The Propel Gmail Plug-In allows you to pitch reporters and influencers directly from your Gmail inbox. All you need to do is download our Chrome extension and login to Propel.
Step 1 - Pitch
1) After installing the plug-in, you can start pitching by simply clicking on the Propel logo (next to the send button) in a compose new message window.
2) Then you will be asked to select a pitching initiative. You can either pick from the most frequently used or search for a pitching initiative by entering the pitching initiative or account name.
3) Then a pop-up will appear with all of the reporters on your media list. You can select which contacts you'd like to pitch now by clicking the checkbox next to their name. You can select as many contacts as you'd like.
4) If you select more than one recipient, each of the recipients will receive a separate email, which you can personalize by using Propel's mail merge feature. Do this by clicking on "Insert mail merge fields" and selecting the variable field you desire – options include first name, last name and publication name.
*NOTE: Mail merge does have one limitation - since we duplicate your message into different windows and send each separately - no attachments are allowed in the first email when pitching multiple contacts at the same time. If you want to attach a press release or media kit we recommend including a google drive or dropbox link instead.
Step 2 - Track
Now that you have pitched, the plug-in helps you track responses and organize all of your reporter interest in a clear way that helps you prevent opportunities falling through the cracks.
1) Click on the Propel folder in your Gmail inbox to see all of your ongoing communications with reporters. Here, you can filter by account, pitching initiative or status (sent, opened, responded, etc.). For example, you can easily see all of your pitches that were opened and not yet responded, in order to follow-up, or the ones that are awaiting materials or an interview in order to remind you to touch base.
2) Finally, every time you hear back from a reporter, you can update the story funnel status from the open mail thread itself.
You can also track and organize all of your reporter opportunities through the Propel Story Funnel in the web app.
I hope this tutorial helps! If you have any additional questions or want to schedule a 15 minute 1-on-1 training session, please reach out to me at idan@propelmypr.com
