Half of the battle of pitching is getting a reporter to open your email. Now-a-days like many industries reporters are doing more with less. That means less time available, they need the information fast and efficiently. Before coming to Communiqué PR, I was a reporter at a small TV station and managing my inbox was a challenge. It is not uncommon to receive hundreds of emails in a day. I would scan my inbox and open messages that intrigued me, contained key words that I was interested in covering, had a personal touch or seemed to sell a sexy story.

As a PR professional now, I’ve used this experience to guide me while crafting subject lines. In addition, I came across an article from Ragan PR called, “Pitching a reporter: 7 tips for crafting irresistible subject lines” that offers good advice.

Consider the following tips next time you are tasked with putting together a pitch.

• Plug a previous story. By referencing a previous story that the reporter you are targeting has already covered not only demonstrates that you are pay attention to this reporters work, but increases the chance of the reporter opening your email. Ragan gives the example, “News tip per (Insert two to three words on story subject) story.” However, when using this tactic be cautious. Do not pitch an identical story to the one the reporter previously covered. Instead, work off of a relevant trend and ensure your pitch is adding additional depth or a new angle. Or, use the opportunity to connect with the reporter for future stories on the topic.
• Word trending. Pitches that stand out from the pack are those that are creative. Pay attention to what is happening in the word and play on those trends. Reporters will likely have key words top of mind that they are looking for when evaluating stories. For example, at the height of the recession, any story that included mention of how a business was booming or looking at the bottom line caught an editor’s attention. Ragan’s recommends TrendWatching.com as a resource for newsworthy trends. 
• Play on reporters’ beats. Pay attention to a particular column or segment that a writer repeatedly covers. If you call out a column such as: “Money Matters Tip: (include four to five words summarizing your pitch)” you show the reporter the pitch is meant for them.
• Wordplay. Have fun and be creative with keywords and create new ones. For example, combine baby boomer and entrepreneur to make boomerpreneur.
• Latest slang. There is always a new funny word to work with and the media is usually pretty hip to the lingo. For words like “blamestorming” or “Belieber,” Urban Dictionary and BuzzWhack can help you locate these words to insert into your subject line. Just make sure it is intentional and relates to your story. You do not want a reporter to feel deceived.
• Read headlines=Writer better subject lines. A great resource for improving subject lines is to read more headlines. Headlines have the same goal as a subject line. You want someone to read it and want to know more. Who knows, your crafty subject line could end up being the headline. For examples of good headlines read my previous blog post, How Headlines Shape Perception.
• Stay fresh.  Nobody likes the same old subject line. Once you create an eye-catching formula, make sure to update it and insert new ideas each time, especially if you are pitching the same reporter.

You want your headline to sum up your pitch in a few words and grab the reporter’s attention, so don’t make it an afterthought! Give subject lines as much thought and consideration as the body of the email. We often develop the subject line when crafting the pitch and include it in our internal review process, to get input from the team. It may seem like a lot given a subject line is only a few words, but if it doesn’t scream “open me!” the reporter may never see the strength of your story.