Successful pitching is a skill that every PR pro must master. When it comes to pitching, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. At Ellipses, our PR pros tailor their pitch strategy to each reporter depending on personality, availability, and relationships. We have found that a successful pitch is one that includes accurate information and is concise, persuasive, and compelling. Journalists work in a fast-paced environment with tight deadlines so it is important to pay close attention to detail to avoid any mistakes. Here are the 4 most common pitching mistakes you should avoid making:

• • Poor Timing – Timing is crucial when it comes to pitching. It is essential that PR pros understand lead times and meet deadlines for publications. It is also important to do your outreach during appropriate times. Avoid sending pitches on weekends or holidays. Even though the best time to pitch a journalist is unique to the individual, PRSA suggests the optimal time frame to pitch media is between 10:00 a.m. and noon, their time zone. 

• • Irrelevant/unclear information – One of the worst pitching mistakes you can make is sharing content that is not relevant to the writer’s audience. According to Cision’s Media Pitching Manual, 75% of journalists say fewer than a quarter of the pitches they receive are relevant. To avoid this mistake, PR pros need to understand a publication’s audience and what they find interesting. In general, your pitch should begin by telling the reporter up front why this news is relevant to them. Think about the pitch in terms of what is newsworthy and write for the end consumer.

• • Mass pitching – Each pitch should be uniquely crafted for the journalist you are pitching. Sending a mass pitch to everyone on an editorial list might be easy but it is not effective. Cision reports that 95% of mass-emailed pitches go unanswered. In order to avoid making this common mistake, it is important to research the journalist before you send an email. Read their recent articles and look at their social media accounts in order to understand their interests and beats. By sending a personalized pitch, you are showing them that you have done your research to relate your client’s story to their coverage. 

• Too many follow-ups – Follow-ups are an essential part of the pitching process. However, there is a fine line between being persistent and being annoying. Crowding a journalist’s inbox with excessive emails will only hurt your chances. According to Cision’s Media Pitching Manual, it’s okay to reach back out or try one more outreach method, but don’t harass your media contacts. Assume that if you’ve emailed twice about one story, they’re probably not interested. In general, sending more than three follow-ups is too many. 

There are so many variables to take into account when pitching but avoiding these common mistakes will improve your effectiveness and lead to more coverage.