Landing highly relevant media coverage for your clients can sometimes feel like a challenge, but with the right PR strategy, you can learn how to pitch to journalists more effectively.
At Wild PR, we have experience in developing compelling pitches that help our clients earn coverage in a range of media verticals. This not only raises brand awareness and positions our clients as industry experts but also supports wider SEO efforts through increased visibility in relevant conversations, authoritative backlinks, brand mentions, and improved trustworthiness by search engines. All of this contributes to improved rankings, website traffic, and ultimately, higher conversions.
To achieve this kind of impactful coverage, building strong relationships with journalists is essential. With this in mind, here are some tips on how to effectively pitch to journalists as a PR professional.
Understanding a journalist’s day
To help connect with journalists, it is important to understand their typical working day. Most journalists begin their day bright and early, usually checking their inbox between 7:00 am and 7:30 am for any eye-catching pitches. This window presents an opportunity to have your pitches seen, which could be discussed at their first editorial meeting, typically held at 9:00 am.
While early mornings are ideal, don’t rule out pitching in the afternoon. Many journalists, especially those at lifestyle publications (according to Dayna McAlpine, at the 2025 Digital PR Summit), may recheck their inboxes between 12:00 pm and 3:00 pm. Following the early morning rush, journalists may use the afternoon to scan through their inbox. This could be a good opportunity to share less time-sensitive pitches or follow-ups. However, this can vary depending on the publication and the journalist, and it is down to PR professionals to determine what works and what doesn’t, which is all part of building relationships with journalists.
Common pitching mistakes to avoid
Even the most interesting PR campaign could be ignored if your pitch misses the mark. Here are some common mistakes to avoid when pitching to the media:
Missing Essentials: Always include your press release and any relevant images directly in your email. If you include these as attachments, journalists may encounter problems accessing them for several reasons. Therefore, they might entirely disregard the piece if you are making it harder for them to access the information they need. By incorporating all the key information the journalist needs directly within the email, you save them a considerable amount of time and make their job more straightforward.
Lack of Exclusivity: If you’re offering an exclusive, clearly state it. If you don’t, journalists will assume it has been sent to multiple competitor publications. Additionally, it’s not always necessary to offer an exclusive. As a PR professional, you need to research the journalists you are pitching to, to understand if they only cover exclusive stories. Some journalists may prioritise breaking news and being first to cover it, making exclusivity offers appealing. Others may focus on trends or expert-led commentary where exclusivity isn’t essential.
Poor Research: Never pitch to a publication or journalist without researching their content. By taking the time to look through what a journalist has covered previously, you will gain a real understanding of their content. Understanding their style, tone, and audience will demonstrate to the journalist that you have done your due diligence. Sharing a generic pitch will highlight your lack of research. For example, you wouldn’t pitch an environmentally-focused story to a lifestyle journalist; relevance is key.
Getting Too Personal: While building a strong relationship is great, avoid contacting journalists via their personal social media accounts. Do not get overly familiar and make sure to respect their professional boundaries.
What journalists love to see in PR pitches
Here is what a journalist is looking for when opening your pitches:
Subject Lines: Use a subject line that is in the style of the publication you are reaching out to. This shows you have done your research and understand their tone.
For our client, Thomson Environmental Consultants, we secured coverage in the London Daily News for their ‘Green Cities’ campaign. Our subject line clearly outlined how this would be relevant to the publication by referencing the relevant geographical location. The coverage resulted in a backlink to the respective on-site blog. Following this, the blog saw a 25% increase in sessions, as well as a 35% increase in views, compared to the two weeks prior.
With a reach of over 100,000, landing coverage in this publication positioned Thomson as experts on green infrastructure. Additionally, earning a link from an authoritative website will also support Thomson’s SEO performance, as Google views these links as a sign of credibility and that Thomson’s content is trustworthy.
Clear and Concise: Clearly outline who your expert or brand is and why their story is relevant to that particular journalist. Get straight to the point, as journalists are extremely busy!
Once again, for our client Thomson Environmental Consultants, we successfully secured industry-specific coverage in Inside Ecology on key business news. Our pitch was clear and demonstrated straight away why this story was relevant to that particular publication. By earning coverage in this publication, we placed Thomson directly in front of their target audience, increasing their visibility within the industry.
Accessible Information and Images: As mentioned previously, ensure images and the full press release are clearly included in your email. By having your images located in a link that doesn’t expire, e.g. Google folder, you make the journalist’s job as easy as possible.
Exclusivity Offers: Journalists love being offered exclusive content. If you’re willing to give a publication first look at a story, then highlight that clearly.
Data-Driven Pitches – Backing up your pitch with data demonstrates authority and credibility to the journalist, increasing the appeal of your pitches. To strengthen the appeal, contextualise your data, such as including the sample size, explain why the findings matter, and tie them into current trends or conversations the journalist is likely to be covering. This not only helps journalists trust your source but also makes it easier for them to turn your data into an interesting and relevant story.
We successfully secured coverage in The Sun and Good Housekeeping (among other publications) for windows and doors client, Clearview. We achieved this by incorporating data relevant to current trends, specifically focusing on preventing condensation on windows. This coverage resulted in Clearview’s website appearing in search engines for a number of target keywords, including ‘how to stop condensation on windows’ and ‘How to prevent condensation on windows.’
Expert Quotes – Incorporating an expert quote into your pitch will add further credibility to your story. Providing these quotes upfront will save the journalist’s time, making it easier for them to integrate your information into their story. Plus, from an SEO perspective, Google prefers websites that demonstrate E-E-A-T or expertise, experience, authority and trust.
Building and maintaining lasting relationships
Pitching isn’t just about earning one-off coverage; it’s also about forming long-term relationships. Here is how to build and develop those connections:
Respect Boundaries: If you see a journalist has their Out of Office on, respect it. Don’t spam them with emails or reach out to them through other channels. Alternatively, you can conduct some additional research to find another contact who is just as relevant as your original contact.
Share Fresh Ideas: Having established a positive rapport with a journalist, you can start a new email thread if you have another relevant idea. This keeps their inbox tidy and makes them understand that you are a trusted source for relevant stories.
Ask Questions: The best way to understand what a journalist is looking for is to ask questions. If you already have a strong relationship, then a quick email about their current interests or themes could prove to be extremely valuable.
Mastering how to pitch to journalists can take time, but by understanding their industry, avoiding common mistakes, and building strong relationships, you’ll significantly increase your chances of securing impactful media coverage for your digital PR campaigns and clients, which could ultimately have a real impact on their business.
Make sure to read our key takeaways from the event and our blog on Digital PR metrics that matter.
A massive thank you to everyone at Digital Loft and Christopher Megrath (Senior Life Reporter at Liverpool Echo), Danielle Wroe (Senior Social News Reporter at The Mirror), and Dayna McAlpine (Deputy Editor at the HuffPost UK) for providing an insightful journalist Q&A at the recent Digital PR Summit.