Blogger outreach is the prime link-building method favored by many online marketers. But what makes a perfect pitch? What are editors looking for? How long do they want you to wait before you send them a follow-up message?
And what gets on their nerves so much that they reject a pitch flat-out?
Point Visible asked 80+ editors for their thoughts on how to write a perfect guest post pitch. In this article, we take a look at the results:
9 Out of 10 Pitches Aren’t Even Worth Reading
According to 20% of editors, they don’t even bother to read 90% of the pitches they receive. That’s how bad things can get. Knowing how to write a perfect guest post pitch is absolutely vital if you want to get your pitch read.
Editors Don’t Like It When You Follow Up Too Often
Sarah Mitchell, founder of Global Copy-writing, says that “following up more than once is a bad idea. All you do is irritate me and make me more determined not to work with you.”
Naturally, you’ll want to follow up at some point, as the editor might have innocently missed your pitch. While a small percentage of editors don’t mind if you follow up after a day or two, around half would prefer it if you waited a week.
If you still haven’t heard back, it’s best to just move on.
Almost 20% of Editors Will Read Every Single Article Sent To Them
But while 1 out of 5 editors will be kind enough to check every single article, 37% say they won’t read unsolicited articles, mainly due to a lack of time.
Even If Your Pitch Is Awesome, Your Article Still Might Not Be Published
There are numerous reasons why a guest article will be rejected, despite an awesome pitch. As John Zappe, editor of TLNT, puts it: “Great pitches and interesting topics guarantee nothing.”
Around 10% of editors reject the subsequent article because it’s too promotional, while 21% will reject it if it’s not a good fit. For example, the style of writing might be totally out of sync with the blog’s usual style.
Meanwhile, 23% of editors are exasperated by guest contributors who fail to follow their guidelines, while almost 40% reject articles due to low-quality content.
Most Editors Think Guest Content Could Be Better
When asked how satisfied they are with the guest content they receive, half of the editors said it’s generally “ok - but could be better.” In other words, there’s room for improvement almost 45% of the time.
Just around 14% of editors said most of the content they receive makes them “pretty satisfied,” while less of the 18% of editors are exhausted by poor content so much that it leaves them “severely disappointed.”
That means that 24%, meanwhile, are “not satisfied.”
How Editors Feel About Subject Lines
Subject lines are a big deal and can have a major impact on open rates. How do editors feel about them?
Around 55% of editors want contributors to keep it pretty simple by including a line like “GUEST POST PITCH” in the subject line.
On the other hand, 20% of editors love a clever subject line.
Only 2.7% say they’re suckers for click-bait, while 13% of editors will open every single email - regardless of subject line.
And how about including the title of the article in the subject line? Is that a good idea?
Almost 30% of editors say they dislike this approach, while 60% say it just depends on the topic.
41.3% of Editors Don’t Care If a Pitch Comes From a Personal Account
A question faced by businesses is: “Do we email from our business account or our personal account?”
As it turns out, over 40% of editors don’t care. Moreover, 44% of editors say they’ll gladly read an email from a personal account, while others say they’ll consider it if the pitch is good.
However, around 15% of editors won’t open emails from personal accounts.
Here’s What Can Land Your Emails In The Trash
No one wants their emails to end up in the trash. But if you make grammar mistakes, almost 80% of editors will dump your emails.
71% will do the same if it’s obvious that you’ve used a mass template, while poor email structure will see you fall foul of almost 60% of editors.
And while failing to introduce yourself might seem a bit of a minor issue, 27.5% of editors will trash you for it. Failing to mention your website, wrong niche and poor examples are more reasons your emails might get binned.
… And Here’s What Can Save You
Even if your email isn’t the best, exactly half of the editors say they’ll still consider you if your topics are super interesting to them.
Meanwhile, a beautifully written pitch makes 30% of editors smile, while excellent examples will put you in the good books of almost 45% of editors.
An engaging outline, meanwhile, will be enough to save your email with 58% of editors.
“Interesting Topic Suggestion” Is The Most Important Pitch Element
Lastly, Point Visible wanted to find out what the most important pitch element is to editors. Having an interesting topic suggestion came first, for obvious reasons (blogs are always on the lookout for new and unique topics to help position themselves as experts to their audience).
A highly personalized pitch came second, while having detailed topic descriptions and outlines came third.
To sum up the findings of the research, editors want you to be direct but personable. They want you to have a clear picture of what you want to write about, and they desperately want you to deliver the promises you’ve mentioned in your pitch. If you suggest a unique topic, make sure you can cover it to a high level.
And don’t overlook the guest post pitch guidelines. They’re there for a reason.
Author bio:
Antonija Bozickovic is an internet marketing specialist at Point Visible, a marketing agency providing link building and digital marketing services. She has a great interest in digital marketing and a soft spot for graphic design. She’s never tired of searching for new inspirations, listening to her favorite music and creating digital illustrations.
And what gets on their nerves so much that they reject a pitch flat-out?
Point Visible asked 80+ editors for their thoughts on how to write a perfect guest post pitch. In this article, we take a look at the results:
9 Out of 10 Pitches Aren’t Even Worth Reading
According to 20% of editors, they don’t even bother to read 90% of the pitches they receive. That’s how bad things can get. Knowing how to write a perfect guest post pitch is absolutely vital if you want to get your pitch read.
Editors Don’t Like It When You Follow Up Too Often
Sarah Mitchell, founder of Global Copy-writing, says that “following up more than once is a bad idea. All you do is irritate me and make me more determined not to work with you.”
Naturally, you’ll want to follow up at some point, as the editor might have innocently missed your pitch. While a small percentage of editors don’t mind if you follow up after a day or two, around half would prefer it if you waited a week.
If you still haven’t heard back, it’s best to just move on.
Almost 20% of Editors Will Read Every Single Article Sent To Them
But while 1 out of 5 editors will be kind enough to check every single article, 37% say they won’t read unsolicited articles, mainly due to a lack of time.
Even If Your Pitch Is Awesome, Your Article Still Might Not Be Published
There are numerous reasons why a guest article will be rejected, despite an awesome pitch. As John Zappe, editor of TLNT, puts it: “Great pitches and interesting topics guarantee nothing.”
Around 10% of editors reject the subsequent article because it’s too promotional, while 21% will reject it if it’s not a good fit. For example, the style of writing might be totally out of sync with the blog’s usual style.
Meanwhile, 23% of editors are exasperated by guest contributors who fail to follow their guidelines, while almost 40% reject articles due to low-quality content.
Most Editors Think Guest Content Could Be Better
When asked how satisfied they are with the guest content they receive, half of the editors said it’s generally “ok - but could be better.” In other words, there’s room for improvement almost 45% of the time.
Just around 14% of editors said most of the content they receive makes them “pretty satisfied,” while less of the 18% of editors are exhausted by poor content so much that it leaves them “severely disappointed.”
That means that 24%, meanwhile, are “not satisfied.”
How Editors Feel About Subject Lines
Subject lines are a big deal and can have a major impact on open rates. How do editors feel about them?
Around 55% of editors want contributors to keep it pretty simple by including a line like “GUEST POST PITCH” in the subject line.
On the other hand, 20% of editors love a clever subject line.
Only 2.7% say they’re suckers for click-bait, while 13% of editors will open every single email - regardless of subject line.
And how about including the title of the article in the subject line? Is that a good idea?
Almost 30% of editors say they dislike this approach, while 60% say it just depends on the topic.
41.3% of Editors Don’t Care If a Pitch Comes From a Personal Account
A question faced by businesses is: “Do we email from our business account or our personal account?”
As it turns out, over 40% of editors don’t care. Moreover, 44% of editors say they’ll gladly read an email from a personal account, while others say they’ll consider it if the pitch is good.
However, around 15% of editors won’t open emails from personal accounts.
Here’s What Can Land Your Emails In The Trash
No one wants their emails to end up in the trash. But if you make grammar mistakes, almost 80% of editors will dump your emails.
71% will do the same if it’s obvious that you’ve used a mass template, while poor email structure will see you fall foul of almost 60% of editors.
And while failing to introduce yourself might seem a bit of a minor issue, 27.5% of editors will trash you for it. Failing to mention your website, wrong niche and poor examples are more reasons your emails might get binned.
… And Here’s What Can Save You
Even if your email isn’t the best, exactly half of the editors say they’ll still consider you if your topics are super interesting to them.
Meanwhile, a beautifully written pitch makes 30% of editors smile, while excellent examples will put you in the good books of almost 45% of editors.
An engaging outline, meanwhile, will be enough to save your email with 58% of editors.
“Interesting Topic Suggestion” Is The Most Important Pitch Element
Lastly, Point Visible wanted to find out what the most important pitch element is to editors. Having an interesting topic suggestion came first, for obvious reasons (blogs are always on the lookout for new and unique topics to help position themselves as experts to their audience).
A highly personalized pitch came second, while having detailed topic descriptions and outlines came third.
To sum up the findings of the research, editors want you to be direct but personable. They want you to have a clear picture of what you want to write about, and they desperately want you to deliver the promises you’ve mentioned in your pitch. If you suggest a unique topic, make sure you can cover it to a high level.
And don’t overlook the guest post pitch guidelines. They’re there for a reason.
Author bio:
Antonija Bozickovic is an internet marketing specialist at Point Visible, a marketing agency providing link building and digital marketing services. She has a great interest in digital marketing and a soft spot for graphic design. She’s never tired of searching for new inspirations, listening to her favorite music and creating digital illustrations.
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