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Public Relations & Your Pitch | A "Dear John Letter" from Amber Naslund
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Often times, PR professionals forget that the people they're pitching also have jobs to do. Whether they're part of the media or a blogger you think is influential, you've got to respect them and their time.

It appears it's time for a recap. The most important rule of pitching:

Establish who will welcome your pitches. This requires calling around, doing some research online, and a lot of reading. As with most aspects of business, you need to know who your target audience is so as to have the best results. Spamming reporters is not the best way to get your pitches read; instead, do some homework and read what reporters write about so that you may have a better chance of sending them something they would want to print. Calling a publication can save you a lot of time and effort; simply ask who deals with your topic can make the pitching process easier and more pleasant for both parties.

(This rule of thumb can also apply to anyone marketing or pitching someone, like an interviewee. Know your audience for every pitch, every time.)

Wasting your time on a pitch that will be sent to the trash seems a little counterintuitive. As Amber makes clear in her Dear John letter, it appears there are still PR professionals out there pitching away like there's no tomorrow. That's called "spam". Don't get that confused with the delicious Hawaiian favorite; no, this kind of spam is unwanted, unwarranted, and unwelcomed emails that everyone gets. When you blindly select people to pitch without taking the time to do some very simple and basic research, you are contributing to the plethora of spam they already receive.

Here's a snippet of Amber's letter:

Dear PR folks,

I get bunches of pitches via email. I never really asked for them, but there they are. I understand. It’s the business you’re in.

They’re press releases, mostly, but sometimes a more personalized attempt at news or an event or a product promotion. Once in a while, I get a pitch that works or gets my attention. But by and large, I’m the wrong target for you.

You see, I don’t write about the kind of stuff you’re pitching. I don’t announce promotions, or analyze them, or talk about them. I don’t evaluate technology or applications. I don’t review products or talk about them much unless there’s a larger, more specific context that I’ve initiated. (altitude)

I imagine many bloggers and media individuals feel this way, so please, think before you pitch. I've been pitched a few times with very unrelated topics, to which I respond with some advice about future pitching. (I don't get much response from those, though. Weird.)

Do you get spam pitches? What are some tips you have to give PR professionals?