Wednesday: Contacts are precious. Here's some best practices when editing your e-mail list. Also: Newly published stories and what I'm working on this week!
Good morning!
Here’s something super cool I have been wanting to share all week.
The RPZLxALY bows and headbands were featured in a Fox 5 Las Vegas segment in honor of Women’s History Month, featuring female entrepreneurs for making others look and feel their best.
(So honored. And thanks so much to my gal Jenn Uy!)
Speaking of badass women, though: I wanted to start out by giving a shout out to one of my besties, Amber Love Bond, who has officially joined the Substack community with her new
— a newsletter devoted to her favorites and adventures (and if you know Amber at all, you know no one adventures quite like her, so this is going to be a great read!)I have a few newly published stories to share today — you can catch them by scrolling to the new and updated stories section below. But today I wanted to do a bit of a serviceable deep dive before getting into the usual biz.
Today, I wanted to chat a bit about editing your email list…
I had a long chat with a close friend recently about the war zone that is our email inboxes.
At the height busier seasons (i.e every holiday involving a gift guide), we may be getting 1,000 emails in a day sometimes. That means you take a quick break to refill your coffee and return a text message - you may have a few dozen new emails awaiting you.
But even normal-bulk inboxes can get pretty hefty.
No one wants the emails that contain on-target pitches to go away — we treasure those like we treasure those incredibly overworked souls sending those emails. You need to send them, we need to receive them. We co-exist in an essential symbiotic relationship.
BUT: This is a good opportunity to discuss how you may want to take some time to edit your own email lists -- make sure your emails are going to current, active email addresses - who are on the beat your pitches need to reach.
1. Years ago, when I was still a beauty writer (Fun fact: Those of you on this list who go way back with me know I started out as a beauty writer before I segued to more F&B), there would be some people we'd see at events who hadn't covered beauty in YEARS but were still on invite lists and receiving samples. This is of course an unnecessary waste of your client's resources -- and this is NOT calling out the beauty industry at all, I think this exists in all industries, it's just where it first came up and I was part of the conversation.
Take some time to edit your list, and eyeball the names on it. Do they currently write for the beat you are pitching? This is also a good time to verify their address and contact information has stayed the same. A good way to do this would be a simple opt-in Google form, where people can update their info. For reach journalist, you should have:
a - their name and publication(s)
b - email address
c - If you are sending samples - their current address that they wish to receive packages at, and if they are open to receiving packages
d - some quick bullet points about the kind of content they tend to cover - make this specific so that if you want to keyword search your list, this section will helpful when cultivating pitches.
2. Is their email address still active? If you are getting a lot of bounced emails, this isn't great for the currency of your list. Try a service like ZeroBounce, they have a free email verifier who you can run your list through and let you know if you are emailing real, active accounts, or not.
3. Sending a mass email is never a great plan. Keep your pitches personal. It's always very obvious to me when I have gotten a mass email bcc'd to a thousand people (or, worse, cc'd!). A huge indicator? Greetings like "Hi, you!" But personalize it beyond a name. Build a relationship. Take a sec to show them you know them and their work. This isn't just for personal relationships: But a great way to not end up automatically filtered to the spam folder.
4. I strongly believe in working smarter, not harder. Unlocking the potential of your email list allows it to work for you, and not you to constantly be working on it. If you spend your time researching media, their track record, and their outlets, and building your list so you have current and correct contacts, you'll get better responses -- and we'll get less off-topic emails we really can't do anything with.
In our realm, our contacts are precious. Treat them that way and they will make your job easier, not harder.
PS: Please do not see this as encouragement to use means other than email to send your pitches. Pitches via text, DM, or phone call are still very much not a great idea — and this is for your sake just as much as the journalist. If you want your pitches to be searchable when the fit does pop up, it needs to be in our inbox. (Also…boundaries…they are a thing…respect them.)
You can still grab the recording of our Mother’s Day Gift Guide AMA Zoom Event!
Thanks for attending last week’s Mother’s Day Gift Guide AMA Zoom Event, cohosted by my dear friend and badass journalist Alice Dubin. We had a blast and a full house and dozens of amazing questions on everything from helping your pitch to stand out, to better email subject lines to followups and photo submission best practices and SO MUCH MORE. You can catch more information on what we covered and how to access the recording here.
So honored to see Muck Rack included me in their 2024 list of top ten most popular freelance journalists. Check out the list here.
In just about the coolest news that can happen to a girl who grew up in Brooklyn, there’s a pizza named after me! It’s inspired by my Dirty Aly martini and it’s at Gelso & Grand in Little Italy. Please go check it out and tell me what you think <3
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!
RetailMeNot: 20+ Stores Closed on Easter Sunday (and 20+ That Will Stay Open)
Forbes.com: Patrick Mahomes And Travis Kelce Partner On Upscale Kansas City Steakhouse
Forbes.com: Hop Over To These 11 Bars Nationwide To Try Their Fun Easter Cocktails
Travel & Leisure: Zappos' St. Patrick's Day Sale Has Us Feeling Lucky — Hoka, Birkenstock, and More Are Up to 55% Off
RetailMeNot: 15 Easter Sales That Shouldn’t Be Missed for 2024
Food Network: Del Monte’s Newest Pineapple Is Made for One
Forbes.com: The Settepani Rainbow Cookie Croissant Offers A Fresh Spin On A Dessert Classic
Forbes.com: A Soup Made With Louis XIII Cognac May Be The Ultimate Luxury For Seafood Lovers
Forbes.com: 10 Relaxing Nightcaps To Enjoy In Honor Of National Sleep Awareness Month
RetailMeNot: Savings Star Origin Story: How I Learned to Eat Well (In NY!) On a Shoestring Budget
Best Life: 11 Things You Should Put Away When Guests Come Over, Experts Say
RetailMeNot: How to Save on Groceries: Tips That Actually Work
RetailMeNot: Meal Prepping Products That Are Actually WORTH It
Travel & Leisure: I’m a Travel Writer, and This Is My Secret to Packing for a Week in a Single Carry-on Bag
Travel & Leisure: In-flight Theft Is Unfortunately a Thing, but These 12 Items Give Me Peace of Mind When I'm Traveling by Plane
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.
RetailMeNot
How to Save on Food Delivery Apps: You may have picked up that everyone is noticing that food delivery is VERY expensive. What was a lifeline during the pandemic and then a habit has become a huge budget drain for many. But the reality is — sometimes you just have to order food delivery (maybe you're sick, maybe you want the convenience factor). So what steps can you take to make sure you save the most you can? So I’m looking for expert tips (actionable) on saving money on food delivery.
Budget shopping and cooking/eating smarter: As you all know, I write a lot of content for RMN related to budget shopping and cooking/eating smarter. I’m going to be working on a monthly column on the subject of cooking/eating well on a budget, and I’d love you to pitch me products/ideas to consider for it - maybe a new meal-stretching product that is a good deal at a grocery store, an awesome product to try that may cut my meal prep time in half, other themes as far as saving money on food/cooking/eating and doing it in a way that is smarter.
Forbes
Are any bars/restaurants planning a fun cocktail or dish in honor of Purim? If you have something, please email me with the name of the cocktail, a description (not a recipe), a quote from the bartender or chef, and an image. (And please remember to consult my nifty photo guidelines here.) Please pitch me by March 21 for this one. Reminder: The cocktail or dish MUST exist on a menu at a restaurant or bar either permanently or as a special.
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 (and now in-person!) 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’m available for PR team virtual meetings to answer questions about pitching, events, and trips from a media perspective. Note: I’m also available to travel for consulting sessions as long as travel expenses are covered. We can chat! This is available for entire agencies or smaller group lunch and learn type concepts.
<3
aly
I recall your beauty days and watching you pivot. Always appreciate your tips.
Hello from someone who does go waaay back to your beauty days and haven't let go. And no, not to pitch but I enjoy your updates!