PR pros keep sending this email — here’s why it will never work

I see it in my inbox almost every day, and it's an instant delete.

It’s not aggressive. It’s not rude. It’s not inappropriate. In fact, it’s usually warm, upbeat, and full of that sunny PR optimism.

The sender introduces themselves (or sometimes skips that part, assuming we’ve met — or that I should remember them from a press release blast six months ago). They mention the changing season — maybe we’re heading into fall, or gift guide season, or back-to-school. The email feels harmless at first. Courteous, even. It’s trying to keep the door open.

But I can tell within the first three seconds that this message isn’t going anywhere. It will not be saved or flagged. It won’t make it into my pitches or even into my consciousness. And it’s definitely not getting your client in any future story.

Why? Because it commits one of the most common and frustrating sins in media outreach — the kind I wish more publicists would stop making. So what is it?

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