How long should a PR pitch be?

Short — roughly 100 to 150 words, or about five short paragraphs a journalist can read on a phone. If it needs scrolling, cut it. The full data goes in the assets you offer, not in the email.

How many times should you follow up on a pitch?

Twice. Send the pitch, follow up after about three business days, follow up once more after another five, then stop. Two well-spaced follow-ups that add something new capture most of the replies you'll get without burning the relationship.

What makes a good PR pitch subject line?

A specific promise plus relevance to the journalist's beat, under about ten words, with no clickbait. Lead with the concrete hook or number so the value is visible before they open it.

How do you personalize a pitch to a journalist?

Reference a real, recent piece they wrote and explain why this specific story fits their readers — a local data cut, a trend their section owns. If you can't name a reason it fits them, they're the wrong target.

When should you stop following up on a pitch?

After two follow-ups with no reply. Silence after a well-spaced second follow-up means it isn't a fit right now. Close politely, keep the contact, and pitch them something better-matched later.

PR Pitch Template + Follow-Up Sequence

Q: What should a PR pitch include?

A subject line that promises a story, a one-line opener tied to the journalist's recent work, the news in one or two sentences, why it fits their readers, a clear ask, and a short credibility line with assets attached. Everything else is padding.

A PR pitch is a short, personalized email proposing a story to a specific journalist — the hook, why it fits their beat, and a clear ask. Use this template when you're pitching a real news angle to a targeted media list and want a structure that actually gets read. Below is a copy-paste pitch email plus a 3-touch follow-up sequence, with the timing that earns a reply.

The PR pitch template

A strong pitch has six moving parts: a subject line that promises a story, a one-line opener tied to the journalist's recent work, the news in one or two sentences, why it fits their readers, a clear ask, and a credibility line with assets. Fill every bracket with something specific to one journalist.

Subject: [concrete hook or number] for [their beat / section]

Hi [First name],

[One line tying to their recent work — e.g. "Your piece on [topic]
last week made the case that [angle]."]

[The news, in 1–2 sentences: what's happening and why now. Lead with
the one number, first, or named source that makes it a story — not
the background.]

I'm bringing it to [Outlet] because [specific reason it fits their
readers — a data cut about their city, a trend their section owns —
not "your audience would love this"].

Would you like [the clear ask — an early look at the data, an
interview with [spokesperson], or an exclusive if you run it by
[day]]?

[One line of credibility: who [company] is and why the source is
worth quoting.] I can send [assets — the full dataset, charts,
headshots, a spokesperson bio] straight over.

Thanks,
[Your name]
[Title, Company]
[Direct email / phone]

The 3-touch follow-up sequence

A single email rarely lands — the reply often comes after a follow-up. Plan three touches on a fixed cadence, where each follow-up adds something new instead of just chasing, then stop.

Touch 1 — the pitch (day 0)
Send the email above.

Touch 2 — +3 business days
Reply in the same thread. Add something, don't apply pressure: a
fresh data point, a related development, or a way to make it easier
("I can send this as a ready-to-run draft"). Two lines, max. Never
"just bumping this to the top of your inbox."

Touch 3 — +5 business days after Touch 2
Change the angle, not just the date. Reframe the hook for a different
story they may be working on, or add a reason to move now —
exclusivity, or a firm timing peg. Keep it shorter than Touch 2.

Then stop.
No reply after two follow-ups means it isn't a fit right now. Close
politely — "I'll leave this with you; happy to be a resource anytime"
— and keep the contact for a better-matched pitch later. Chasing a
third time costs you the relationship.

How to use the template

To use the template, fill every bracket with something specific to one journalist — never send the same brackets to your whole list. Work top to bottom:

Subject line: a specific promise plus relevance, under about ten words. "Youth padel signups doubled in Austin this spring — for your junior-sports beat" beats "Great story idea for you."
Opener: name a real piece they wrote recently. If you can't find one, they're probably the wrong target — go back to your media list.
Fit line: say why their readers, specifically. This is the sentence most pitches skip and most journalists notice.
Ask: make it a yes/no question with a single next step, not "let me know your thoughts."

Doing this for one journalist takes a few minutes. Doing it across a full list, every time, is the real job — which is why personalizing pitches at scale and the outreach workflow around it are where pitching quietly falls apart.

Writing the tailored version for every journalist and remembering to send each follow-up on the right day is exactly the operational load an AI PR agent like UnpromptedPR takes on — it can generate the personalized pitch per journalist and run the follow-up sequence on cadence, so the touches you planned actually go out and the earned coverage that drives AI visibility gets a chance to happen.

The PR pitch template

Subject: [concrete hook or number] for [their beat / section] Hi [First name], [One line tying to their recent work — e.g. "Your piece on [topic] last week made the case that [angle]."] [The news, in 1–2 sentences: what's happening and why now. Lead with the one number, first, or named source that makes it a story — not the background.] I'm bringing it to [Outlet] because [specific reason it fits their readers — a data cut about their city, a trend their section owns — not "your audience would love this"]. Would you like [the clear ask — an early look at the data, an interview with [spokesperson], or an exclusive if you run it by [day]]? [One line of credibility: who [company] is and why the source is worth quoting.] I can send [assets — the full dataset, charts, headshots, a spokesperson bio] straight over. Thanks, [Your name] [Title, Company] [Direct email / phone]

The 3-touch follow-up sequence

A single email rarely lands — the reply often comes after a follow-up. Plan three touches on a fixed cadence, where each follow-up adds something new instead of just chasing, then stop.

Touch 1 — the pitch (day 0) Send the email above. Touch 2 — +3 business days Reply in the same thread. Add something, don't apply pressure: a fresh data point, a related development, or a way to make it easier ("I can send this as a ready-to-run draft"). Two lines, max. Never "just bumping this to the top of your inbox." Touch 3 — +5 business days after Touch 2 Change the angle, not just the date. Reframe the hook for a different story they may be working on, or add a reason to move now — exclusivity, or a firm timing peg. Keep it shorter than Touch 2. Then stop. No reply after two follow-ups means it isn't a fit right now. Close politely — "I'll leave this with you; happy to be a resource anytime" — and keep the contact for a better-matched pitch later. Chasing a third time costs you the relationship.

How to use the template

To use the template, fill every bracket with something specific to one journalist — never send the same brackets to your whole list. Work top to bottom:

Subject line: a specific promise plus relevance, under about ten words. "Youth padel signups doubled in Austin this spring — for your junior-sports beat" beats "Great story idea for you."

Opener: name a real piece they wrote recently. If you can't find one, they're probably the wrong target — go back to your media list.

Fit line: say why their readers, specifically. This is the sentence most pitches skip and most journalists notice.

Ask: make it a yes/no question with a single next step, not "let me know your thoughts."