No second chance to make a first impression
“You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” That’s certainly true in PR, especially when pitching reporters via email.
The goal of a pitch is to convince a reporter to cover a story. So naturally, it’s easy to think that the content of your email is the most important part. Isn’t that what actually persuades a reporter?
Well, yes and no. The content has to be good. But the email’s subject line must be as good — or better.
Think about it. When you’re scanning through your emails, you’re looking at the subject lines — especially if that email is coming from a complete stranger. So if you sent a pitch with a boring subject, then the reporter might not even open your email. At that point, it doesn’t matter how good your pitch was. There’s no second chance.