In a world full of PR myths, self-proclaimed experts and conflicting advice, it’s crucial to stay clear about what really works.

Here we look at a few of the most common PR myths and set the record straight. From believing that contacts guarantee results to thinking that journalists want all the detail up front, in this post, we’re debunking some of the most common media relations & PR misconceptions.

1. You Need a Long, Detailed Pitch

PRs are often told that journalists want a complete, well-package story which can lead to a very long PR pitch.

We would say keep it short and impactful. Nobody, especially not journalists, has time to sift through long emails. So while yes, a well-packaged story can be key in securing you coverage, this doesn’t equate to a long email.

All you want is a clear, concise and timely pitch that really succintly explains your story, the angle and the supporting assets you have. You should always be able to pitch your story in a few lines and if you can’t, it’s time to relook at the pitch.

2: Follow Up Every Day to Show Interest

Please don’t overdo it.

Following up shouldn’t be pushy. Maybe one or two follow-ups if you don’t hear back, but please don’t send daily emails, especially when you didn’t get a response after the first one. Crossing that line will send you in the spam folder.

3: The Perfect Pitch Guarantees Success

Even the best pitches don’t always win. Journalist inboxes are overloaded with hundreds of emails so that combined with spam filters and busy diaries does mean that emails get missed. Plus is all depends on newsroom priorities and timing. Your story might have been perfect, but then a big announcement gets made and suddenly your story is spiked.

Our advice; don’t take it personally! Take time to adjust and refine your approach, even if that means tweaking the angle.

4: You Need a Personal Connection to Get Coverage

Relationship building with the media can be so beneficial in securing coverage (and feedback). However, it isn’t everything!

Not having a long-standing relationship with a target journalist shouldn’t stop you from reaching out. Plus personalisation is what really matters and not knowing a journalist personally doesn’t stop you from doing some research, personalising your pitch and sending the message that resonates best with them. Take your time and do some research.

5: PR is Just About Selling

Each time you pitch to a journalist, you make a whole new connection over and over again. Make sure it’s personal, valuable and adds value to their audience. Yes, you’re ‘selling’ a story, but you’re also starting that connection building process. Don’t lose sight of thise when you’re pitching. There’s a person behind that screen that’s most likely also facing internal pressures, looming deadlines and the prospect of a working weekend. Of course, media relations is transactional, but don’t lose sight of the people involved.

6: Sending Your Pitch to Everyone Increases Your Chances

Even in a remote world, journalists do notice when PRs send the same story to them and fifteen colleagues. Nevermind when it’s a generic email that they’ve clearly been BCC’d into. Sending your pitch out to more journalists will absolutely feel like you’re giving yourself a better chance; but you’re actually just increasing your chances of hitting spam filters, getting blacklisted and then time you spend doing that could have been spent drafting genuinely well-tailoured and personalised pitches.

Ready to craft pitches that actually work? Let’s make your PR game stronger. Register today and see how we can help you get the coverage you deserve.

We all make mistakes when pitching to journalists. It’s very easy to do. But what if you could perfect those same mistakes and make your pitch shine every time? In this guide on writing a great PR pitch, we’ll break down common pitfalls and show you how to craft a story that grabs attention and gets results. Let’s make your next PR pitch spectacular!

1. Too Much Info, Too Little Interest

We often overload a journalist with too much information that can easily tune them out. “Leave them wanting more” is a real thing and that’s exactly what we should be doing. Not throwing the kitchen sink at them.

Keeping it short, sweet and to the point is how we win and pique their curiosity! Let’s face it, if you can’t clearly and succinctly explain why they should be interested in your story, then you’re not clear enough on what your story is.

2. Timing is Everything

How about sending a health story at 5 PM on a Friday? Scary! Always keep in mind the timing when pitching to journalists.

We don’t believe in a magic number. Pitching a journalist at 11am isn’t the winning formula to getting their attention. However, think about how their week might be structured, at 5pm on a Friday are they going to be reading every email that arrives or focusing on that urgent story that needs filed before the weekend.

Don’t forget that journalism isn’t a 9-5 Monday to Friday job. Depending on what your story is weekends, bank holidays & Christmas could all be worth exploring.

3. The Personal Touch

Be personable and approachable. Customise every pitch to each journalist individually as if they were the only ones you send that pitch to. Always show how important they are to you and that you have done your research.

You need to have the journalist’s audience in mind; what do readers of The Express want to hear about versus readers of MailOnline. How should this impact who and what you’re pitching. You’re far better off spending your time personalising your story than sending out more generic emails.

It works every time!

4. The Follow-Up Dance

We can all agree how annoying it is when we don’t hear back once you send a pitch. It does happen to everyone. One thing to remember is to never be pushy when following up on that pitch you just sent. Always be polite when nudging, but don’t overdo it.

People have strong opinions on follow ups. “NEVER follow up” or “How many times have I had coverage after following up? Well, every time!” Our advice? Follow up once with a journalist. Don’t ring them to ask ‘have you seen my press release’. Pitching to journalists can be stressful, especially if you’re also facing internal or client pressures so don’t be afraid to follow up, but don’t be rude if it isn’t a story for them. They also have a job to do.

Remember, the connections you make in the process of finding the right journalist could last.

These might seem like small things, but fixing your media pitching mistakes in these four simple ways can be the difference between coverage and no coverage.

Are you still struggling to get through? We can help. Register and check out our marketplace to start pitching without the need for emails. We make sure that you know instantly if a journalist has opened, read, accepted, or rejected your pitch. It’s as simple as that!

Ready to level up your PR game? Let’s go.

As a journalist, finding expert commentary can be one of the most time-consuming aspects of your work.

Whether you are writing an in-depth feature or seeking a quick comment to add depth to a story, knowing where to look can make all the difference. And there are some easy ways to find what you need.

So if you’re reading this and you’re struggling to source expert comments… we’ve got you covered. Check out these easy ways to connect with the right experts for your next story.

1. X – #journorequest Hashtag

Ever wondered what methods PRs rely on when it comes to sourcing opportunities for their clients and experts? 

Well, many PRs keep a close eye on the #journorequest hashtag on X, looking for requests they can help fill. So as a journalist you can use the hashtag to request an expert comment on anything from irons to economics. 

What’s the downside? 

Well, not every comment will be relevant to you as you’re going to reach such a broad pool of people. You may also find PRs contact you well after your deadline leading to a chaotic inbox.

2. Online Communities 

Another way of finding expert comments is by joining relevant online forums or communities. From Reddit to Facebook, there are tons of forums where people chat about every topic you could imagine. Even LinkedIn can be a great place to find experts already publicly talking about the topics you’re interested in. 

It can sometimes take a bit of time to get responses and permissions meaning this isn’t the best method if looking for a quick hit, but it can be a great way of finding real-life stories. 

3. Email-based request services

Another way to source expert commentary is through an email-based request service. 

These services are really simple to use as a journalist. You register, login and then share your request, telling PRs what outlet you’re writing for, what you’re looking for, the deadline you’re working to and any other information they might need to know. 

This then gets sent out to PRs who are subscribed, telling them you’re looking for content and encouraging them to respond directly to that email with their pitch. These services even stop that email address after your deadline has passed. 

The downside? Well, PRs say that they easily receive 1000 requests a day via these services, meaning they only really get around to checking them every few days or so and most of the requests they’re receiving are irrelevant to them. Plus even if that services ‘turns off’ your request after the deadline has passed, the PR can easily just continue to email you.

4. Synapse 

Synapse also has a request feature that you can use to source expert commentary. The process is similar to email-based request services, except it doesn’t lead to more emails. 

You log in, write your request, tag it against relevant sectors and then share it. It’ll automatically go to any PRs with those sectors on their profile. 

The bonus here is that you will get responses directly through Synapse – no more juggling emails, and it targets PRs actively working in the right sectors, meaning you get quicker, more accurate responses in as little as 10 minutes. 

Conclusion 

All these methods can be helpful when sourcing expert commentary. Depending on what you’re looking for, and how quickly you need a response, there are different solutions to suit your needs. 

If you’re interested in using Synapse, get in touch with us to find out more and register. 

Every relevant PR in our network receives alerts for requests, ensuring that your query reaches the right PRs quickly and efficiently.

If you want to know more, register today and try it for yourself.

If you’re finding that your media relations strategy isn’t getting a response, it might be time to reassess your approach.

Journalists receive an overwhelming number of pitches every day—yet 84% say that fewer than 5 pitches make it into stories each week. This means there’s a pretty low success rate.

Before you panic and throw everything you know out the window, here are three reasons that your PR pitching approach might be falling short.

1. Journalists Are Overwhelmed

Journalists work under tight deadlines and face an onslaught of pitches. When asked how many PR pitches they recieve during an average week, 75% said at least 100, and 58% said they recieve more than 250. Let’s be real here, if your pitch isn’t relevant and timely, it’s going to be ignored.

The solution: Keep your pitch simple and concise and provide the information that the journalist actually wants. Don’t forget, they have an audience in mind for everything they write so ultimatley your story needs to be right for that audience.

2. Mass & Generic Pitching

According to Axia PR, journalists have a shockingly low response rate of less than 3% to PR pitches. You put all this effort into a campaign, creating research surveys, sending out FOI requests, just to get no response.

The solution: You have to personalsie. Reusing the same pitch for every target, will not result in journalists paying more attention to the story. Instead, a generic pitch is obvious and will usually mean that your email is deleted before it’s even been read properly.

3. Burnout

Working in PR isn’t for the fainthearted. It’s a high stress job and low response rates, rejection of ideas and high expectations all add to the cycle of frustration. The spray and pray approach of sending mass pitches followed by endless follow-ups and hoping something sticks is pretty unengaging and it’s doing nothing for your team morale.

The solution: Shift to a quality-over-quantity approach. Getting your team to really think carefully about a story and who they should pitch to, means you’ll have colleagues who are far more bought into what they’re pitching.

Want to make your media relations strategy even more effective? Join Synapse where we help connect PRs and journalists in a smarter, more personal way.