. We’re sure our Email Finder and Email Drip Campaigns tools will help you make your promotion plans come true.
