数字不会说谎（英）-28页_588kb

Summary of "NUMBERS DON'T LIE: What we learned from 5.2 million pitches"

Core Content

This document presents insights from analyzing 5.252 million pitches sent through Muck Rack's PRM platform between August 1, 2020, and July 31, 2021. The analysis focuses on identifying trends and best practices in media relations by examining open rates and clickthrough rates (CTRs) of pitches, with the goal of helping PR professionals optimize their outreach strategies.

Key Findings and Takeaways

1. Timing and Competition

• Day of the Week: Open rates and CTRs spike on Sundays, suggesting that pitching on less competitive days can yield better results than the typical Tuesday–Thursday approach.
• Month of the Year: The busiest times for pitches are from mid-November to the end of February, with a noticeable drop in engagement in March. This may be due to the impact of the pandemic on media activity.
• Avoiding High Competition: To stand out, consider timing major PR campaigns during less competitive seasons, such as late Spring, Summer, or early Fall, rather than during high-volume winter months.

2. Targeting and List Size

• Narrow Targeting Improves Engagement: Pitches sent to fewer recipients (especially individual journalists) had higher open rates and CTRs.
• List Size Impact: Sending a pitch to 100 recipients reduces open rates by ~33% and CTRs by ~50% compared to sending to one person.
• Personalization Matters: Mass blasts often come off as generic and are less effective. Personalized pitches, even if sent to many journalists, are more likely to engage.

3. Subject Line Best Practices

• Clarity Over Cleverness: The best subject lines are clear, direct, and newsy. Avoid overly clever or clickbait-style approaches.
• Word Count and Length: While the average subject line length is 10 words, many top-performing subject lines are longer, but still effective.
• Avoid Jargon: Use language that is relatable and straightforward, especially for end users. Avoid terms like "biometrics" unless the audience is familiar with them.
• Use of "New": The word "new" is the most common in top-performing subject lines, followed by "embargo" and "launch".
• Avoid "Embargo": Using the word "embargo" in subject lines can be misleading and ineffective. Instead, focus on teasing findings and inviting interest.
• Local Relevance: Including local context in subject lines increases engagement. For example, a pitch about Baltimore is more relevant than one about Seattle to a local journalist.

4. Clickthrough Rate Insights

• Content Value Drives CTR: The news value of the linked content is the primary factor in high CTRs. This includes timely, specific, and valuable resources.
• Pitch Length Doesn’t Affect CTR: There is no correlation between pitch length and CTR, but key links should be near the top to appear in the email preview pane.
• Assets Encourage Clicks: Including images, videos, and media kits in pitches increases the likelihood of journalists clicking through, regardless of where they are hosted.

5. Outlets and Distribution Trends

• Top-Pitched Outlets: The New York Times, CNBC, Refinery29, CNN, and InStyle are among the most frequently pitched to.
• Digital Newsletters: TheSkimm, goop, and FierceHealthcare are top-pitched digital newsletters, but they rank lower than traditional news outlets.
• Lifestyle Outlets Dominance: The dataset heavily favors lifestyle-focused media, with digital-native outlets outperforming older, more traditional ones in some categories.

6. Relationships and Personalization

• Relationships Influence Success: Strong relationships with journalists can significantly improve engagement, even without data-driven subject lines.
• Personalized Greetings: Starting with a friendly greeting like "Hope you're well!" is effective, especially for lifestyle journalists who may prefer a more conversational tone.

Key Takeaways

• Timing is critical: Send pitches on Sundays and avoid high-competition months.
• Target narrowly: Personalized, one-off pitches yield better results than mass blasts.
• Clarity trumps cleverness: Use clear, direct, and newsy subject lines.
• Include assets: Provide valuable resources to encourage clicks.
• Relationships matter: Cultivating relationships with journalists improves engagement.
• Avoid clickbait: Journalists generally do not respond well to overly sensational or teaser-style subject lines.

Conclusion

This analysis emphasizes that data-driven insights can guide effective PR strategies, highlighting the importance of timing, targeting, clarity, and relationship-building. While traditional email marketing may prioritize clickthrough rates, in media relations, coverage and journalist engagement are the primary goals. The results suggest that personalization and relevance are more impactful than flashy subject lines or mass distribution.