How to sell to IT Directors at Media & publishing companies
IT Directors in media & publishing prioritize system uptime and data security, measured by minimizing downtime incidents. They respond to outreach that demonstrates a clear understanding of the unique challenges in managing content delivery platforms, such as ensuring seamless access to digital assets during peak traffic times, which directly impacts audience engagement and revenue.
Written and maintained by the SoloRiff team, who build outbound software and run outbound with it. The figures below are our own: we measured 563 media & publishing company domains over public DNS on 2026-09-03. Last updated 2026-09-03.
What actually hurts
- system downtime during peak traffic
- data breaches affecting subscriber trust
- inefficient content delivery workflows
- difficulty scaling tech with audience growth
The playbook
- 01
Identify recent tech upgrades
Filter for companies that have recently announced upgrades to their content management systems or digital publishing platforms. These announcements typically signal a willingness to invest in new technology, making them more receptive to solutions that enhance their current systems.
- 02
Highlight data security concerns
Craft your message around the specific data security challenges faced by media companies, such as protecting subscriber information and preventing content piracy. Use insights from recent industry reports to show that you understand the urgency of these issues.
- 03
Leverage industry-specific case studies
Include case studies that showcase how similar media companies improved their workflow efficiency or secured their data using your solution. Focus on measurable outcomes, such as reduced incident response times or improved compliance with data protection regulations.
- 04
Address budget constraints directly
Anticipate objections related to budget restrictions by mentioning cost-effective solutions that deliver high ROI. Be prepared to discuss flexible pricing models that align with the financial cycles typical in the media industry.
- 05
Follow up after major industry events
Schedule follow-ups after significant industry events or conferences where IT Directors are likely to have engaged with new technologies. This timing helps you connect your outreach to their recent experiences and discussions, increasing the likelihood of a positive response.
Can media & publishing companies even receive your mail?
We measured the DNS of 563 media & publishing companies, sampled evenly across company sizes, to see how many authenticate their own email. It matters in both directions: a domain that does not authenticate is a domain whose team is used to mail going missing — and if your own domain is in the gap, yours is the mail going missing.
Publishes a DMARC policy of quarantine or reject — the domain actually asks receivers to act on failures.
The gap is the finding: 24.2% of 1–10-person companies against 82.9% of the largest — 59 points apart. Small companies are where the unauthenticated domains are, and small companies are who most cold outreach is aimed at.
Where does your domain sit?
Same three lookups, run live against your domain. Nothing is stored and nothing is emailed to you.
How this was measured
Company domains were sampled within employee-count bands, then queried over public DNS for SPF (TXT at the apex), DMARC (TXT at _dmarc.) and MX. One domain per company, deduplicated. Anyone can reproduce any single row of this with dig.
DKIM is deliberately absent. A DKIM key lives under a selector that cannot be enumerated from outside the domain, so a company with flawless DKIM under a name we did not guess would be counted as having none. That would measure our guess list, not the industry.
Domains with no MX record are excluded rather than counted as failures — parked and redirect-only domains would otherwise drag every figure down and make the result an artefact of the sample.
Sampled within bands, so this describes the population of companies, not of employees: a 10-person company counts once, as does a 10,000-person one. Each band is at least 60 domains; bands below that are not published. Figures are percentages of the sample, not of the whole industry, and we publish no company names — only counts.
Measured 2026-09-03. Re-measured monthly.
The full census across every industry — sortable, with sample sizes, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0.
Subject lines that fit
- Enhancing your content security
- Solutions for peak traffic challenges
- Streamlining your publishing workflow
Questions
- Why do IT Directors in media companies ignore outreach about new technologies?
- IT Directors may ignore outreach if it doesn't address their specific pain points or if they perceive it as too generic. They are often inundated with sales pitches and prioritize messages that demonstrate a clear understanding of the media landscape and its unique challenges.
- What types of solutions are IT Directors in media looking for?
- IT Directors typically seek solutions that enhance data security, improve content management systems, and streamline workflows. They are particularly interested in tools that can integrate seamlessly with existing platforms and provide measurable improvements in efficiency and security.
- How can I demonstrate value to an IT Director in media?
- Demonstrating value involves showcasing how your solution directly addresses their specific challenges, such as reducing downtime or enhancing security. Use relevant case studies and industry benchmarks to illustrate potential outcomes and ROI that resonate with their operational goals.
- What timing is best for reaching out to IT Directors in media?
- The best timing for outreach is typically after major industry events or during budget planning cycles. IT Directors are more open to discussing new technologies when they are actively seeking solutions to enhance their operations or when they have recently evaluated their current systems.
Or have it run itself
SoloRiff does every step above on its own — finds the companies, finds the people, writes each of them individually, and handles the replies. Drop your URL and watch it work before you sign up for anything.
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