Lizzy Green
7 October 2026
Why the Follow-Up Email Is One of Digital PR's Most Underrated Strategies
In Digital PR, hours are spent crafting the perfect outreach email, from refining the hook, sharpening the subject line, and making sure every detail is just right. But there's another step that's just as important and often overlooked – the humble follow-up.
Follow-ups can often be an afterthought, a quick "just following up on this", but done right, a follow-up email isn't just a nudge. It's a second pitch, and it can be the difference between securing coverage or being ignored.
With journalists receiving hundreds of emails a day, even a strong first email can go unseen. That doesn't mean the story is dead; it means the follow-up is a second chance, and one that deserves just as much thought and effort as the original pitch.
Why Journalists Might Ignore the First Email
A lack of response doesn’t mean a pitch has fallen flat. There are plenty of reasons a journalist might not reply:
Timing – the email landed during peak inbox hours and got missed
The subject line didn't resonate – not because the story is bad, but because it didn't make them want to click
They meant to come back – and simply forgot
It wasn't relevant that day – but it could be perfectly timed now
This is exactly why a second pitch matters.
Treat It Like a New Pitch, Not a Chaser
The biggest mistake PRs make with follow-ups is treating them like a formality. A great follow-up should feel like a fresh pitch, not a chaser. That means rethinking every element:
Tell the story differently – the follow-up is a chance to reframe the angle. Lead with a different aspect of the story. A new hook can make a familiar pitch feel new.
Give them more details – pull out key data points or lead with a specific tip. Give the journalist something they might not have seen before and make it easy for them to see the story.
Give them a "why now" hook – has anything changed since the first email? A news moment, a trending conversation, or a seasonal hook can show the journalist why this story is relevant today.
Don't Send the Same Subject Line Twice
If the first email didn't get opened, repeating the same subject line is a wasted email, as it doesn’t give the journalist a new reason to click. The follow-up is a second chance to tell the story differently, so use it. Pull out a different hook, lead with a new angle, or include a key stat to make it feel genuinely fresh in their inbox.
The data backs this up. In our own emails, follow-ups with the same subject line had a 13% lower open rate vs. follow-ups with a changed subject line, matching the open rate of the original pitch. That's a significant difference, and not one worth ignoring.
Beyond open rates, follow-ups are also a valuable A/B testing opportunity, with every email a chance to see what subject line resonates with journalists. Those insights build a clearer picture of what makes a journalist open an email, and that knowledge can sharpen every pitch you send after it.
Follow-Up Etiquette
Getting the follow-up right isn't just about the content; it's about the execution. Even the best second pitch can backfire if the timing is off or the approach feels pushy. Two things that are just as important as the pitch itself:
Follow up once – anymore than this risks damaging the relationship. If the story hasn't landed second time around, it’s time to move on. Journalists remember who respects their inbox and who doesn't, and that reputation matters for every pitch sent in the future.
Wait 2–3 days – this is the sweet spot. Long enough for the journalist to resurface from the inbox chaos, short enough that the original email is still in recent memory.
The Humble Follow-Up Deserves More Respect
The follow-up email has a reputation problem. It's seen as the awkward second message, but that's only true when it's done badly. When real thought goes into it, reframing the story, shifting the angle, and giving journalists something new to work with, your follow-up stops being a formality and starts being one of the strongest tactics in a PR team’s toolkit.
So next time you're working on your outreach emails, don't leave the follow-up as an afterthought. Plan it from the start, treat it as its own pitch, and give it the same care you gave the original. Because sometimes it's the second email that actually lands!
This post was written by Lizzy Green, Digital PR Strategy Lead at Wolfenden.
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