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Perfect Pitches: 500 Publishers Tell Us How To Get Their Attention
Sep 05, 2014
We surveyed over 500 publishers to discover how businesses and individuals can increase their noise:value ratio when trying to secure press. Through over 20 survey questions and open-ended responses, we were able to establish a full picture on what publishers want from content ideation, development, and pitching. Over 100 high-caliber sites responded, including but not limited to: CNN, Time, NY Times, Guardian, Forbes, CNet, MSN, Reuters, Daily Mail, USA Today, ZDNet, Tech Crunch, Mashable, MTV, Huffington Post, Slate, Real Simple, Business Insider, Babble, Examiner, PC Mag, BuzzFeed and LifeHacker.
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@KelseyLibert, @RyMcGonagill, www.Frac.tl Image Credit: http://frc.tl/1nuTW0Q
This is a storyabout a noise:value ratio
that has gotten out of whack.
@KelseyLibert, @RyMcGonagill, www.Frac.tl
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Editorial voices are outnumbered by public relations professionals by almost 5:1
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http://frc.tl/1mrxZgH @KelseyLibert, @RyMcGonagill, www.Frac.tl
“Many [PR professionals] have a misunderstanding when it comes to the difference between advertorial and guest posts.” – Gigaom.com
“Too many submissions we get are clearly just pitches for a company, attempting to masquerade as thought pieces, a press release dressed as a guest post.” – TechCrunch.com
“Over time [guest blogging] has become a more and more spammy practice.” – Matt Cutts
Our Research
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We interviewed over 500 writers, editors, and publishers.
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This Is Their Story
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About how many
stories do you write
per day?
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@KelseyLibert,@RyMcGonagill, www.Frac.tl
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The majority of people you’re pitching only write
ONE STORY per day.
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About how many
pitches do you
receive per day?
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"300-plus. No joke!"
- Reuters.com
"Too many to count, seriously."
- HuffingtonPost.com
"Wow - I have lost track.”
- USNews.com
"I mostly filter these or unsubscribe."
- Lifehacker.com
“It's CONSTANT! It's
like they're rewarded for
pitching, not for landing pitches...”
- PopularMechanics.com
“Dozens. I've started filtering them so they are
automatically deleted.”
- FundRaisingCoach.com
"Anywhere from 15 to 100 depending on the time of
year."
- TheCentsibleLife.com
"Dozens during a normal business day, hundreds
during major conventions."
- DigitalProductionBuzz.com
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@KelseyLibert, @RyMcGonagill, www.Frac.tl
Although most writers publish one story per day, 44% of them get pitched a
minimum of TWENTY TIMES per day.
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How often do you write a
story based on
something that was sent
through a pitch?
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@KelseyLibert, @RyMcGonagill, www.Frac.tl
Although writers are inundated with pitches, only
11% often write a story based on content that was
sent through a pitch.
@KelseyLibert, @RyMcGonagill,
www.Frac.tl
However, 45% said sometimes, so there is an opportunity for change.
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Your Strategy Lesson
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Would you rather be
pitched ideas that you
can collaborate on or get
a finished asset?
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STOP spamming writers with poorly matched assets.
Instead, collaborate on mutually beneficial ideas.
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What characteristics
does the perfect piece of
content possess?
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What types of content
do you wish you saw
more?
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Your Networking Lesson
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How important is it for a
person to establish a
personal connection with
you before pitching content?
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@KelseyLibert, @RyMcGonagill, www.Frac.tl
64% of writers think it is of some importance that you
establish a personal connection before pitching.
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Use Twitter as a platform to socialize with your prospects
weeks prior to the pitch. Engage in blog posts.
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Which of the following
channels do you prefer
to be pitched on?
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Put down your cell phone. Stop spamming on social media.
Start writing sincere emails to the best-fit person for your campaign.
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Use a CRM such as BuzzStream to manage your relationships.
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Your Pitch Lesson
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What time of day do you
preferred to be pitched?
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What time of day do you want to be pitched?
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Use a pre-scheduling tool to send your emails in the early
morning hours.
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What email length do
you prefer?
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88% of writers prefer a pitch be less than 200 words. Check your word count before sending.
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Do you open an email
based on its subject
line?
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@KelseyLibert, @RyMcGonagill, www.Frac.tl
Test your subject lines in your inbox. What stands
out? The golden rule is 45-65 characters.
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Which of the following
subject lines catches
your attention the most?
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An overwhelming number said they want a subject line that is:• Direct • Concise
• Descriptive• Includes keywords relevant to the writer’s beat
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How likely are you to delete
a pitch based on a
spelling/grammar error,
regardless of the content’s
quality?
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Do you auto-delete
pitches that contain
certain words?
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@KelseyLibert, @RyMcGonagill www.Frac.tl
If you could give 1-3 points
of feedback to people who
pitch to you, what would you
say?
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• Do your research. • Know the publication.
• Be relevant. • Make it newsworthy.
• Know my beat. • Don’t use all caps.
• Be personal. • Be concise.
• Don’t cold call. • Does it fit my beat?
• Use spellcheck. • No giant attachments.
• Don’t pitch on social media. • Know my audience.
• Avoid phony friendliness. • Get my name right.
• Avoid the fluff. • Tailor your subject lines.
• Die in a fire.
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“If I don't respond it's because I'm not interested. If I am interested, I will email you back.”
– NationalJournal.com
“1) Don't send multiple emails and follow-ups. 2) Don't follow up your email with a call.”
– Parents.com
“Do not call me 5 minutes later to follow up.”
– Geek.com
“Don't follow up so many times. If we're not interested, we're not interested.”
– OutOfThePastBlog.com
“Unless I contact you asking for more information, don't follow up 2 and 3 times asking if I'm going to write about the story you sent me.”
– TheGoodWineGuru.com
What characteristics
does the perfect piece of
content possess?
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• Breaking news • Exclusive research • Emotional stories
• Timeliness • Relevance
• Data • New hook
• A story • Interview opportunities
• Data visualizations • Useful information
• Innovative • Interesting analysis
• Storytelling • Well-researched
• Meets editorial mission • Original content
• Solutions to problems • Engaging • Amusing
• Useful insights • Humor
• Unique angles• High-quality graphics
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Research by Kelsey Libert, www.Frac.tl
http://frac.tl/publisher-feedback/
Leverage The Science Behind Great Content.Research by Kelsey Libert, www.Frac.tl
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