Most PR pros slug it out with hundreds of other people every week to get noticed in our target influencers’ email inboxes.
Even though this is their most competitive real estate, PR people keep doing it because that’s what they’re used to and that’s what influencers have come to expect.
It’s like a “PR person mosh pit” that goes from bad to worse. You end up getting “bruised and bloodied” with weakened chances of success.
If you want superior results, you must have a superior plan to create those results. And one part of that plan is to show up DIFFERENT. The “least-crowded inbox” strategy is one way to do it.
Step back and scope out a different channel, one where there is less competition. Not every time, but enough to stand out so the influencer starts opening your emails later.
Here are some examples:
– A handwritten note referencing a recent piece and offering some additional value
– Posting a comment, not on the journalist’s primary article, but on his/her post on a less-trafficked blog or video channel
– Believe it or not, the phone is now a less-crowded channel, esp. on Friday afternoons
I shared this concept in more detail in a webinar I did, and a few weeks later I got an old-fashioned letter in the mail. It was from Lia Giachino, a sharp NYC agency pro who wrote that she wanted to reach me via my “least-crowded inbox.” Sure enough, hers was the only letter I got that day :).
Lia also shared that she had used the principles she learned in the webinar to land a feature story for one of her clients on MarketWatch and the Wall Street Journal.
“I am always on the hunt for ways to improve my skills and your webinar has gone above and beyond. Since watching it I’ve seen a huge jump in my HARO responses and received very positive feedback from journalists thanking me for tailored pitches,” she wrote.
This “least-crowded inbox” strategy is a simple thing that 99% of your competition (except Lia!) will never do.
People want to believe that success is made up of silver bullets or “big breaks.” It's not. It is made up of doing simple things 99% of people won't do.
Lia has gone on to use her track record of pitching success to transition to a new job with a 20 percent raise. She deserves all the credit for seeking continuous improvement and taking action to implement what she’s learned.
And now I want to help you get pitching results like Lia's through my special offer below.