Communications, public relations, and marketing messaging can be both proactive and reactive, which may be why they seem so pervasive. Add to that the onslaught of news and other content coming in through your news apps, email newsletters, social media streams, your work and personal email communications, and RSS reader — and you have fatigue from information overload!
What is information overload?
Information overload occurs when you try to consume too much knowledge or data at once. It happens when you try to absorb more information than is humanly possible. Information overload (aka ‘infoxication’) overwhelms the brain, negatively affecting decision-making and creating confusion. It can also contribute to burnout and information anxiety.
Seth Godin wrote and has famously been quoted, “Once you overload the user, you train them not to pay attention. More clutter isn’t free. In fact, more clutter is a permanent shift, a desensitization to all the information, not just the last bit.” Godin wrote this in 2010, but it may be even more true today.
Media relations and PR pros must heed Godin’s advice or suffer the consequences of being ignored, or worse, getting blocked by a journalist when trying to pitch them.
Media usage and overload
We stopped having to search out the news about 10 years ago; it finds us wherever we are. A 2014 study on media usage and ad exposure revealed a typical adult’s daily media consumption was nearly 10 hours. (The latest studies show slightly lower numbers, but it’s difficult to find reliable statistics.)
In addition, Zippia reports that the average American is exposed to 4,000-10,000 ads per day for each person – nearly double what the average person saw in 2007. It’s no wonder we so often feel overwhelmed.
And that’s the “average” person. Imagine how journalists and bloggers must feel. Journalists already have to juggle and master information management – especially when you consider that many are receiving over 100 pitches a day.
Avoid overwhelming (or underwhelming) journalists
As the media landscape continues to evolve, many newsrooms have shuttered or experienced recent layoffs, and journalists are finding that they are handling multiple beats (subjects) and are wearing other hats beyond that of traditional journalists.
Today’s journalists face job instability through layoffs, closures, and furloughs. Those who are left must do the work of laid-off staff (often with no additional compensation). Like many communicators, journalists are adapting to new technology and formats. And, in recent years, unfortunately, they’ve had to contend with intimidation, harassment, disinformation claims, and even physical threats. According to the latest UNESCO-ICFJ survey, a quarter of respondents reported experiencing mental health impacts due to all the above.
It is not an option to stop issuing press releases or pitching the media, so how do you keep yours from being lost in the thicket of information and exacerbating journalists’ information overload fatigue? Here are six best practices to follow.
- Lead with the hook, hook with the lede. The lede (first sentence or “hook”) should be clear and concise. The news in both your pitch and press release must be obvious. You have only a few seconds; the longer you make your point, the higher the chance you’ve lost the reader.
- Craft the perfect headline/subject line. The headline should clearly describe what your press release is about while including keywords (for search engine optimization). Try to get it down to 6-12 words or less (about 55 characters), keeping in mind that Google’s search results only display the first 63 characters, according to award-winning writing coach Ann Wylie. If you’re not an SEO expert, you might try an online headline analyzer like one of these.
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And your email pitch subject line is every bit as important as the release headline—perhaps even more so. Try to get it down to 9-10 words or less (about 50 characters).
Although some suggest that 12-14 words are okay, the last several words will be truncated when the recipient previews their email. On mobile devices, anything over 40 characters may not be visible. Personalize the pitch by using your media outreach research. Say only enough to pique the journalists’ interest and get them to open the email.Do not use misleading (clickbait) subjects — you don’t want to get sent to the dreaded spam folder. Remember that proper DMARC configuring plays a crucial role in ensuring your legitimate emails avoid being labeled as spam, safeguarding your email deliverability and sender reputation. - Watch word counts. You may be surprised to note that the average word count for winning emailed media pitches is about 200 words. Try to make your pitch in 100-200 words. The press release should not tell the whole story but rather the gist of what their readers or viewers need to know — in 500 words or less.
- Timing is everything. Especially now that there are about six PR pros to every journalist, and all are vying for key media’s (limited) attention. The content should be relevant and fresh – not too far past and not too far into the future. Avoid major event coverage times (like political elections, major sports championships, popular holidays, or other high-profile occurrences) when sending the pitch.
- Research and target distribution. In this post, I won’t go into detail about why this is so important. You can check out my article, How to Create a Targeted Media List. Regardless, there’s no excuse for lazy pitching—spamming hundreds of journalists on the off chance someone might bite. The old tactic of “spray and pray” is simply unacceptable.
- Forget the fluff. Be sure your story is newsworthy. State facts – products, services, events, people, projects. Avoid industry jargon or specialized technical terms. Write simply.
Although some suggest that 12-14 words are okay, the last several words will be truncated when the recipient previews their email. On mobile devices, anything over 40 characters may not be visible. Personalize the pitch by using your media outreach research. Say only enough to pique the journalists’ interest and get them to open the email.Do not use misleading (clickbait) subjects — you don’t want to get sent to the dreaded A bonus tip for emailing media pitches is not to attach press releases or images to your email pitch. Opt to embed them or, even better, include a hyperlink to the release or photo gallery or use a creative collage maker online. Doing so will help keep you on the right side of the spam filter.
Related read: Media Relations in 2023: What Journalists Have to Say
Conclusion
Journalists, like media relations and public relations professionals, face the challenge of information overload in today’s saturated communication landscape. It is crucial to adopt effective strategies to avoid being ignored or lost amidst the abundance of content.
Strategies include crafting attention-grabbing headlines and subject lines, delivering clear and concise hooks, keeping pitches and press releases concise, considering timing for optimal relevance, conducting thorough research, and avoiding excessive fluff. Additionally, avoiding attachments and utilizing hyperlinks or embedded content in email pitches can help bypass spam filters.
By implementing these best practices, you can enhance your chances of capturing journalists’ attention and attaining the ultimate media relations prize – earned media.
In addition to comprehensive media monitoring services, Burrelles offers access to an immense global database of print, online, and broadcast journalists, influencers, bloggers, freelancers and analysts. Contact us to learn more or to request a live demonstration.
Editor’s Note: A version of this story appeared on Fresh Ideas in June 2019 and was updated in July 2023 with new and additional information.