MARKETING TIPS

Marketing Tips: Five Tips For More Effective E-Mail Media Pitches 

As use of electronic mail continues to explode, its importance as a tool for marketers and public relations pros grows exponentially. In fact, in a survey commissioned last year by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), an overwhelming percentage of journalists now prefer to receive story pitches via e-mail rather than by phone, fax or snail mail. So what can you do to make your e-mail pitches more persuasive? Here are five suggestions that Heather Hamann, producer of America's second most-popular syndicated radio program, gave recently to the Bulldog Reporter newsletter.

1. Think of your subject line as a headline. "We like seeing email subject lines that are short-especially ones that read like headlines from newspapers," says Hamann, producer of the Dr. Dean Edell Show. "But that doesn't mean an email subject line from a marketing or PR person has to summarize everything, like a newspaper headline. Sometimes, it's a good idea to leave the specifics as a mystery to pique our interest."

She offers this example: "I saw one recently that read, 'What Your Mom Never Taught You.' That approach works much better than emails that say, 'Story Idea' or 'Interview Request' and that's it," Hamann says. "Even better is to include something letting me know it was targeted to me-and to use words like 'new' and 'latest,' since most reporters are looking for a news peg."

2. Don't flag emails as urgent-keep your news in perspective. "No PR person should ever send something as 'high priority' with the automated red check mark," cautions Hamann. "That feature is for internal things-like when someone is paging me here. If I see that little red exclamation mark come up in an email from outside, it's a real problem. One time, somebody used it with an email pitch about 'celebrity makeovers.' What's so urgent about that?" she asks. "I was saying to myself, 'You're joking, right?' That really hurts your credibility."

3. Don't oversell your information-make sure it's vetted. "Since we're covering health, it's important for us to know your information is proven and credible," says Hamann. "About 25 percent of the PR pitches I see make me laugh because they're overselling. So we have to be careful. We can't be wrong. It's the same for any reporter."

Her advice: If you have an exciting new study that points in the direction of something-don't make the jump without verification. "We've all seen the hokey thing coming down the pike that doesn't do what you say it will, so try not to oversell," she says.

4. Don't focus on the company's needs-tie to the value the story brings audiences. "The bottom line is that the pitch needs to be a good story," Hamann says. "In our case, that means it needs to be helpful to real people." Her advice: "If you don't have a news peg, then pitch the how-to angle-that's always a good 'in.' A good example for us might be something like, 'How to stay healthy in winter.'"

5. Don't over-write-consider bullets instead of full graphs. "I have to say that I love bullet points in emails-and I don't think I'm alone in this," shares Hamann. "For example, a good email to me would be one that bulleted the top three things an expert or guest is able to talk about at the top. Another idea is to include lists [e.g., "Top Three Ways to Stay Healthy in Winter"]. People love them, and we're no different."

Is the Department Going to E-mail PR Tactics? The Department is jumping on the email bandwagon. This past winter, journalists received their seasonal press materials from the Department in an electronic format for the first time. The open rate was an astonishing 51%. Of course, not all journalists have or use email, especially smaller outlets. In those cases, the Department follows up with a traditional hard-copy kit and image CD.

If you have any questions about changing to electronic communication with the media in the form of a press kit, give the experts (Ryan McAdams and Andy Larsen) at Boelter+Lincoln a call at 414-271-0101.

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