Want Journalists To Read Your Emails? Then Never Put This in Your Subject
Increase your ROE - return on email spend.
I just got back from an epic trip to West Africa, haven’t recovered from jet lag yet, and I am on my way to San Diego to give a keynote at a conference. If you haven’t heard from me in a while, it’s because my days have been super packed traveling to 6 countries within the last month, and I can still feel my sea legs.
Thanks a million to Sydney Engel of We Are BMF for hosting me onboard Crystal Symphony, a luxurious cruise ship I have been wanting to sail on for a long time. Sydney was amazing to work with and really understood the unique demands of us journalists, our need for exploring different story ideas, and covering all the additional expenses that come along with hosted press trips. Journalists - you definitely want to work with her!
The cruise plus the extra few days I spent in Africa were just mind-blowing! Though I have already visited the continent a dozen times, I experienced some brand new destinations on this very unique sailing route from Cape Town to Accra. I climbed the highest sand dunes by 4x4 and saw thousands of seals in Walvis Bay, Namibia. In Angola, I drove into the vast expansive desert and learned about Welwitschia Mirabilis, a strange plant that lives for over 1,000 years in harsh dry environment. At the capital of Angola, Luanda, beautiful pink Portuguese forts and rotundas still stood like new, making it look like a European city. On the remote developing island country of Sao Tome and Principe, I visited Africa's first coffee and cacao plantations. I was most impressed by Benin, with its broad clean roads and beaches lined with palm trees, a brand new statue to honor the first female army, the Amazon, and the longest mural in Africa.
In Accra, my friend Debra Loew at Kensington Tours organized a dinner for me at the home of a chef/ historian. And the local community welcomed me so warmly that I felt I was getting married. BTW my Ghanian name is Naa Aru! Follow me on Instagram if you want to know the meaning.
How To Get Your Email To The “Reply” Folder
While on a press trip, I am mostly absorbing where I am, writing notes, taking photos and posting on social. Yes, I also need to sleep. I generally don’t have too much time to work, though I do scan through all my emails daily. I may not respond to each one right away so pardon my tardiness.
I have been talking about the elements of a good pitch, what’s the best time to send emails, how to get more journalists to come on press trips, and many other PR etiquettes in my previous Substacks, but as I was cleaning my inbox since my return, I realized that some folks were writing misleading email subject lines in order to catch my attention.
Here are a few examples:
“Media invite - you have been invited to cover this story. Press release attached.”
“We have approval - to share the pre opening press release for a soon to launch hotel.”
“Mother’s day escapes” Less than a month before mother’s day!
Hi there! Would you like to cover this new restaurant?
They certainly caught my attention, and I did read the emails, but was more annoyed by the mismatch of context vs subject line. As a result, I either unsubscribed or blocked these folks.
I know we are inundated with hundreds of emails each day and it is our primary way of communicating. So it would be great if we are a little more intentional to ensure we are not wasting our own time and producing results for our clients. If there’s anything you can take away today, adopt these 5 checkpoints before sending your next email and see how you get fast and effective results!
Personalize. Start with the receiver’s first name, make a relatable conversation (I saw you were just in Ghana), introduce or reintroduce yourself if we have worked together or met before.
Time it right. You may have a press trip invite or a press release you are dying to send out about your client. But if you take a moment to see that I am away on a trip right now, your email will probably get buried. And follow-ups will only clog the inbox. It’s better to draft your email and send it when the time is right. I do the same when emailing my editors.
Speaking of timing, if you pitch me randomly (Easter, Mother’s Day, etc) story ideas that I am not currently looking for, it’s also going to meet the delete button instantly. You can always send some generic story ideas, such as new trends or stories that could possibly be long leads.
Subscribe to journalists Substacks. It shows us that you WANT to work with us and have taken the time and effort to get to know us and understand our work style. Plus it gives you access to what’s on our mind and what are we working on.
As far as subject lines, don’t try to get creative with click baits. Be honest and specific. Offer details but don’t send the same press release to everyone. Don’t use all caps in the subject line. Don’t include images in the emails.
Surprisingly, I have found that I tend to work with PR folks who email me the least often. Because they only email me when they have something just for me, so I will always read and respond to them. It is so important to have a trusting relationship between journalist and PR than to mass email in the hopes of something sticking.
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Call for Pitches
I am looking for unique and new story ideas on the following topics. Most of these are already assigned by my editors, and if you have a strong relevant pitch, I can likely use it.
Please take a moment to read my Substack on pitching tips before sending me your email.
Hotels at major international hub airport that are worth extending a layover for. Not just a place to sleep.
What should you pack in your carry-on? Looking for cool, new and trendy travel related products to review.
Where/ how to experience luxury on a budget? Tips to save money on expensive destinations, and travel hacks.
For my monthly column in Khabar Magazine - South Asian (Indian) food trends, culinary products, recipe books, and human centric stories (in US only). No “authentic, elevated, inspired by grandma” cooking please!
For my monthly column in Georgia Trend Magazine, I am always looking for stellar restaurants (must be able to host), culinary festivals, products, trends, and human interest stories from around the state. Please read my past stories to get an idea.
Accepting Press Trips. I am interested in visiting Paris, Puglia, and Luxembourg on individual press trips during 2025. If you have clients interested in hosting, please reach out.
Travel Assistance Needed. I am heading to The Philippines in December and open to media hosted flights, stays, meals, tours, etc.
Travel The World With My Cat - Beato
I started writing ‘Beato Goes To’ children’s books to share stories about the kids I met in different countries who led unique lives. As seen through the eyes of my curious cat Beato these colorful picture books inspire kids to be curious, open minded and dream of traveling.