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Responding to journalist requests can be an exciting but also a daunting task. There are so many things you must consider before sending off your pitch in response to a journalist. Journalists like receiving images in a particular way to make their life easy, so if you want to have the journalists on your side, make sure you know the top tips on how to respond to them. We have listed the top tips to set you on the right path to responding to those all-important journalist requests on Press Loft.
Read the request thoroughly
This seems like an obvious tip, but reading the request at least twice to make sure you have gathered all the information the journalist has stated is very important. You should normally have everything detailed in the request (type of images, deadline, subject, etc). Keep referring back to the request as you search for and download your images. Make sure you follow the journalist’s request to the letter so that you don’t bombard them with irrelevant information. If the journalist is looking for office chairs, don’t send tables! By sending irrelevant images, you might compromise your future chances of being featured.
If a request is not relevant, leave it
We know it’s hard to pass on a request, but if your images don’t exactly fit the request, don’t respond.
Again, if you receive a request asking for planters, for example, don’t respond saying you don’t have planters but you have sofas! There will be plenty of opportunities in the future for your brand, you just need to be patient and keep an eye on requests. At Press Loft, we receive hundreds of requests every month from top-tier publications to bloggers and influencers, so there is something for everyone.
How many images do I need to send?
The amount of images you need to send depends on the request and how many relevant products you have. Sometimes, journalists might specify in the request how many images they would like. The best thing to do is download some key images, five maximum is a good number and lets them know you also have lots more if they are interested. They will then respond if they are interested in more.
If you have lots of images relevant to a particular request, don’t get ahead of yourself and send the journalist hundreds, this will only confuse and frustrate them. Just select the best five and send that instead of sending lots. You can always let them know you have more and perhaps send a couple of additional links to the products.
Remember that journalists send the requests to the network of brands on Press Loft, this is not specifically sent to you. Keeping the number of images minimal and relevant will help you get noticed.
High-res and low-res images
Usually, journalists will state whether they want high-res images or low-res images to begin with. Make sure you follow their guidelines with this. If journalists request high-res images we don’t recommend sending more than five images, as the high-res will clog up their emails. If they request low-res images, then you could send a few more (a maximum of ten). If the journalist doesn’t state whether they would like high-res or low-res, assume they are looking for low-res suggestions to begin with and will get back to you if they want your images in high-res. Remember, don’t get carried away by sending too much, if you do have lots to showcase, tell the journalist this and send them a link to more images.
Continuous requests
Press Loft has a continuous request section, this is where journalists submit a request that they may be working on monthly for the next year for example, or just to indicate that they are open to collaborate and open for suggestions.
It is important to consider that with continuous requests, journalists receive lots of pitches for this, so again, make sure you don’t send them images that don’t fit with their publication and style and make sure you don’t send more than five images. If you see that the publication is a bathroom magazine, no need to send them suggestions about kitchen accessories.
Once you have made your pitch, wait on a response from the journalist. If they don’t respond then they will not be needing your images for that feature.
What should I include in my response?
Writing a personalised email to a journalist can help. Make sure you are friendly and informative. Your subject line should have what they are asking for and the body of your email should state if you have attached high-res or low-res and why you think the products fit into their request. You should then finish the email by saying that you are happy to help with further information if they should need it.
Top Tip! We hear the same feedback from journalists time and time again, having the prices on your images is key for journalists to access all information in one go!
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