12+ outreach & PR email templates (that get replies & results)

Email pitching and outreach can be daunting. You're essentially asking a stranger to do you a favor despite knowing nothing about you, your brand, or the story you're trying to pitch.

That is, if you're doing it wrong.

There is a right way and a wrong way to conduct PR outreach. We will discuss techniques for improving response rates, gaining coverage, and building strong media relationships.

Not all PR outreach emails are the same. In fact, there are quite a few different types of PR emails you could send to your beloved journalist contacts, potential collaborators, and media outlets.

Let’s review a few of them:

As a PR pro, many of your emails (at least early in your career) will likely be simple cold outreach emails to journalists, media outlets, and other marketing professionals and brands in your space.

Ideally, you'll have some sort of pre-existing relationship with your recipient, whether this is a social media interaction, a meeting at a conference, or some other introduction. However, a cold email pitch will sometimes have to do.

To succeed with the cold emails, make sure they are as personalized as you can possibly manage without being weird. Do a little precursory Google search to check that your recipient's contact details are accurate and up-to-date. Few things are more frustrating for journalists than getting irrelevant pitches based on outdated information purchased from some media database.

If you're keen on doing a bit of influencer marketing, you'll likely be sending out a number of email outreach pitches to popular influencers or industry leaders in your niche.

Most of these types of email pitches will start with finding the recipient's contact information on their social media. The recipient usually has some sort of system in place to review collaboration opportunities. 

Pro tip: A compelling headline can help you stand out and make your email more attractive to potential influencers.

Product launch outreach emails can be tricky because you need to draft your email in a way that makes it clear that you're not just pitching an advertisement, but that your product or event can actually benefit the journalist in some way.

What does this mean? Well, say you work for an outdoor sports equipment store, and your brand is releasing a new sleeping bag line. You'd like to get the sleeping bag featured in relevant outdoorsy publications.

You'll need to craft your email to make it clear that this new sleeping bag isn’t just any old sleeping bag. It is, in fact, different and unique in ways that differentiate it from the competition. And the coolness and uniqueness of the sleeping bag will make your new journalist friend’s life easier by helping them write whatever outdoor equipment product piece they’re (possibly) writing.

So, how do you make your product seem super cool and amazing? No clue, that’s your problem!

If your brand has an infographic, research, or content that could benefit another brand's blog or website, or if you'd like to guest post, you should send a link-building email.

Unfortunately, the line between "offering to do content creation or provide value to another brand" and "being a pushy and demanding link vampire" is pretty thin, so do this type of link-building effort email carefully!

A well-crafted follow-up email can be a great way to ping a potential journalist or collaborator. Just be mindful of following up tactfully, as it can (and let’s be often, does) come across as pushy.

This is just the start. There are many more types of emails you can send for your outreach efforts. 

Check out the following templates for more ideas!

Email pitching is as much art as it is science. For all of these templates, be sure to add your own spin, personality, key details, and compelling narrative before hitting "send."

A word of warning: these are not good templates.

Why? Because using templates as-is is a generally bad idea. These are simply a starting point for getting words down on the page, but you should not use templates for your initial emails to journalists.

It's sort of like how you should not purchase outdated email lists and pass them off as a genuine PR strategy if you want your brand to be taken seriously.

Pitching with generic emails or (god forbid) using ChatGPT to do your pitching are some of the biggest mistakes most public relations folks make when sending cold pitches, so don't do that.

Be a human and build a genuine connection if you want results and want to increase your reply rate. Go crazy and copy all the templates you want, but if you send them as-is, you likely won't get great results.

Remember, a good PR email should be:

• Short
• To the point
• Valuable to the recipient
• Not pushy or annoying

And every pitch email should include:

• Who you are (if they don't know)
• What agency/brand/company you represent or who you're emailing on behalf of
• What you want, without being vague or manipulative
• What you plan to offer in return

Now that the lecture is out of the way, let's go template crazy.

This is a general, generic outreach request. It can be heavily customized to fit your needs.

Email subject: Reaching out about a story that would benefit your readers
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​Hi there!
​​
​My name is [name], and I represent [brand]. We specialize in [niche], and our newest [product launch, event, line] would be an excellent fit for your publication.
​​
​I'm positive this news will be valuable for your audience because [justification based on value].
​​
​Please check out the press release [insert link here] for more details, high-quality images, and answers to frequently asked questions.
​​
​Reach out if you have any questions or need clarification.
​​
​Thank you!
​[name]
​[email signature]

Influencer marketing is a 21 billion-dollar industry, and it's not going anywhere anytime soon. This pitch is a great place to start if you'd like to take a crack at it.

Email subject: Collaboration offer
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​Hi there!
​​
​My name is [name], and I represent [brand]. We're a [type of brand] in the [niche] space, and we love your content!
​​
​Our brand would be an excellent fit for your audience, and we'd love to propose a potential collaboration.
​​
​[insert specifics about posts, payments, dates, blog posts, and types of content]
​​
​Reach out if you have any questions. I'm excited about a possible future collaboration!
​​
​Thank you!
​[name]
​[email signature]

If your brand is launching a new product, you'll likely want to get featured on those coveted product roundups or by a professional reviewer. This email can get your product (or service) into the hands of movers and shakers in the niche.

Keep in mind that there's probably an already-established form or process for high-profile reviewers, so use that before sending the ol' cold pitch.

Email subject: New product for review from [brand name]
​​
​Hi there!
​​
​My name is [name] and I represent [brand]. I'm sending you a quick email to let you know about a new product we're releasing that might be a great fit for the publication(s) you write for!
​​
​We'd love to send you a sample of the product at no cost so you can develop an unbiased opinion.
​​
​Please let me know if there are future opportunities for us to collaborate, as our content often aligns.
​​
​Reach out if you have any questions or need clarification.
​​
​Thank you!
​[name]
​[email signature]

If you have an upcoming industry event or networking opportunity, you can use this email to get the news out there. You can do this on a one-on-one basis for the recipient or use it as an opportunity to let journalists know so they can share the event with their audiences.

Either way, make sure to clearly outline what the event invitation is for, who is invited, and all the necessary details about attending the event.

Subject line: Upcoming event of interest to your readers
​​
​Hi there!
​​
​My name is [name] and I'm with [brand]. We're a [type of brand] in the [niche] space, and we're hosting an event that you and your readers may find to be worth attending.
​​
​[Information about the event, dates, cost, target audience, and other key details]
​​
​We would be honored by your attendance and would love for your audience to know about the event as well.
​​
​Reach out if you have any questions or need clarification.
​​
​Thank you!
​[name]
​[email signature]

More information on how to write a press release for an event →

A "broken link" email is a popular outreach strategy that involves finding broken links and encouraging the publication to replace the dead link with a credible publication link. However, this only works if you have a relevant replacement source.

Hello [name]!
​​
​Apologies for the unsolicited email, but I wanted to let you know that I observed that you have a broken/outdated/dead link on your page!
​​
​As we know, broken links are a bummer for SEO, so I wanted to offer an alternative source.
​​
​We have a great resource that you could use in its place: [insert link]
​​
​No worries if not, just wanted to let you know!
​​
​Thank you,
​[name]

A guest post is a great way to promote your brand, build industry connections, and earn a cheeky backlink or two. It can also be a mutually beneficial experience for both you and your email recipient: They get some great content and an SEO boost, and you get a byline.

Many websites with some sort of blog will have a guest blog procedure outlined on their website, but in the event that they don't, try out this template.

Hi there!
​​
​My name is [name], and I'm a writer over at [publication] in the [niche] field. Here are a few of my sample articles:
​​
​[link to credible publication]
​​
​[link to reputable publication]
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​I've been reading through your blog, and I'd love to provide some high-quality content in the form of [guest post idea or other content type you're willing to provide].
​​
​Please let me know if you're accepting guest posts! I'm looking forward to hearing back.
​​
​Thank you,
​[name]

Be very careful and judicious when sending follow-up emails. Statistically speaking, 99.9% of follow-up emails are annoying, and there was a reason they didn't respond to you in the first place.

If you think you are part of the point .1% of email writers who have a legitimate reason to follow up, then give it a go. But don't be surprised if your reply rate isn't great.

Hello again!
​​
​Sorry to be a bother, but I wanted to follow up on my last email and see if it got lost in the shuffle.
​​
​I previously reached out about [summary of last email].
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​I'd love to connect with you about this. If not, all good!
​​
​Thank you,
​[name]

More on how to follow up on your pitch email in this video:

Send this email if you have an idea for a story that may benefit a journalist or their publication. This could be related to the work that you do or just a general story idea you'd like to collaborate on.

Be sure to include plenty of information and justification for why you're reaching out so it doesn't seem like you're saying, "Here's an idea! Go do a bunch of work."

Keep in mind that part of building relationships with journalists lies in providing value, and you can do this by giving them awesome content ideas that make their lives easier.

Hello [journalist's name]!
​​
​I'm a fan of your writing, and I have read a number of pieces you've written on [ relevant publications].
​​
​I have a compelling story that would be popular with your target audience, and I wanted to pitch a collaboration based on my expertise in the niche through working with [brand].
​​
​[insert the pitch idea]
​​
​Please let me know if this is something you'd be interested in!
​​
​Thank you!
​[name]

Not every email you send as a public relationship professional should be trying to elicit things from other people. Sometimes, you should simply reach out because you appreciate someone's content, learned something from their social media presence, or agree/enjoy a bit of content they created. This is a fantastic way to put the "relationship" in public relations.

Hello [name]!
​​
​I wanted to reach out and say I loved your piece on [topic] on [publication]. I particularly enjoyed the part where you discussed [biggest takeaway] and enjoyed how you [other things you enjoyed about the topic].
​​
​Anyhow, I wanted to drop you a line and say your article was excellent!
​​
​Cheers,
​[name]

Similar to the "friendly outreach email," this template is simply for building relationships with journalists, business owners, and other industry insiders.

Good [morning/evening],
​​
​I saw you recently [received a promotion, switched jobs, started a business]! Congratulations on your new endeavors.
​​
​While we haven't worked together before, I look forward to collaborating in the future if the opportunity arises!
​​
​Congrats again,
​[name]

If you or someone in your agency would be a fabulous guest on an existing podcast or YouTube series, use this template to pitch them (or yourself) as a guest.

Hello!
​​
​My name is [name], and I'm emailing on behalf of [name], the [title] of [brand].
​​
​I think they would be an excellent guest on your podcast because of [justification].
​​
​We're a big fan of your podcast. My personal favorite episode is [episode title] because [reason why you like it (don't be fake)].
​​
​I'd love to discuss the possibility of having [name] on as a guest! They're subject matter experts in [niche], and I'm positive your listeners would find the interview engaging.
​​
​Thank you!
​[name]

If you'd like to interview someone for your blog, YouTube series, podcast, or social media platform, use this template to reach out and gauge their interest. 

Hi there,
​​
​My name is [name] and I help run [the platform]. We're always looking for fascinating people in [niche] and think you'd be a great fit!
​​
​Please let me know if we can discuss this in further detail.
​​
​We're considering a timeframe of [timeframe details], and I'd love to know if that works for you.
​​
​Thank you!
​[name]

Emailing is a huge part of the average public relations professional's job. Make it easier with Prezly.

Prezly is an all-in-one tool that helps you create professionally-branded newsrooms, track coverage and analytics, and send personalized email pitches from one collaborative software.

See if Prezly might be a good fit for your team with our free 14-day trial (no credit card required).

There is so much software for PR agencies, like Prezly, that can make your PR life easier. Use these useful PR tools to help you with your day-to-day work, but be careful when using templates, generative AI, and other shortcut tools when building media relations.

If you're using a shortcut, so are hundreds (or thousands) of others. Journalists tire of reading the same generic stock pitch. Stand out from the crowd by taking the time to really build those relationships. Grab a template, but make it your own.