Common AI Pitch Mistakes That End Up in Spam

 

 It feels like this perfect shortcut right? You just open ChatGPT or Claude, toss in a prompt, and boom some polished media pitch appears like magic in seconds.

But yeah there is a catch and it is getting harder to ignore. Journalists are basically developing this sixth sense for AI written stuff. And honestly they are tired of it. Their inboxes are already packed every morning with these cold robotic hi here is my revolutionary groundbreaking disruptive thing emails that all kind of blur together.

The biggest mistake people make is treating AI like it replaces the actual work instead of just being a starting point. Reporters go through hundreds of pitches a week. So when something shows up that feels too clean, too structured, too template-y, it instantly gets side-eyed or just deleted. A lot of AI tools also fall into repeating the same patterns and phrasing so if you rely on it too heavily you are basically handing them something that screams spam folder me.

And yeah journalists really do not have patience for corporate fluff. Words like revolutionary, game-changing, groundbreaking, AI loves that stuff. But real people barely talk like that unless they are writing a press coverage nobody reads. Reporters notice it immediately.

What actually works better is way simpler. Short, clear, human. Not trying to sound like a marketing machine. Just say what it is, why it matters, and get to the point without dressing it up too much.

Also blasting the same AI generated pitch to like 50 journalists? Pretty much useless. You are better off picking maybe five who actually cover your space. You can still use AI to research them or understand what they write about, but dont outsource the actual message. That part needs to feel like you actually paid attention. Even just referencing one of their articles or explaining why it connects to their audience goes a long way something an AI cannot really fake convincingly.

And before sending anything, read it out loud. Seriously. If it sounds weird coming out of your mouth, or too stiff, or like something nobody would naturally say in a conversation, then it probably needs another pass. AI helps you move fast, but it does not really feel anything. You still have to add that part. Otherwise it just ends up sounding like every other ignored pitch sitting in a journalists inbox.