Wednesday: A primer (and reminder) on why e-mail pitches are always best
Wednesday: A primer (and reminder) on why e-mail pitches are always best
This morning, I missed a call from an unknown New Jersey number. This is not unusual for me, as I get dozens of calls from unknown numbers each day — I hardly ever answer them, as once you’ve been harassed by phone scammers, you do your best to avoid answering the phone when you don’t know who is calling.
What is unique about this particular call though is that within less than a minute after, it was followed up by a LENGTHY text message pitching me. While the pitch itself read as kind of spammy (complete with embedded videos and downloads!), even if it had been a great pitch, this method was not the way to go.
OK, that video is not the reason not to call/text a pitch, but something to keep in mind…maintaining the intended method of communication and not veering off.
The reason I prefer email pitches is not me wanting to maintain control of the situation. (Trust me, I get 1,000 new emails every day, it’s not that I’m desperate for more email, either.)
My process when I receive a pitch — any pitch — is to file it in my GMail inbox. Maybe you are pitching me about plant-based cheese today and it’s not a fit for anything I’m working on. But next week…I might get an assignment on plant-based cheese, search my inbox for the phrase “plant-based cheese” and find your pitch and reach out to you.
If you had called me, texted me, DM’d me, or sent me a tweet…searching my inbox would not help me and I’d not be able to consider your pitch. It’s in YOUR best interest to send everything to an email.
Hope that explains it! Help me help you and we all win :)
In other news, it’s a GORGEOUS day in NYC and I hope to treat myself to a bit of a outdoor latte at a cafe situation this afternoon (my laptop is coming along for the trip too, of course!). Hope you are having a beautiful day wherever you are today as well.
Here’s a few pieces that have gone live since yesterday’s email:
Job leads
Feel free to send me your job leads at any time — it’s completely free, and as I publish this newsletter six days a week, there’ll always be room to put it in the next available newsletter. Job leads are welcome at any time, whether or not they have appeared elsewhere, and I am fully open as well to whisper leads (not revealing the company) and internship opps as well as situations wanted.
The Brand Guild is looking for a Public Relations Director (F&B) with a deep understanding and love of food brands to serve as the day-to-day lead and thought partner for a portfolio of some of the most exciting food and beverage brands in the country. This position is hybrid and based in either their Washington, D.C. or New York City office.
Newly published or freshly updated
Since people are often asking about the status of stories from a while ago, and I only share stories in this newsletter that were published or updated in the current week, I have created a list of my author pages at various publications to which I contribute. Bookmark it and make your life a bit easier.
This list will live on my Substack URL and be updated as necessary. That way, you can see what I’m doing at any publication, at any time, from types of stories to general structure of stories to even volume and frequency of my content at that outlet.
This can also help you to target pitching a bit better. That makes your job easier, and mine too!
In case you missed it, I was a guest on a podcast last week. Check it out here — I share some easy-to-follow tips on how emerging brands can get the attention of busy editors.
Speaking of podcasts, I did the Pitchin’ and Sippin’ podcast last month (I ADORE Lexie Smith!), and you can still catch it here. We chatted at length about pitching, the ever-changing landscape of the editorial process, and more.
(Also, if you host a podcast that has anything to do with media/PR/writer content or food/bev/travel content and are interested in me coming on as a guest, I’d love if you reach out!)
Forbes.com: How To Create A Perfect Homemade Gumbo Just In Time For Mardi Gras
Food Network: Kraft Singles Releases New Extra Thin and Ultra Thick Slices
Clean Plates: The Healthiest Store-Bought Chicken Soups (That Taste Like Grandma’s)
The Kitchn: Giada De Laurentiis Is Leaving Food Network for Amazon After More than 20 Years
Today.com: Where to score sweet food deals and freebies on Valentine's Day
The Kitchn: You Can Get Free Cracker Barrel for a Year If You Get Engaged This Valentine’s Day
HelloGiggles: 8 Sexy Underthings To Gift Yourself This Valentine’s Day
If you or your client are featured in any of these stories, I super appreciate any social media shares! Please remember to tag @alywalansky and the outlet.
Here’s what I’m working on:
Be sure to read the below list carefully. Many are stories I posted about yesterday, but some of yesterday's stories are no longer listed and a few new ones have been added since yesterday. This (below) is everything that is still a currently open opportunity as of today.
Please remember when pitching me: Email me at alywalansky@gmail.com - do NOT just hit reply on this newsletter, or there’s a good shot your email will be lost in the heap. Give your email a subject line that makes it clear which story you are pitching me for — it’ll help you in the long run.
Please consult my industry insights guides on submitting expert commentary, sending emails that will catch a journalist’s attention, how to craft pitches journalists will say ‘yes’ to, and the right and wrong way to submit photos, if you need any extra guidance before sending your pitches.
Eat This, Not That
I’m working on a roundup of the Best Fast-Food Sandwiches, According to Chefs (For your ease of pitching your chef clients, it’ll be similar in format to this one we’ve done before) - I’m looking to interview chefs and find out what fast-food sandwiches (Subway, Mike’s, Jimmy John’s etc.) they actually eat and their go-to order. I’d love to include some celebrity (i.e. names we all know) chefs in this piece.
TODAY.com
I’m beginning to round up Cinco de Mayo food deals at chain restaurants. I’m not looking for free delivery or reward point type of deals at this time but more BOGOs, freebies, discounts, etc. Please be sure to tell me how to claim the deal (i.e. coupon code, downloading app, etc) when responding.
Yahoo Life
Those who read Prince Harry’s “Spare” probably remember the part of the book where Meghan hosts a dinner party at Nottingham Cottage and the recipe she prepares involves parchment paper salmon. For this piece, I’m going to be recreating this recipe and chatting a bit about this particular moment in the story - but meanwhile I’d love if a chef could answer a few questions over email about preparing parchment paper salmon at home (not necessarily this particular recipe but in general). Thanks!
Forbes.com
St. Patrick’s Day is just a few weeks away and I’m looking for fun cocktails and desserts that restaurants and bars nationwide have on the menu or as a special in honor of the occasion. If you have anything brewing, I’d love if you could send me:
1 - name of dish or drink, where it is served (name of restaurant, city, state, URL)
2 - description
3 - quote about it from bartender/chef/owner (don’t forget to tell me the name of the person you are quoting)
4 - LINK to image
Also for Forbes, with Purim around the corner, I’m looking for fun Purim-themed desserts, treats, and cocktails. This can be inventive spins on hamantaschen, or anything else brewing. Please use the same format as the story above when pitching!
Looking to up your affiliate marketing game?
Affiliate marketing is complicated, and it seems that the landscape keeps changing. If you are looking to be prepared for gift guide season and all other shopping-related content, you may want to try the Ultimate Masterclass and Introduction to Affiliate Marketing for Publicists. It's a brilliant course and it'll answer all your questions (including some you didn't know you had!)
Virtual consulting sessions...
Looking for a consult as you plan your next event or trip? Or just want someone to take a look at the pitches you’ve been sending and give some feedback?
I've been popping into a lot of PR team virtual meetings and some other fun stuff (Recently I even joined in on an agency’s team retreat right here in Brooklyn — it was so fun and I made so many new friends!) and making myself available to answer all sorts of questions about pitching, events, and trips from a media perspective. I like to keep these things chill and comfortable and relaxed all by sharing perspective and learning from one another.
If you are interested in setting anything up for your own team in the coming months, please email me and we'll get something on the books! This is available for entire agencies or smaller group lunch and learn type concepts. If you are a freelance publicist and want to join in with a few other freelance publicist friends and set something up, we can do that as well!
Have a great day!
<3
aly
Excellent reminders on why email pitches are still the best way to go for both publicists and journos. You'd think PR folks would be happy about that; I know I am, haha.
Interesting that the calls/DM/Tweet pitches are still happening for so many journalists. I've reached out to writers via social to connect and get email address to send a pitch, but not to just send an entire pitch via DM. Never a call ... those days have been way over for years unless it's a news desk! Thanks as always for the reminders and enjoy this unusually warm Feb day!!