- Identify journalists who may be interested in your story. …
- Gather contact information. …
- Create an interesting subject line. …
- Develop a lead for your pitch. …
- Craft the body of your pitch email. …
- Include your press release. …
- Provide your contact information. …
- Send your pitch email at the right time.
How to Submit a Press Release to PR Websites
Why are press releases important?
The ability to generate publicity and increase awareness of a service, brand, company, or event makes press releases crucial. Press releases are used by publicists to secure media attention, which can enhance a brand’s reputation and credibility.
The organization, brand, or event covered may benefit from improved search engine optimization (SEO) if a media outlet decides to base a story on a press release. When using a search engine to find the company, brand, or event, this may make it simpler for people to learn more information. The audience of a media outlet may become more interested as a result of press releases. This could increase leads and sales for the company receiving media coverage.
What is a press release?
Publicists send press releases to journalists when they want to announce something they think will be newsworthy. Although sending and receiving press releases via email is the preferred method, you can also mail or fax press releases. Assignment editors and journalists who work for newspapers, magazines, television networks, radio stations, or online media outlets typically receive press releases from publicists.
How to send a press release
You can use the following steps to write a polished pitch email and send your press release:
1. Identify journalists who may be interested in your story
After creating your press release, think about the journalists who will be most interested in it. This will decrease the number of pitch emails you need to send, which will save you time and increase the likelihood that a journalist will cover your story. By using a search engine to locate journalists who have previously written about topics or industries similar to yours, you can determine which journalists are most likely to cover your story.
You might use a search engine to look for articles about sustainable consumer goods or sustainable packaging, for instance, if your press release is about a new sustainable food packaging product. You can find out who wrote each piece and for what publication. You can compile a list or a spreadsheet of the journalists you come across to stay organized. This technique for finding writers who have covered related topics can boost your response rate and increase interest in your press release.
2. Gather contact information
The following step is to gather each journalist’s contact information. Start by checking the website of the publication a journalist works for to see if their email address is included in their bio. To stay organized, you can include the email address in your spreadsheet or list.
You can find the journalist’s contact information by using a search engine if they don’t have a bio or if it doesn’t include their email address. Just enter the reporter’s full name and “email” into the search bar. If this doesn’t yield the results you’re looking for, you could try searching for the journalist on a professional social media platform with the same keywords.
If you’re still having trouble finding the journalist’s contact information, a paid media database might help. To find the one that best meets your needs, you can conduct research on various media databases.
3. Create an interesting subject line
You can improve your press release email’s open rate by creating an intriguing subject line. Every day, journalists receive a large volume of emails, so taking the time to create a polished subject line can help them distinguish your message from the others in their inbox. Here are some guidelines to follow when writing a strong subject line:
4. Develop a lead for your pitch
Next, its time to develop a lead for your pitch. A lead is a phrase that succinctly summarizes the topic of your press release. Since pitch emails are the most popular and effective way to distribute press releases, learning how to write an effective lead can help distinguish your content from the countless other press releases journalists receive in their inbox every day. Keep your lead brief and concentrate only on the most crucial details to grab your readers’ attention.
Consider including the following responses in your lead:
5. Craft the body of your pitch email
The next step is to draft the email’s body. You can elaborate on the details in your lead in this section. To grab readers’ attention, start with the most noteworthy information, and then add other details like the location or important dates. To increase the likelihood that journalists will read your email in its entirety, keep the body of your email to no more than 150 words.
6. Include your press release
After the body of your email, add a line break and paste your complete press release. Instead of attaching your press release, include it in the email to save journalists the time it would take to download and open the document. Thus, there may be a greater chance that journalists will view and read your press release.
7. Provide your contact information
Your email should end with your signature and contact information. This can make it easier for journalists to get in touch with you if they have any follow-up queries or wish to arrange an interview. Include your work phone number, cell phone number, email address, and social media handles if applicable.
8. Send your pitch email at the right time
The number of journalists who decide to cover your story can be significantly impacted by the day and time you choose to send your email. You can reach journalists if you send your pitch email in the morning, after they have cleared their inbox of emails from the previous day and before additional emails pile up.
To increase your open rate, you might also think about sending your pitch email in the middle of the week. Sending your email on a day when there are fewer emails for journalists to read could help your message get noticed. Journalists typically receive the most press releases on Mondays and Fridays. To stay organized, save time, and work more efficiently, use email scheduling software that lets you choose the day and time you want to send your emails. To find the best email scheduling tool for you, compare the available options.
9. Follow up on your press release
To increase the likelihood that your story will be covered, spend some time following up with journalists a few days after you send them your press release. Think about sending journalists a follow-up email to check on whether they received your press release.
Alternately, you can rephrase the subject line of your pitch email and send it with the same press release. If you go this route, try to come up with a fresh perspective to highlight your press release. You could use new information or crucial details that you left out of your earlier email. This can attract reporters who might not have otherwise covered your story and increase your exposure.
Tips to send a professional press release
Here are some more pointers to assist you in writing and sending a polished pitch email for your press release:
Example of a pitch email
You can use the following sample pitch email as a model when sending press releases in the future:
Porch pirates attack a third of West Lanville homes, according to a recent survey.
Hello Cynthia,
As the holiday season approaches, we anticipate seeing this number rise to 36% of West Lanville residents who have dealt with package theft in the past year.
In a recent survey conducted by D&A Analytics, 1,500 residents of the West Lanville region were asked if package theft had affected them in the previous 12 months.
According to the findings, 62% of residents are worried about package theft even though 90% of residents plan to order at least one holiday gift online. To keep an eye out for potential theft activity, 53% of residents have installed a surveillance system on their porch.
Below is a press release that I’ve included with the complete findings of this study:
[INSERT PRESS RELEASE]
If you are interested in covering this story for your media network, kindly let me know. I can be reached by phone at 789-987-7789 or by email at for more information. I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerly,
Kevin Gotto
Sr. Data Analyst
D&A Analytics, Inc.
FAQ
What is the best way to distribute press release?
Writing a brief “covering letter” press release email is the most efficient way to do this. The press release can then be copied and pasted at the end of the email. Due to the possibility of people being wary when opening files from an unfamiliar email, this is preferable to adding it as an attachment or link.
Where can I send press releases for free?
- Send Your Press Release to Influencers & Bloggers. …
- Include Images, Graphics, or Video. …
- Target Outlets That Reach Your Audience. …
- Use a Service to Write Your Press Release. …
- Send Your Release to Journalists, Not Newsrooms.
Where should I post a press release?
- Online PR News. Of all the free press release submission websites, this one is arguably the most reputable.
- PR. com. An approach like Online PR News, where the entry-level package is free
- PR Free. …
- PR Log. …
- Press Release Point. …
- PR Fire. …
- Newswire Today. …
- PR Sync.
