What Is One Tip For Sending A Press Release Email?
To help you know how to send press release emails to journalists, we asked PR managers and seasoned journalists this question for their best insights. From giving your press release email a story angle to hiding the distribution list, there are several tips that may sensitize you about using the best approaches to send out press release emails to journalists.
Here Are 10 PR Tips For Sending Press Release Emails:
- Give Your Press Release Email a Story Angle
- Paste The Text Into The Body of The Email
- Grab The Journalists’ Attention With The Subject Line
- Send Press Releases To Editors in The Mid-Morning
- Include An Engaging Image
- Keep It Short
- Avoid Adding Attachments
- Empathize With Journalists
- Make Every Email Personalized
- Hide Your Distribution List
Give Your Press Release Email a Story Angle
Journalists are always looking for an angle and that are why your press release email has to provide them one. Many make the mistake of believing a press release is simply an announcement, but in actuality, it is the angle to a story, so providing it a wider context is critical as a narrative cannot be created in a vacuum.
Therefore, start the body of your release with a hook that captures their attention. Tie the subject to a larger story within your industry, link it to other business leaders, and provide examples of your topic’s impact.
By approaching your press release email as the making of a story, instead of a notification, you will give the journalist an angle that makes their job easier, and gives your press release a chance to make it into their publication.
Anthony Puopolo, Rex MD
Paste The Text Into The Body of The Email
The consensus often has been that you should paste the text into the body of the email. It means the journalists do not have to open the attachment, making it a little more accessible. But journalists would like a plain text attachment now since in many newspapers the sub-editing role has been dispensed with so the journalist increasingly is doing more of their own sub-editing.
This means if you send your press release as a word document, they can’t just copy and paste it into the Content Management System platform they use to produce the newspaper.
Whereas if you send it as plain text they can just copy all of that and paste it straight into their CMS which speeds everything up for them. The more work you do to give the journalist exactly what they want, the easier it is going to be to get your story published. So we are bypassing a lot of sub-editing now; we don’t need the PDF or the word document. A plain text version of your press release as an attachment should suffice.
Antreas Koutis, Financer
Grab The Journalists’ Attention With the Subject Line
The most crucial component of any press release email is the subject line. Your email will be opened by a journalist based on the subject line. It makes sense to use the headline of your press release as the subject of your email, but it is ineffective in catching the journalist’s attention. Maintain a quirky and concise subject line to capture their attention right away.
You must get to the point of your press release and mention something that will pique the journalist’s interest. So instead of making it very long with the PR headline, mention something about the PR that might be relevant to them or trigger their curiosity. You can even draft the subject line as a question to quirk it up a bit like “How to make the food industry more sustainable?”
Nathan Hughes, Diggity Marketing
Send Press Releases To Editors in The Mid-Morning
Along with ensuring that your press release is relevant and meaningful to your target audience, send press releases to editors in the mid-morning rather than early morning. Many editors and business professionals have the habit of opening their email between 10 AM and 2 PM, so sending your press release during this time will ensure it is at the top of their inbox. Just remember to keep differing time zones in mind and don’t be afraid to connect with journalists to ask when they make a habit of checking their inboxes.
Leo Livshetz, Unhide
Include an Engaging Image
Press releases with engaging visuals will stand out. Even if your press release is well-written, a high-quality image will help to drive home the press release’s main point much more quickly than if there was only text. For example, if your press release is about a live music event, you can include a picture of the main band set to perform. Press releases with good images have a much better chance of getting picked up over others.
Drew Sherman, Carvaygo
Keep It Short
Keep it short and to the point. Editors aren’t going to read an email with multiple paragraphs. State your business, the purpose of the email, and some details the editor needs to know. Get the message across in the most efficient way possible.
Jodi Neuhauser, Ovaterra
Avoid Adding Attachments
Hardly any email received by a journalist is lucky enough to be read or scrolled through to the end, where the attachments are usually found. Media representatives often have full mailboxes, so your message will probably not reach them. Moreover, some domains automatically send emails with attachments to spam.
So, if you want the person receiving the email to at least have a look at the press release you are sending, ditch the attachment. Just place a link to the press release in your email. Except for the text, the receiver will find additional materials you want to show the world, such as photos, infographics, or videos. By using an external link instead of an attachment, your email stays lightweight while the link to the press release is already at the beginning of the message.
Nina Paczka, MyPerfectResume
Empathize With Journalists
My main tip for sending a press release email to journalists is to put myself in their shoes. Journalists are constantly busy chasing deadlines and tracking the development of their stories. As you send them press releases, your job is to make their work as easy as possible. That includes keeping your email clear and concise, spell-checking your work, and maintaining a cordial relationship, thus ensuring you are the first to be considered the next time they need insights.
Charles Ngechu, EasyPaydayLoan
Make Every Email Personalized
Always write a personalized email to make press release emails more interesting. Sending a press release email will help you nurture your relationship with journalists and reporters. So, to make it more tempting, always make customized emails. Avoid broadcasting, forwarding, and sending copy-paste emails to a journalist. It makes emails boring and monotonous.
Every email should be personalized, clear, and concise. When we are sending more than one email, it can be tricky, so choose a blind carbon copy line. If the journalist finds out that other media houses are covering the same story, they may be less interested. You can also add your company logo, contact information, or other information.
Shivanshi Srivastava, PaydayLoansUK
Hide Your Distribution List
The “BCC” function should be used when sending out a release to a big audience. One of the worst things about a long distribution list is that it may be seen by anybody. It’s not only unpleasant, but it could have serious consequences. Because so many other journalists are getting the same information, journalists may not want to write about the news.
Ayman Zaidi, GreatPeopleSearch
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