“Don’t ever call me” and other PR tips from reporters

One of the hard-and-fast rules of pitching reporters is that it seems there are no hard-and-fast rules of pitching a reporter. A reporter may complain about getting phone calls on one hand and then write a paean to being virtually stalked exactly a month later.

So it's no surprise that pitching the media is excruciatingly frustrating for anyone who does it, whether they are founders, agencies, or consultants.

In our short month since launch, we've talked with over 250 entrepreneurs about press outreach and we've shared with them our simple approach. We've also told them we do have some hard-and-fast rules about press outreach that go beyond PR tips.

Rule #1: No phone calls

Reporters have hard jobs. They have to be creative and be on a deadline. They also have to deal with editors and manage sources. As a result, they probably pay more attention to their phones than most of us do at work. So don't call them. Of course, they can call you or ask you to call them, but please never call a reporter unsolicited, even if you have an existing relationship.

Rule #2: Don't @reply, DM, PM, or InMail

This is simple and straightforward. Don't friend a reporter on Facebook with the intention of sending them a PM. Same for LinkedIn. You're not being clever when you Snap or send a calendar invite as a pitch — you're just being a pain. We encourage our customers to follow reporters on their beat on Twitter and @reply when there's a topic of interest or to answer a question. But don't ever @reply just to get their attention. Reporters get 300 emails a day; wouldn't it ruin Twitter for them if they got 300 @reply pleas to read a pitch? Just don't do it.

Rule #3: Give email time

Email is the best way to get a hold of a reporter (with certain exceptions). It works, but it doesn't work immediately. Always leave enough time before your announcement to email the reporter and have one follow-up. One follow-up should suffice. We may be less aggressive in our approach than others, but we aim to be as respectful as possible and live up to our name and be "press friendly." Remember, as a founder you want to build relationships with reporters so that they'll cover you as your company grows. A little respect can go a long way.

The first email should be the pitch, usually 7–14 days before you'd like the coverage to hit. If you don't get a response, send a second email three days out as a reminder. In many cases the reporter will respond one way or another to this email. Any more emails and you are essentially wasting your time and theirs.

Rule #4: No mass emails

PressFriendly does not let its customers spray and pray. We purposely create smaller email lists than other list providers. Our average list is about 30–40 publications, with multiple reporters at some publications. The reason so many people send mass emails is that they don't know who's interested in the story. Probably the best thing about PressFriendly is that we match the pitch to the right reporter using their reporter archives — so we're providing media lists that don't waste the time of founders or reporters.

By promoting a few simple rules for press outreach, we hope to make life a little simpler and saner for reporters. We hope that in kind, they respect our approach and look kindly upon founders who respect their time and email them with tailored pitches.