Andrea Lehr, a promotions supervisor at Fractl, a creative digital agency specializing in high-quality content creation and placement explains how 500 publishers said they would like be contacted.

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This is a story
about a noise:value ratio
that has gotten out of whack.

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Editorial voices are outnumbered by public
relations professionals by almost 5:1

4. “Thanks for another great post!
I'm excited to see how this one is
received, as I think it was really
interesting and useful
information.”
– Managing Editor, Harvard Business Review
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“Many [PR professionals] have a
misunderstanding when it comes to the
difference between advertorial and guest
posts.” – Gigaom.com
“Too many submissions we get are
clearly just pitches for a company,
attempting to masquerade as thought
pieces, a press release dressed as a
guest post.” – TechCrunch.com
“Over time [guest blogging] has become
a more and more spammy practice.” –
Matt Cutts

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Our Research

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This Is Their Story

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"300-plus. No joke!"
- Reuters.com
"Too many to count, seriously."
- HuffingtonPost.com
"Wow - I have lost track.”
- USNews.com
"I mostly filter these or unsubscribe."
- Lifehacker.com
“It's CONSTANT! It's like they're rewarded for
pitching, not for landing pitches...”
- PopularMechanics.com
“Dozens. I've started filtering them so they are
automatically deleted.”
-FundRaisingCoach.com

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Although only 11% often write a story
based on content that was sent through
a pitch, 45% said sometimes, so there is
an opportunity for change.

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Your Strategy Lesson

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STOP spamming writers with
poorly matched assets. Instead,
collaborate on mutually
beneficial ideas.

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Your Networking Lesson

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64% of writers think it is of some
importance that you establish a
personal connection before pitching.

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Start writing sincere emails
to the best-fit person for your
campaign.

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Your Pitch Lesson

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88% of writers prefer a pitch be less
than 200 words. Check your word
count before sending.

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Test your subject lines in your inbox.
What stands out? The golden rule is
45-65 characters.

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Do your research.
Know the publication.
Be relevant.
Make it newsworthy.
Know my beat.
Don’t use all caps.
Be personal.
Be concise.
Don’t cold call.
Does it fit my beat?
Use spellcheck.
No giant attachments.
Don’t pitch on social media.
Know my audience.
Avoid phony friendliness.
Get my name right.
Avoid the fluff.
Tailor your subject lines.
Die in a fire.

38. Leverage The Science
Behind Great Content.
Research by Kelsey Libert, www.frac.tl
Read more about the research at http://research.frac.tl/pitching-
influencers