Public Relations is all about timing and knowing your client. Those two aspects, combined with a keen sense on when to push forward or back down and a dash of media savvy create the perfect recipe for a successful PR campaign. Featured below are a few helpful tips on dealing with the media and a few small nuances that if kept in mind, can be priceless assets for your public relations campaign.
PR 101: Social media is relational, not transactional! Building lasting brand awareness cannot simply be done via twitter and Facebook.
If you think using social media to build your brand is a good idea, you’re only half right. Social media is a great tool to stay current, establish relationships and interact directly with the public. It is a fast tool to help you gage opinions. The modern day lead generator and image management tool all rolled into one. However, in addition to building brand awareness you must take it a step further than Twitter and your Facebook fans page to really make a lasting impression. Use Twitter and Facebook to capture key information, be witty and interact and then take the conversation offline. Major deals are not closed within 140 characters or less, or on direct message. Your doors will not flood with customers because you tweeted your latest “discount”. There needs to be backing behind that promotional push. Media is not going to write a feature because you tweeted the editor that receives a hundred tweets a day. You must follow up offline. You must establish a presence in some other form of media, whether it is in print, online, TV, radio, a good old phone call or a piece of hand held mail. WHAT!? Yes Direct mail STILL exists and because people are so overloaded online- guess what….IT STILL WORKS.
PR 101: Newsworthiness is key! Don’t push out crap & editors will notice your real news. If it is not real news it shouldn't cross their desk.
In the world of Public Relations there are a lot of false news pushers. A lot of information is disseminated across the web via press releases, via email and pitching on the phone. It’s important to keep in mind what should and shouldn’t be released to the press. No one wants to know that your pet poodle is now the office mascot. If you start publishing press releases, which contain insignificant news, it not only reflects badly on your brand and actually will desensitize the media to any pitch that is received from you or your company. DO NOT TURN THEM OFF. It can damage your image if you don’t have real news and are only perceived as an attention-seeker. Your reputation relies on your ability to separate real news from everyday occurrences and your ability to capitalize on what people actually want to know and find interesting enough to pay attention to. News includes events, partnerships, new products, price changes, new executive hires, and more.
PR 101: Let your fingers do the talking and ensure that your publicity pitch Sings and Sells! Sad drab emails will always hit the junk email folder.
When pitching via email, the last thing that anyone wants to read is a long, drawn-out, boring pitch. Keep in mind that whomever you are pitching is busy and if they do decide to read your pitch, you need to capture their attention within the first couple of lines. For goodness sakes editors receive thousands of pitches per day. Now don’t go bedazzling your letters or sending emails with a black background and white font o anything. Simply make sure that your content sings and sells. Send it to a few friends to get their feedback on what they would change. Is there too much Hyperbole? Does it seem to drag? You want to get the media excited to read it and excited to speak to you about it or cover it. Subject lines should also be used to place clever, attention-getting titles or summaries of watch you’re pitching. Remember when pitching, always think positive and it will emanate in your pitch.
PR 101: Never say “I Don't Know" not to a customer and definitely not to the media. Instead say “I will have to get back to you on that.
So you’re at your desk, buried in work and the phone rings – the person asks you a question and you haven’t the slightest idea what they are asking about, much less how to answer it. Was that in the press release? Wait- is our chicken farm fed?! The best thing for you to do is just say “I don’t know” right? Wrong!! In all business settings, no matter the context, never and I mean never use those words. It has nothing to do with honesty but rather how the other person perceives you. Especially the media who are quick to hang up and so oh well I thought it was interesting but they can’t even tell me about their own brand. Your “I don’t know” can come across to them as if you are not aware of something that you should be or that you are incompetent. The smart publicist or Publicity pitcher says “I will have to get back to you”, or “Can I get back to you on that in a few?” This assures them that they will be receiving an answer – maybe not when they want the answer, but a slow yes is always better than a fast.
