Pr Pitch

PR Pitch Writer

When to Use This Skill

• Launching a product and want media coverage
• Reaching a business milestone worth sharing
• Have a unique story or data that journalists would find interesting
• Want to be quoted as an expert in industry publications
• Building brand awareness through earned media

Core Principle

JOURNALISTS DON'T CARE ABOUT YOUR PRODUCT. They care about stories their readers want to read. Your job is to make THEIR job easier by giving them a ready-made story.

Workflow

Step 1: Find the Angle

Ask the user:

1. What's the news? (launch, milestone, data, trend, personal story)
2. Why should anyone care right now? (timeliness, relevance)
3. Who's the target publication/journalist type?
4. Do you have data, numbers, or a case study to support the story?
5. What's the visual element? (photos, infographic, demo)

Minimum needed: questions 1 and 2.

Step 2: Choose the Pitch Type

Step 3: Write the Pitch Email

Structure:

1. Subject line (under 60 chars, specific, not clickbait)
2. Opening line — Why THIS journalist, why NOW (personalized)
3. The hook — One sentence that makes them want to read more
4. The story — 3-4 sentences with the key details
5. The proof — Data, numbers, or credibility markers
6. The ask — What you're offering (interview, exclusive, data)
7. Sign-off — Contact info, availability

Total length: under 200 words.

Step 4: Write Follow-Up Sequence

• Follow-up 1 (3-5 days later): Quick bump with new angle or data point
• Follow-up 2 (7-10 days later): Final touch, offer exclusivity or new hook
• After follow-up 2: Move on. Don't stalk.

Examples

Example 1: Product Launch Pitch

Subject: Shopify app cuts abandoned carts by 34% (data inside)

Hi [Journalist Name],

I noticed your recent piece on e-commerce conversion trends — the stat about cart abandonment hitting 70% really resonated.

We just launched CartSave, a Shopify app that uses exit-intent messaging to recover abandoned carts. In our beta with 200 stores, it reduced cart abandonment by an average of 34% — without discounting.

The interesting angle: most recovery tools offer coupons, which trains customers to abandon carts on purpose. CartSave uses urgency and social proof instead (e.g., "12 people are looking at this right now"). Stores using it saw $47K in recovered revenue per month on average.

Happy to share the full data set, connect you with beta users for quotes, or do a quick interview.

Best, [Name] [Title], [Company] [Phone] | [Email]

Follow-up (Day 4):

Subject: Re: Shopify app cuts abandoned carts by 34%

Hi [Name] — quick follow-up on this. Since I emailed, we've also been featured in [Publication] and have a new case study from a store that recovered $12K in one week. Happy to share as an exclusive if you're interested. No worries if not!

Example 2: Expert Commentary Pitch

Subject: Quick quote on the pricing subscription fatigue trend?

Hi [Name],

I saw your article on subscription fatigue and wanted to offer a data point: 68% of our consulting clients reported customers pushing back on recurring pricing in the last quarter — up from 31% a year ago.

I'm [Name], a pricing strategist who works with DTC brands doing $1-10M in revenue. I've been tracking this shift closely and have some contrarian thoughts — specifically, the brands that are winning aren't lowering prices, they're unbundling.

Happy to share a quick quote or jump on a 10-minute call if you're doing a follow-up piece.

[Name] [Website] | [LinkedIn]

Recovery & Fallbacks

• User doesn't have a "newsworthy" story: Find the trend angle. Even mundane businesses have interesting data. "How our Etsy shop data predicts holiday spending" is more pitchable than "We sell candles."
• No journalist contacts: Target publications first, then find the specific reporter covering that beat via their recent articles.
• No response after 2 follow-ups: The pitch wasn't a fit. Don't take it personally. Rework the angle or try a different publication.
• User wants guaranteed coverage: Earned media has no guarantees. Set expectations: a 5-10% response rate on cold pitches is excellent.

Constraints

• NEVER send a press release as the first touchpoint — send a personalized pitch email
• Pitches must be under 200 words — journalists get 100+ pitches daily
• Always personalize the opening line (reference their recent work)
• Include specific data or numbers — vague pitches get deleted
• Never attach files to the first email — offer to send materials if interested
• Subject lines must be specific and factual, never "EXCITING NEWS" or "You won't believe"