1.0BuzzStreamhttps://www.buzzstream.comStephen Panicohttps://www.buzzstream.com/blog/author/stephenpanico/rich600338<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="SWPCozgvky"><a href="https://www.buzzstream.com/blog/how-to-write-subject-lines/">The Art of Writing Subject Lines That Journalists Will Love</a></blockquote><iframe sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" src="https://www.buzzstream.com/blog/how-to-write-subject-lines/embed/#?secret=SWPCozgvky" width="600" height="338" title="“The Art of Writing Subject Lines That Journalists Will Love” — BuzzStream" data-secret="SWPCozgvky" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" class="wp-embedded-content"></iframe><script type="text/javascript"> /* <![CDATA[ */ /*! This file is auto-generated */ !function(d,l){"use strict";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&"undefined"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!/[^a-zA-Z0-9]/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),c=new RegExp("^https?:$","i"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display="none";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute("style"),"height"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):"link"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute("src")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener("message",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll("iframe.wp-embedded-content"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute("data-secret"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+="#?secret="+t,e.setAttribute("data-secret",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:"ready",secret:t},"*")},!1)))}(window,document); /* ]]> */ </script> https://www.buzzstream.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/default.png800670They may comprise a mere 9 to 13 words (which is the optimal length according to our recent subject line study), but these words hold plenty of power. As one of the only chances you have of getting your campaign seen by a journalist, subject lines are arguably the most important part of your media pitch. As a journalist, I’ve seen and deleted thousands of PR emails over the years. Many were trashed after reading just the subject line, others, after reading the introduction. I’ve encountered good, bad and outright awful attempts. As a Digital PR, I’ve probably produced all of the above. However, after four years in the industry and eight as a journalist and writer, I’d like to believe that I understand what makes a ‘good’ subject line. While there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach, given the diversity of campaigns, multiple factors go into making your subject line interesting and enticing to journalists. Some aspects will make them more likely to succeed. So, from relevancy and clarity to reframing your statistics and making them a little sexier, I’m going to talk you through: my dos and don’ts, what journalists have to say about subject lines, and some of the tips and tricks from others in the industry. Relevancy We’ll start with the most important aspect, which is crucial to your pitch standing a chance of getting picked up. In Cision’s State of The Media Report 2020, it found that a mere 1% of journalists surveyed said that they ‘consider 75%-100% of the pitches they receive as relevant’. This is commonly found among journalists I spoke to for this piece. When asked what percentage of pitches she receives are irrelevant, Freelance journalist Ella Delancey Jones reveals, “I would say a large majority, around 80-85%, are not relevant. Sometimes it’s that I’ve […]