When journalists and podcast hosts reply to your outreach emails, PodPitch automatically reads and understands their responses. Our system pulls out over 20 important details from every reply, helping you know exactly what to do next.
Here's everything we track for you:
How They Responded to Your Pitch
Overall Response Type
We classify every reply into one of five main categories to help you quickly understand the outcome:
Positive - They're interested and want to move forward
Negative - They've declined your pitch completely
Needs More Information - They might be interested but need additional details first
Out of Office - They're temporarily away and will respond later
Technical Issue - There was a problem delivering your email
Examples:
"We'd love to have them on the show!" → Positive response
"Not interested unless they have local ties to Seattle" → Needs more information (not a rejection!)
"550 Recipient address rejected" → Technical issue
Specific Response Category
We go deeper to tell you exactly what type of response you received:
Positive Reply - Clear interest in your pitch
Negative Reply - Clear rejection of your pitch
Email Delivery Problem - The email address doesn't exist
Server Blocked Email - Their email system blocked your message
Out of Office Message - Automatic reply saying they're away
Needs More Information - They want additional details
Meeting Request - They want to schedule a call or meeting
Other Response - General response that doesn't fit other categories
Payment Required - They charge guests to appear
No Guest Policy - They don't accept any guest pitches
Examples:
"Let's schedule a pre-interview call" → Meeting request
"We don't feature external guests on our show" → No guest policy
"Can you send their bio and past media appearances?" → Needs more information
Tone of Their Response
We detect the emotional tone behind their message:
Enthusiastic - Very excited about your pitch
Friendly - Warm and welcoming response
Professional - Formal and business-like
Neutral - No clear positive or negative emotion
Polite Decline - Respectful rejection with explanation
Dismissive - Short, potentially rude response
Automated - Computer-generated message
Examples:
"This sounds AMAZING! Can't wait!" → Enthusiastic tone
"Thank you for thinking of us, but this isn't a fit right now." → Polite decline
"Not interested." → Dismissive tone
Location and Meeting Requirements
In-Person Meeting Requirements
We identify whether they require face-to-face meetings or accept remote interviews.
Examples:
"We only do in-person studio recordings in Miami" → Requires in-person attendance
"We prefer Zoom interviews for all our guests." → Remote is fine
"Guests must be available for in-person filming in our LA studio." → Must meet in person
Local Connection Requirements
Some shows only feature guests from specific areas. We track both whether they have this requirement and which location matters.
Examples:
"We only feature guests with ties to Chicago." → Guest must have a Chicago connection
"Unless your guest is doing something cool in the Bay Area, I'll pass" → Needs Bay Area connection
"Do they have any connection to Texas?" → Looking for Texas ties
Host's Location
We note where the journalist or podcast host is based when they mention it.
Examples:
"I'm based in Austin and prefer local stories." → Host is in Austin, Texas
"Our studio is in Manhattan." → Host is in New York City
"Writing from Portland, OR here" → Host is in Portland, Oregon
Payment Information
Guest Fees Required
Some podcasts charge guests to appear. We automatically detect and record any payment amounts mentioned.
Examples:
"Our standard guest fee is $750 per episode." → Charges $750
"We require a 2.5k sponsorship commitment" → Charges $2,500
"There's a $100 production fee." → Charges $100
Contact Changes
Alternative Email Addresses
When someone asks you to contact a different email address, we capture that new contact information.
Examples:
"Please contact our booking manager at [email protected]" → New contact provided
"Reach out to my producer at [email protected] for scheduling." → Different person to contact
"Use my business email [email protected] going forward" → Same person, different email
Same Person or Different Person
We understand whether the new email belongs to the same person (like their work email) or someone else entirely (like their assistant).
Examples:
"Use my work email instead." → Same person, different address
"Contact my booking agent" → Different person entirely
"This is my personal email, please use my business email" → Same person, alternate address
Additional Requirements
Social Media Information Requests
We track when they ask for social media profiles or follower information.
Examples:
"Can you send their LinkedIn and Instagram handles?" → Wants social media links
"Please share their Twitter and TikTok profiles" → Requesting social profiles
"What's their social media follower count?" → Asking for social media information
Scheduling Information
Return from Out of Office
When someone is out of office, we automatically detect when they'll be back if they mention it. We only track return dates within the next 90 days.
Examples:
"I'm out of office until January 15th" → Returns January 15th at 9 AM
"Back in office Monday morning" → Returns next Monday at 9 AM
"On vacation, returning Feb 3rd at 2pm EST" → Returns February 3rd at 2 PM Eastern
Response Source
Reply to Your Pitch vs Other Email
We know whether this is a response to your PodPitch campaign or an unrelated email that came to your inbox.
Examples:
Reply saying "Thanks for reaching out about your client" → Response to your pitch
Random newsletter from a podcast you never contacted → Unrelated email
Forwarded response with "RE: Guest opportunity for your show" → Response to your pitch
How This Intelligence Helps You
Smart Understanding of Context
Our system is smart about understanding what people really mean:
When someone says "Not interested unless they're from NYC," we understand this as "needs more information" not a rejection - because they might be interested if your guest IS from NYC
When they say "We only record in-person in LA," we know they need in-person meetings, but your guest doesn't have to be FROM Los Angeles - they just need to be able to travel there
When they say "Check with my assistant," we know you're being redirected to a different person, not just a different email address
Automatic Data Cleaning
All information is automatically cleaned up and standardized:
Dates are converted to your time zone
Email addresses are verified for correct format
Cities and states are spelled out fully (no abbreviations)
Payment amounts are converted from different formats ($500, $1k, $2.5K) into clear dollar amounts
Complete History Tracking
We keep two types of records:
A complete history of every single reply in a conversation
A current status summary showing the latest state of each conversation
This means you can see both how a conversation developed over time AND quickly check its current status.
What This Means for You
Instead of manually reading and categorizing hundreds of replies, PodPitch instantly:
Tells you which opportunities are worth pursuing
Highlight what additional information you need to provide
Shows you payment requirements upfront
Identifies location and travel requirements
Routes you to the right contact person
Tracks when out-of-office contacts will return