Maintaining positive relations with the media is one thing most PR professionals think they have down. After doing some research on blogs and professional PR web sites I’m starting to get a better sense of what’s considered good PR and what’s not.
I found a blog by David Meerman Scott, a contributing editor for EContent Magazine, that explains the frustrations journalists feel when PR professionals e-mail numerous press releases to them filling their inbox with “spam.” Of course it’s not actually spam mail, but the e-mail’s lack of relevance and personalization to the journalist is making all PR professionals look bad.
Scott lays out different techniques that PR professionals can use to build positive relationships with the media and still get ink. The following are some of his suggestions along with other tips I've found along the way:
-Pay attention to what that reporter writes about and what their beat is. This will help you create pitches that are specifically targeted at them. Don’t just change a few sentences and still make your pitch a mass e-mail, as Richard Millington points out in his blog.
-See if the reporter has a blog and READ IT! This will help you get to know more about the reporter, their personality, and what issues they think are important. You should also comment on their blog and begin creating an actual relationship with the reporter to build trust and credibility. You should maintain a professional relationship by continuing to push for your client, but also contribute other information so you’re not just using their blog as your second form of pitching.
-Invite reporter to your blog so they can get to know more about you as well. Help them see you’re a person and not some crazy spammer/telemarketer. If your blog is interactive and helpful enough, reporters could begin using your blog as a source for news. This includes using your RSS feeds and links to blogs you enjoy. Scott mentions that getting your company referenced in a high profile blog will get your extra brownie points and increase your credibility; so pitch bloggers too!
-Make the reporter come to your company’s site by making it cool and appealing. Make it easy to find your site by making it searchable through different search engines to increase your traffic.
-In building relationships with reporters, don’t forget about their bosses who have the final say over whether a story gets in or dumped. Start following these same rules and create a solid relationship with the editors of the publications and producers of the news outlets. This was one of the 15 media relations tips from PR professionals and journalists after they participated in a “Best Practices” survey.
-It’s best to know the reporter’s and publication’s deadline so you aren’t pitching them a story close to their deadline and wasting their time. Create a strategic communication plan, look at Bacon’s online and editorial calendars to figure out your timeline. Do not be annoying or overly persistent with the media if you know your story is not going to happen.
-Overall, just be able to adapt to many different types of reporters/situations and put yourself in their shoes when following your approach.
Maintaining media relations is not easy and can becoming time consuming if you don’t have the right set of skills. With this in mind, many PR agencies are beginning to require media relations training for their employees. GolinHarris actually has former media professionals train their clients in media relations in hopes of making the most out of every opportunity. The Margulies Communications Group boasts about their use of former journalists, and their ties to the media, to help them get their clients positive placement in local and national news. Positive media relations are the key to a successful PR professional’s job. With technology changing more and more as each day passes, it’s important to utilize all resources to your advantage to become a credible and trustworthy friend to the media.
this article was quoted from penacolada.blogspot.com
I found a blog by David Meerman Scott, a contributing editor for EContent Magazine, that explains the frustrations journalists feel when PR professionals e-mail numerous press releases to them filling their inbox with “spam.” Of course it’s not actually spam mail, but the e-mail’s lack of relevance and personalization to the journalist is making all PR professionals look bad.
Scott lays out different techniques that PR professionals can use to build positive relationships with the media and still get ink. The following are some of his suggestions along with other tips I've found along the way:
-Pay attention to what that reporter writes about and what their beat is. This will help you create pitches that are specifically targeted at them. Don’t just change a few sentences and still make your pitch a mass e-mail, as Richard Millington points out in his blog.
-See if the reporter has a blog and READ IT! This will help you get to know more about the reporter, their personality, and what issues they think are important. You should also comment on their blog and begin creating an actual relationship with the reporter to build trust and credibility. You should maintain a professional relationship by continuing to push for your client, but also contribute other information so you’re not just using their blog as your second form of pitching.
-Invite reporter to your blog so they can get to know more about you as well. Help them see you’re a person and not some crazy spammer/telemarketer. If your blog is interactive and helpful enough, reporters could begin using your blog as a source for news. This includes using your RSS feeds and links to blogs you enjoy. Scott mentions that getting your company referenced in a high profile blog will get your extra brownie points and increase your credibility; so pitch bloggers too!
-Make the reporter come to your company’s site by making it cool and appealing. Make it easy to find your site by making it searchable through different search engines to increase your traffic.
-In building relationships with reporters, don’t forget about their bosses who have the final say over whether a story gets in or dumped. Start following these same rules and create a solid relationship with the editors of the publications and producers of the news outlets. This was one of the 15 media relations tips from PR professionals and journalists after they participated in a “Best Practices” survey.
-It’s best to know the reporter’s and publication’s deadline so you aren’t pitching them a story close to their deadline and wasting their time. Create a strategic communication plan, look at Bacon’s online and editorial calendars to figure out your timeline. Do not be annoying or overly persistent with the media if you know your story is not going to happen.
-Overall, just be able to adapt to many different types of reporters/situations and put yourself in their shoes when following your approach.
Maintaining media relations is not easy and can becoming time consuming if you don’t have the right set of skills. With this in mind, many PR agencies are beginning to require media relations training for their employees. GolinHarris actually has former media professionals train their clients in media relations in hopes of making the most out of every opportunity. The Margulies Communications Group boasts about their use of former journalists, and their ties to the media, to help them get their clients positive placement in local and national news. Positive media relations are the key to a successful PR professional’s job. With technology changing more and more as each day passes, it’s important to utilize all resources to your advantage to become a credible and trustworthy friend to the media.
this article was quoted from penacolada.blogspot.com
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