This is a guest post by Elizabeth Hanes, a freelance writer and a sponsored Ambassador for Seek or Shout.
As a freelance reporter covering health, caregiving, antiques, and other topics, I’m inundated each day with pitches from PR professionals who want me to incorporate their client’s product, service, expert, or angle into a story. Frequently I receive pitches right on target for my many beats, and I’m able to generate stories ideas that find their way into print. Or pixels.
But I also receive many off-topic pitches. For example, I don’t write product reviews yet it’s surprising how many pitches I receive to review products. And while I do write about health, I don’t cover pediatrics. However, I receive many off-target pitches each day regarding new products or services for children.
To say the least, my inbox gets cluttered. As I type this, I’m at “inbox 99.” I strive for “inbox zero,” but it rarely happens.
That’s why I’ve begun requesting PR professionals pitch me only at Seek or Shout. Receiving pitches exclusively at Seek or Shout gives me a more manageable environment to work in. My email inbox contains not only pitches but editor and source correspondence, discussion group digests, and of course hilarious forwards from well-meaning aunties. Wading through all of that to locate “that interesting pitch about a breakthrough in lung cancer treatment” gets tedious. At Seek or Shout, I can see all pitches easily. There’s no other correspondence to clutter the view.
Furthermore, I receive fewer off-target pitches via SOS due to my strategic use of interest tags. I didn’t tag ‘pediatrics,’ so I don’t see pitches for someone to review a new carseat design.
I’m looking forward to the day (and it’s coming!) when I can easily source all of my stories through Seek or Shout. Meanwhile, the simple joy of decluttering my inbox and seeing all my pitches in one place at SOS makes my day more efficient and less stressful. And that’s priceless when I’m on deadline.
