• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, December 15, 2016

To determine the value of PR “Pitches” from public relations professionals, Fractl surveyed 1,300 publishers, writers, and editors from online publications. The poll included a wide range of sites, including those in the business, news, health, travel, lifestyle, education, and technology verticals.

27% of respondents at top-tier sites say they find PR pitches valuable/completely valuable, and 52% say they find them slightly valuable. In the case of smaller sites, 38% of respondents say they find PR pitches valuable/completely valuable and 47% say they find them somewhat valuable.

Any journalist will report just how overfilled their inboxes have become in the past decade, says the report. Seeking the opinion of writers, editors, and contributors for some specific numbers, the study found that:

• 43% of top-tier publishers receive between five and 50 pitches per week, and 57% receive between 50 and 500 pitches per week
• At the same time, nearly seven out of 10 writers and editors only write one story at most per day
• While close to half of editors and writers have a turnaround time of just one to two days, almost a quarter have queue times longer than six days

But any PR professional will say that pitching isn’t easy. With so much content and such little demand for it, publishers have a distinct advantage in the relationship between public relations professionals and journalists, says the report. The survey reveals the worth of a pitch and some tips to help PR professionals increase the value of theirs.

While lower-tier sites are more likely to find PR pitches valuable or very valuable, most (nearly four out of five) top-tier publishers find that pitches have at least some value.

Overall, there’s a pretty good chance the pitch will at least be read. 45% of respondents revealed they often or always read pitches, while only 2% admitted they never even open the email.

Broken down by vertical, Lifestyle and Food writers and editors are most likely to always read your pitch, while Automotive and Finance writers and editors are least likely to read your pitch.

However, if your content falls into the latter categories, the same writers and editors also commented in on their pitching preferences, which will ultimately increase your odds of being seen and getting a reply. From properly timing your emails to forming the perfect pitch, the report provides some exclusive insights.

What Publishers Are Looking For

• Photos, mixed media, and videos are the most commonly published content formats by publishers in 2016
• Looking ahead, while all three are still content formats, publishers would like to see more of infographics, and data visualizations will see a higher rise in demand
• Infographics currently have the highest demand by publishers, says the report.

What Publishers Are Not Looking For

• A lack of research before pitching is one of the biggest mistakes media relations professionals can make, says the report. 80% of publishers say a pitch irrelevant to their beat is a common reason for declining a pitch
• Being too self-promotional or even too boring is a common reason for having your pitch turned down. 56% of publishers will decline an overly promotional pitch, while 48% will reject a boring one  

What Makes a Pitch Grab Their Attention?

• Timing: The best time of day to send pitches is early morning to noon, and the best time of the week is Monday through Wednesday
• Subject Lines: 66% of publishers agree that an email’s subject line is the most important factor for whether they open an email
• Email Length: More than half of writers and editors across all beats prefer pitches that are between 100 and 200 words

For additional information from Fractl, please visit this site.