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ToolDeck

Sales & Lead Capture

Media Inquiry Tracker

Press emails get logged, deadline-tracked, and never missed — with drafts for fast answers.

Saves about ~1 hr per week

What it does

  • Detects incoming press/journalist inquiries
  • Logs name, outlet, deadline, and topic to a sheet
  • Drafts a first-pass response with your key stats
  • Reminds you 48h and 4h before any deadline

How it works

  1. Press email lands and is detected
  2. Row added to the press tracker
  3. Deadline stored; AI drafts a reply skeleton
  4. Reminders fire before the deadline

What's included

  • Press filter
  • Tracker sheet
  • Draft + deadline reminders

Set it up yourself

Follow these 4 steps in order. You will need accounts for: Gmail, Sheets.

Step 1: Set the press filter

  1. In Gmail create a filter that catches press mail: 'interview', 'article', 'comment for', 'deadline', 'media inquiry' in subject/body.
  2. Apply a 'Press' label but keep it in the inbox.
  3. Also add your known journalist contacts or publications filter.
  4. Test that a sample press email gets labeled.

Watch out: Keep it visible — archiving press mail hides your best PR opportunities in a label nobody opens.

Step 2: Build the tracker sheet

  1. Columns: Journalist, Outlet, Email, Topic, Deadline, Status, Notes.
  2. Add a 'Draft' column for the AI skeleton.
  3. Add data validation on Status: new, drafting, sent, declined.
  4. Keep the sheet as the single press tracking surface.

Watch out: Deadlines should be a single date column (not free text) — reminders depend on machine-readable dates.

Step 3: Add the draft prompt

  1. Build: 'Draft a first-pass reply to this journalist. Use my key stats. Ask for follow-up questions if needed. 100 words, journalist-friendly tone.'
  2. Create a 'Press Facts' doc with your top stats and story angles; load its id into the script.
  3. Paste the prompt + API key into the workflow.
  4. Test on an archived press email.

Watch out: Press replies must never hallucinate numbers — constrain the AI to facts from the Press Facts doc.

Step 4: Set the deadline reminders

  1. Daily scan: rows where Deadline is in 48h → reminder email/Slack.
  2. Second scan at 4h before deadline → urgent reminder.
  3. Mark stale rows completed or declined so they stop firing.
  4. Add a weekly press roundup: inquiries, response times, published pieces.

Watch out: A missed journalist deadline is a lost opportunity with a real human — the 48h/4h cadence catches weekends too.

Frequently asked questions

What does the Media Inquiry Tracker automation do?

Press emails get logged, deadline-tracked, and never missed — with drafts for fast answers. Detects incoming press/journalist inquiries

How much time does Media Inquiry Tracker save?

It is estimated to save ~1 hr per week. Actual savings depend on your volume.

Which tools does Media Inquiry Tracker use?

It works with Gmail and Sheets.

What does Media Inquiry Tracker include?

Press filter, Tracker sheet, Draft + deadline reminders.

Can I set up Media Inquiry Tracker myself?

Yes. The do-it-yourself guide on this page walks through 4 steps, from getting access to testing the finished automation.