Five Tips for Grabbing an Editor’s Attention

We all know how it goes: you spend your valuable (and billable) time crafting the perfect pitch fully equipped with a catchy subject line and killer stats, you’re sure this one is going to win you publicist of the year. But after a few rounds of “just circling back”, you accept the hard truth that you won’t be getting a response – or landing a story. 

If there’s one thing all PR pros can agree on, it’s that getting the attention of an editor can be hard. Luckily, The PR Net recently held a webinar with top lifestyle editors highlighting best practices for pitching – and I’m here to share what I learned. Here are five of the top tips for grabbing an editor’s attention. 

1. Keep it simple: Editors are busy, and don’t have time to dig through a lengthy pitch to find what’s most important. Their advice? Use bullet points to quickly highlight your most newsworthy content.

Remember, your pitch shouldn’t read like a press release – instead, paste the press release below your signature for easy access to additional information. 

2. Show off your best assets: It may sound simple, but editors want to see great photos in your pitch. Not only will providing high-resolution photos catch an editor’s eye, it can also increase the chance that they’ll cover your story, since they don’t have to spend time tracking down assets.

3. Send exclusive content: The power of an exclusive is not dead. Sending editors exclusive stories is a great way to grab their attention and gain their trust. Pro-tip: an exclusive doesn’t have to be an entire story – it can be anything from a never-before-seen photo to a factoid that hasn’t been disclosed to other contacts. 

4. Get personal: With dozens of pitches hitting their inbox on any given day, editors have a sixth sense for scoping out generalized pitches.

If you want to stand out among the crowd, personalize your pitch for the contact you’re sending it to. Calling out one of their recent stories or referencing a recent LinkedIn post are great ways to let a writer know they’re not just another name on your media list. 

5. Attend events: With pandemic restrictions being lifted over the past year, events are back in full swing. Attending events can help you build relationships with your target media contacts. Meeting an editor face to face will help them connect you to your work, and increase the likelihood of coverage in the future. Look into upcoming press events and in-person opportunities to connect with the media whenever possible.