If your media pitches feel like they are not receiving the attention they deserve, they might have fallen victim to AI filtering systems. As a publicist, you are no longer competing for a journalist’s attention, but also the approval of AI.
As email platforms like Gmail and Outlook prioritize messages based on past engagement, sender reputation, and other factors, PR platforms like Cision and Muck Rack have integrated AI to help publicists refine their targeting. According to One Pitch, success is no longer driven by the number of pitches sent, but by pitching journalists who actively cover the topic/issue or have expressed interest in such. PR professionals must create a targeted media list to improve their sender reputation and improve visibility.
Reports indicate that “response rates jump from 1-3% to 10-15% or higher for well-executed AI-powered outreach.”
Another important factor has become timing. AI can now help identify when journalists are more likely to be receptive to a pitch, based on publishing patterns and other trends in their field of interest. This ability allows outreach to be strategic rather than reactive.
Perhaps most importantly, subject lines have become major determinants in AI-filtered pitching . Email systems are evaluating the relevance and reliability of a pitch before a journalist can even see it. Therefore, subject lines like “Press Release” or “Story Idea” are more likely to be overlooked than those tied to the journalist’s niche or that seem personalized.
All of which means PR professionals are no longer writing for journalists themselves but rather for the algorithms organizing their inboxes. While AI may have made media outreach easier, there are still factors to consider to ensure strong media relationships.
AI has not only made pitching easier, but also drafting pitches easier. However, journalists have echoed the sentiment that they can easily tell what is written by a person versus what is written by AI, as systems have started to trend towards homogeneity in their pitches to sound more professional.
This underscores the importance of tailoring your pitch to your audience and target media.
As the industry continues to grow and change, Maracaibo Media is here to help refine your pitches and tailor your media lists for the right audience. By staying current with the latest AI developments and media strategies, we can make sure your story lands in the right hands.
