Get more press coverage with this proven email template for pitching journalists (available in Word, Google Docs and as a PDF). Just fill in the blanks and send it off.

Why Use a Journalist Pitch Template?

It’s no secret that press coverage can be SUPER valuable.

After all, new sites tend to have a lot of domain authority. So getting backlinks from those authority sites can be a big SEO win. Not only that, but a feature or mention in a news piece can lead to a huge spike in traffic. And getting the right kind of coverage can strengthen your brand (for example, allowing you to place those cool “featured on” media logos on your site).

The thing is, journalists are constantly bombarded by outreach emails. Even journalists for mid-tier publications get pitched ALL the time.

That’s why it’s important to have a solid framework in place to get their attention. This journalist pitch template is that framework.

What’s Included

Here’s what’s included in this journalist pitch template:

1. The magic word to always include in your subject line: If you want journalists to read your email, this is the easiest way to make it stand out from all the irrelevant spam they receive.
2. How to briefly introduce your content or story to make it appealing for journalists to cover.
3. A simple, direct conclusion: The final 2-3 sentences in your email that tell them exactly what to do next.

How to Use This Template

1. Download the free Journalist Pitch Template on this page
2. Identify the journalist(s) you’d like to pitch (BuzzSumo is a great tool for this)
3. Open up a draft email, paste in the Journalist Pitch Template and fill in the blanks
4. Send your email
5. Keep track of who you’ve emailed in order to stay organized and avoid duplicate emails to any one person

How to Get More Press Coverage

Having a great template can work wonders for your media outreach. But no matter how good your template is, you’ll never have a 100% success rate. Luckily, there are several other things you can do to get more press coverage.

• Reach out to individual, relevant journalists. Industry studies show that the #1 pet peeve journalists have is getting irrelevant pitches. And sending your pitch to a publication’s generic “tips” email address will never work as well as sending it to a specific person.
• Pique their interest — but don’t mislead or click-bait. Craft an angle that will excite the journalist by looking at some of their recent stories or thinking about any timely tie-ins with what’s going on in the world.
• Make it easy to skim: Be clear and succinct, use short paragraphs, and bold any key info. Follow the regular rules of web copywriting. Then, condense your email even further.
• Put a lot of effort into your subject line. It’s the key to making sure your email gets read. (Here are some data-driven tips on creating a great subject line.)
• Follow up only once, using a different angle. Gisele Navarro of NeoMam Studios has a great recommendation for following up: If you’ve successfully landed a feature with one journalist, use its headline as the subject line when you follow up with other journalists.
• Use tools like YesWare, BuzzStream and NinjaOutreach to track open rates, A/B test and speed up your outreach.