Entries For: December 2006
2006-12-19
The Media and You (2/2)
Filed Under:
They Don’t Owe You Anything!
Ten things you should remember:
5. Take your time, be honest and forthcoming and focus on building strong relationships with the media. You may not get your story printed this time, but you can be sure that the journalist will remember his or her conversation with you (especially if you’re rude, aggressive or ill-informed). Handle each contact with the utmost professionalism and care, be proactive and helpful, and treat the media as people – not a tool for your publicity machine. Getting to know reporters as individuals and building trust is key to long-term success. Present yourself and your organization as experts in your field, offer up research and/or data they may need, brainstorm story ideas with them (as appropriate), and be concise, factual and friendly. By respecting their job and their role you’ll stand a much better chance in the long-term of getting your news covered. Remember also that the media/publishing world is extremely fluid – journalists move from publication to publication quite often. By cementing a strong relationship with someone, you can help ensure that you will still be in their contacts list when they get to their next – and perhaps bigger – gig.
6. The term “media” has grown to encompass many more professionals and types of outlets than in the past. Not all media is created equal, but you will be wise to respect each and every writer – from TV anchor to magazine reporter to blogger to “YouTuber”. As noted in #4 above, the blogger of today could be the magazine editor of tomorrow and woe to you if you’ve made a fool out of yourself and/or insulted him or her.
7. Don’t pitch the exact same story or angle to every publication. First of all, this means you didn’t do your homework (see #1!). Second, this can backfire with the media; no writer wants to see their article repeated in another publication. This doesn’t mean you have to offer “exclusives” (where you’d give a big story only to one publication and no one else), but it does mean you need to let journalists know who is writing what (see below), so they can ensure their angle and article is unique.
8. After you pitch to a journalist and they decide to write the story, your job is not done. You or your PR rep should follow up regularly (weekly or bi-weekly, depending on the type of story and/or time schedule) and see if there’s anything you can do to help; such as provide additional data, interviews, references or fact check details. Don’t get in people’s face, but a respectful check in is generally a welcome activity and continues to cement the relationship.
9. Prepare your spokespeople and/or references (or yourself!) for their interview with the media. Make sure they know the ground rules (e.g. there really is no such thing as “off the record” for most journalists…) and are prepared to be articulate, knowledgeable, focused, charming and effective speakers. Nothing harms a potential story quicker than someone who can’t ever seem to get to their point, doesn’t have their facts straight or doesn’t know anything about the publication or news outlet they’re speaking with.
10. Practices makes perfect. You won’t get 5 cover stories your first time out. In fact, you may only get one in a year, or even a lifetime. But stick with it, stay focused and your PR efforts can reap tremendous rewards.
###
Diana L. Reid, Conscious Communications
Ten things you should remember:
5. Take your time, be honest and forthcoming and focus on building strong relationships with the media. You may not get your story printed this time, but you can be sure that the journalist will remember his or her conversation with you (especially if you’re rude, aggressive or ill-informed). Handle each contact with the utmost professionalism and care, be proactive and helpful, and treat the media as people – not a tool for your publicity machine. Getting to know reporters as individuals and building trust is key to long-term success. Present yourself and your organization as experts in your field, offer up research and/or data they may need, brainstorm story ideas with them (as appropriate), and be concise, factual and friendly. By respecting their job and their role you’ll stand a much better chance in the long-term of getting your news covered. Remember also that the media/publishing world is extremely fluid – journalists move from publication to publication quite often. By cementing a strong relationship with someone, you can help ensure that you will still be in their contacts list when they get to their next – and perhaps bigger – gig.
6. The term “media” has grown to encompass many more professionals and types of outlets than in the past. Not all media is created equal, but you will be wise to respect each and every writer – from TV anchor to magazine reporter to blogger to “YouTuber”. As noted in #4 above, the blogger of today could be the magazine editor of tomorrow and woe to you if you’ve made a fool out of yourself and/or insulted him or her.
7. Don’t pitch the exact same story or angle to every publication. First of all, this means you didn’t do your homework (see #1!). Second, this can backfire with the media; no writer wants to see their article repeated in another publication. This doesn’t mean you have to offer “exclusives” (where you’d give a big story only to one publication and no one else), but it does mean you need to let journalists know who is writing what (see below), so they can ensure their angle and article is unique.
8. After you pitch to a journalist and they decide to write the story, your job is not done. You or your PR rep should follow up regularly (weekly or bi-weekly, depending on the type of story and/or time schedule) and see if there’s anything you can do to help; such as provide additional data, interviews, references or fact check details. Don’t get in people’s face, but a respectful check in is generally a welcome activity and continues to cement the relationship.
9. Prepare your spokespeople and/or references (or yourself!) for their interview with the media. Make sure they know the ground rules (e.g. there really is no such thing as “off the record” for most journalists…) and are prepared to be articulate, knowledgeable, focused, charming and effective speakers. Nothing harms a potential story quicker than someone who can’t ever seem to get to their point, doesn’t have their facts straight or doesn’t know anything about the publication or news outlet they’re speaking with.
10. Practices makes perfect. You won’t get 5 cover stories your first time out. In fact, you may only get one in a year, or even a lifetime. But stick with it, stay focused and your PR efforts can reap tremendous rewards.
###
Diana L. Reid, Conscious Communications
2006-12-12
The Media and You (1/2)
Filed Under:
They Don’t Owe You Anything!
Ten things you should remember
Good public relations practitioners know something many other people don’t: The media doesn’t work for you. And, it isn’t their job to write about you or make your organization successful.
As we discussed previously, the media’s job is to write about the news and to look for unique stories or trends that their readers will find interesting, useful and informative. Thus, your job is to generate news, and deliver it to the media in a way that makes it easy and compelling for them to cover.
Now, in approaching the media in hopes of getting them to write about your organization, there are ten things you should remember:
1. Don’t blindly contact every possible publication out there. Do your homework first and identify publications or media outlets that cover the sort of news and/or organization you are hoping to present. Better yet, before you even contemplate press releases and media outreach, build a list or database of the most appropriate news outlets for your organization to seek out. You can get media information and clippings from things like Bacon’s, Media Map, Burrelles and other news/media services, but it’s even better to read the publication (imagine that!) and understand who writes for it, the publication’s style, reach and audience demographics. That way you’ll not only know if it’s right for you, you’ll know how to talk to the journalists and editors, and what they’ll look for from you.
2. Once you’ve done your homework and created a list, prioritize and pare it down. If you are a small organization with limited PR staff/resources (and even if you’re not), you’ll need to ensure you get the biggest bang for your buck. You can’t call, email, pitch or provide interviews to everyone, so be smart about focusing your media outreach on targeted publications/outlets that will help you achieve your strategic PR objectives.
3. Before contacting anyone, make a list of the ideal story (or stories) you’d like to see printed. What does the headline say? What will the audience take away from reading this article? This sort of strategic thinking and PR planning is a great way to be crystal clear on your messages and know exactly who to pitch your story to in order to get the result you want. And, using your research from #1 above, you may want to alter your desired story/angle (and thus, your pitch) for different types of publications. After all, Vanity Fair, Fast Company and Time Magazine may all cover social entrepreneurship, but odds are you’re going to see entirely different slants in each!
4. Reverse engineering #3 above, consider who you want to be the ultimate reader/consumer of your news. Who is your organization’s target audience and what do they read, listen to or watch? Understanding where they get their news and who/what influences them will help you select the sort of media outlets that make most sense.
###
Diana L. Reid, Conscious Communications
Ten things you should remember
Good public relations practitioners know something many other people don’t: The media doesn’t work for you. And, it isn’t their job to write about you or make your organization successful.
As we discussed previously, the media’s job is to write about the news and to look for unique stories or trends that their readers will find interesting, useful and informative. Thus, your job is to generate news, and deliver it to the media in a way that makes it easy and compelling for them to cover.
Now, in approaching the media in hopes of getting them to write about your organization, there are ten things you should remember:
1. Don’t blindly contact every possible publication out there. Do your homework first and identify publications or media outlets that cover the sort of news and/or organization you are hoping to present. Better yet, before you even contemplate press releases and media outreach, build a list or database of the most appropriate news outlets for your organization to seek out. You can get media information and clippings from things like Bacon’s, Media Map, Burrelles and other news/media services, but it’s even better to read the publication (imagine that!) and understand who writes for it, the publication’s style, reach and audience demographics. That way you’ll not only know if it’s right for you, you’ll know how to talk to the journalists and editors, and what they’ll look for from you.
2. Once you’ve done your homework and created a list, prioritize and pare it down. If you are a small organization with limited PR staff/resources (and even if you’re not), you’ll need to ensure you get the biggest bang for your buck. You can’t call, email, pitch or provide interviews to everyone, so be smart about focusing your media outreach on targeted publications/outlets that will help you achieve your strategic PR objectives.
3. Before contacting anyone, make a list of the ideal story (or stories) you’d like to see printed. What does the headline say? What will the audience take away from reading this article? This sort of strategic thinking and PR planning is a great way to be crystal clear on your messages and know exactly who to pitch your story to in order to get the result you want. And, using your research from #1 above, you may want to alter your desired story/angle (and thus, your pitch) for different types of publications. After all, Vanity Fair, Fast Company and Time Magazine may all cover social entrepreneurship, but odds are you’re going to see entirely different slants in each!
4. Reverse engineering #3 above, consider who you want to be the ultimate reader/consumer of your news. Who is your organization’s target audience and what do they read, listen to or watch? Understanding where they get their news and who/what influences them will help you select the sort of media outlets that make most sense.
###
Diana L. Reid, Conscious Communications
2006-12-05
Creating a Press Release - Part 4
Filed Under:
We’ve talked content, structure, fact and fiction, now let’s discuss the finishing touches for great press releases:
11. It may sound brain dead obvious, but proofread your press release several times before issuing it. Nothing will detract credibility points faster than misspelled words, grammatical errors or other idiotic uses of language. And, if you’re not a great writer, hire one. You can’t afford to have run-on sentences and rambling phrases when trying to compete for media attention.
12. Consider how your press release will be “discovered” and its longer-term shelf life. Most newswires distribute (and archive) press releases electronically – via the web and/or email – and are searchable via the leading search engines. Consider peppering your headline and lead paragraph with the most pertinent, popular and/or likely to be utilized search terms, to increase your chance of being noticed by the media and other key (and potential) stakeholders in the coming weeks and months.
13. Newswire (press release distribution) services abound, so do your homework to find out which one(s) most effectively target the type of media you’re seeking to reach – and to find a service that fits your budget. Many newswire services offer non-profit rates, so be sure to investigate those as well before signing up with a specific outlet. Some good starting points for distribution of your announcements include: Business Wire, CSRWire, PR Newswire and PR Web, though there are certainly others. If you are blogging on your website, be sure to put your press releases into your blog/RSS stream (as well as in your regular email newsletters to key stakeholders) to ensure they are picked up through all of your electronic subscription points.
14. Be sure to post your press release to your website, update your press kit, and send copies to your board of directors, major donors, strategic partners and other important stakeholders. They can help pass the word and potentially get you linked to the right media.
15. Get going, be strategic, write good stuff and have fun!
###
Diana L. Reid, Conscious Communications
11. It may sound brain dead obvious, but proofread your press release several times before issuing it. Nothing will detract credibility points faster than misspelled words, grammatical errors or other idiotic uses of language. And, if you’re not a great writer, hire one. You can’t afford to have run-on sentences and rambling phrases when trying to compete for media attention.
12. Consider how your press release will be “discovered” and its longer-term shelf life. Most newswires distribute (and archive) press releases electronically – via the web and/or email – and are searchable via the leading search engines. Consider peppering your headline and lead paragraph with the most pertinent, popular and/or likely to be utilized search terms, to increase your chance of being noticed by the media and other key (and potential) stakeholders in the coming weeks and months.
13. Newswire (press release distribution) services abound, so do your homework to find out which one(s) most effectively target the type of media you’re seeking to reach – and to find a service that fits your budget. Many newswire services offer non-profit rates, so be sure to investigate those as well before signing up with a specific outlet. Some good starting points for distribution of your announcements include: Business Wire, CSRWire, PR Newswire and PR Web, though there are certainly others. If you are blogging on your website, be sure to put your press releases into your blog/RSS stream (as well as in your regular email newsletters to key stakeholders) to ensure they are picked up through all of your electronic subscription points.
14. Be sure to post your press release to your website, update your press kit, and send copies to your board of directors, major donors, strategic partners and other important stakeholders. They can help pass the word and potentially get you linked to the right media.
15. Get going, be strategic, write good stuff and have fun!
###
Diana L. Reid, Conscious Communications
