Keep reading to discover how powerful pitching strategies and personalization tactics can help your emails achieve the open and click rates you\u2019ve always wanted.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Successful media outreach<\/a> results from quality research and targeted communication. By aligning your brand or product with journalists\u2019 needs and leveraging Prowly\u2019s data, you\u2019ll enhance your pitching strategy<\/a>, build trust with journalists, and significantly boost your chances of securing the coverage you want.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Knowing the exact steps a recipient takes when receiving your email isn\u2019t just a fun feature to check; it\u2019s necessary. There\u2019s a rush to see how a journalist opened your email several times within the first hour. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You can then use that information to build a valuable repository of insights and store it by, for example, adding notes and tags in the CRM<\/a> with the link to an article resulting from a successful pitch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In long-term strategy, such a repository becomes your guide in crafting future communications that resonate personally with each journalist. It\u2019s not just about remembering their names and favorite topics; it\u2019s also about understanding their habits, personal communication style, and what they want from a pitch. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Aside from technical issues with their mailbox, they might be out of the office, on parental leave, haven\u2019t gotten to your email yet, or\u2026 your subject line<\/a> did not grab their attention. Staying positive is the best you can do here, but improving the hook in the subject line might be useful if your emails are continuously not getting any spotlight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Have you checked the keywords they use in their tweets? People are known to fixate on certain phrases, gravitate towards a certain writing style, and sympathize with emails that mirror what they\u2019re into. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In the worst-case scenario, maybe it\u2019s worth checking out another contact in this media outlet. Yes, it\u2019s not ideal, but frequently, you might get an answer from someone else and get rerouted to the person you wanted to target in the first place. You know, if the door is closed, go through the window type of thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We\u2019re getting somewhere! Your subject line was fine; it got the attention you wanted. But now what? If that person usually opens your message but doesn\u2019t reply, skims through the text, or clicks on no link, it\u2019s time to polish up the story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Look for new story angles<\/a> and make sure your subject line matches what\u2019s inside the email. Browse through their recent headlines. Is your pitch similar or wildly different? <\/p>\n\n\n\n While journalist\u2019s mailboxes are constantly flooded with irrelevant emails, chances are that person has seen your name before if they opened a message from you more than once. In that case, ask about the type of news or data they want.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83d\udca1 Struggling with low reply rates? Transform your pitching strategy with this guide<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Initiate your analysis by focusing on email interactions. Examining this data closely will reveal the reasons behind your content's underperformance. With these insights, you can strategize and devise effective solutions to improve its impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Look at the most engaged emails with links and attachments to understand audience preferences. Use this insight to incorporate new formats, such as videos or infographics, into your communications. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For instance, rather than linking to a press release, you might include its content directly in the email for easier skimming. When crafting email pitches<\/a>, consider using concise bullet points instead of lengthy paragraphs to convey your message more effectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Don\u2019t forget to analyze the engagement rate per PR campaign<\/a> as well. Which media lists did you include in a particular campaign? Take a closer look by analyzing their differences. For example, was the media list cumulated by local or national media outlets? Was it mostly editors or journalists? These are some of the questions you should consider when analyzing the results of a pitch<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For the emails that are performing best, see what worked there. Is it a powerful subject line<\/a> combined with an amazing and clear story<\/a>, or maybe the email format was clear and to the point? Whatever it was, keep on going! In the meantime, see who resonated with your pitch and mark them in the CRM with a proper tag. For example, you can categorize your contacts by the topic they resonate with, add them to favorites, or even jot down a note about which keywords in those subject lines are getting clicks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Check if the pitch was personalized. In the future, utilize personalization tokens and other features to ensure the message is crafted correctly for specific recipients. Try thinking of a different pitch angle<\/a> or attach different types of content to lure the audience in to click and find out more. With Prowly, you can personalize your message for up to 20 recipients per send-out.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Scroll down to read more about personalization<\/p>\n\n\n\n If your campaign had a low open rate but a surprisingly good click rate, perhaps the media targeting was too broad. You should identify the recipients who showed interest in your pitch, mark them in the CRM with appropriate tags, such as the topics they resonate with, and add them to your favorites. For future campaigns, consider narrowing down your targeting by preparing several media lists<\/a>, each tailored to a different story angle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Carefully review the recipient list for campaigns with the lowest open and click rate to see if the story angle matches the audience. Also, reevaluate the subject lines you wrote. Maybe there\u2019s a way to improve them? Then, consider the timing of your outreach<\/a> \u2013 were there any overlapping media events or holidays going on? All of those things might have impacted media interest in your topic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n \"In my experience, aiming for an email open rate of around 20% is a solid goal for PR efforts. It's a benchmark we often target at PRLab.<\/p>\n When it comes to crafting those all-important subject lines, I've found using an email subject line checker to be incredibly helpful. These tools are great for pinpointing effective keywords, all while steering clear of those spam triggers.<\/p>\n It's about reaching that balance between being informative without tipping over into being too salesy. To find keywords or buzzwords that grab attention, I see what competitors are doing, especially their email campaigns and marketing materials, looking at the topics they cover and what they're missing.<\/p>\n By focusing on these overlooked areas, we can craft messages that stand out and resonate more deeply with our audience.\" - Matias Rodsevich, Founder at PR Lab<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n Using the recipient\u2019s name and giving them an empty compliment about their most recent article is not enough anymore. Think of it this way \u2013 media contacts are people with hobbies, values, and things they like or don\u2019t like. While pitching some journalists is a Sisyphean struggle, to say the least, most of the time, it\u2019s worth researching who they are what they write about, and even learning how to read between the lines of the content they\u2019ve produced.<\/p>\n\n\n\nHow to build more effective media lists<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
When targeting specific journalists<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Track interaction history<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"pitching](\"https:\/\/prowly.com\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2024\/02\/3-1024x653.png\" "\\"pitching")
\u201cBut\u2026 they didn\u2019t even open my email\u201d<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Opened emails, but no replies<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"pitching](\"https:\/\/prowly.com\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2024\/02\/1-1024x269.png\" "\\"pitching")
When targeting media outlets<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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How to improve content and storytelling<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Attachments, links, and CTAs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/prowly.com\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2024\/03\/chart-1-1024x775.png\" "\\"pitching")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nEmail performance chart analysis<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
High open rate and high conversion rate<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
![\"pitching](\"https:\/\/prowly.com\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2024\/02\/2-1024x623.png\" "\\"pitching")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nHigh open rate and low conversion rate<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Low open rate and high conversion rate<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Low open rate and low conversion rate<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Implement effective personalization strategies<\/h3>\n\n\n\n