This seems obvious and it is. However, it is also an art of subtlety. It’s easy to be the bull indoors if you’re not careful when you approach the media and its gatekeepers.

As has been mentioned in previous posts, you’re going to have to call editors. You’ll also have to do everything right on the writing end of things too. For more on how to write your story, check out these gems from our blog.

It’s a give and take sort of thing

Remember: the publication needs your material and is grateful that you are handing it to them on a silver platter. They are also doing you a favor in return. You’re far from the only clamor at their window. Be cool.

Craft your pitch carefully

Your “elevator pitch” may only last a few moments in the ears of your quarry. Coming across half-cocked is a sure way to close your own door. Take your time and be just as patient when you deliver it. Don’t rush off (but don’t hang on) the phone. Four minutes is way too long.

Take time and consider the strengths and weaknesses of your story in terms of how it fits into the publication’s editorial style. Address these potentials and plan for those questions to be asked. Now cross your fingers. If you did everything else right, they’ll see how it can adapt to their publication.

“It’s a Small World After All”

What you communicate in those brief moments is crucial. Notice the word ‘communicate’ not, ‘say’. It’s not all about getting the words right. If you forget to ask, “how is your day?”, I’m likely to say, “pass”. It’s a people businesses and the editor is a person you must pander to.

Also, remember that you will probably be calling them at a later date for another press release from your business. Establish good rapport, and you get published more often.

A few tips once you pick up the phone (or email)

1. Don’t say you have a great idea. The editor is the experienced judge. Don’t insult their grasp on their field of expertise.
2. Rather: “Do you have a couple of minutes to hear a story idea?”
3. Ron was a New York City editor for many years. Those proclaiming good/great ideas often heard a ‘click’ shortly after their proclamation. Just saying…

A self-respecting editor doesn’t have time for hot air (sales pitches) nor do they likely actually care about your new product. It’s true. Don’t let it hurt your feelings. It’s the way of the game. If you can’t get used to it, find someone who can. You need PR, so you need these editors. To get them, simply fulfill their needs.

Our goal is to help you increase your company’s visibility through the effective use of PR tactics in your media relationships. There are a great deal of new technologies and a lot of self-proclaimed experts. The fact is, it’s the same people driven industry it always was been. Don’t ever forget that.

Let us know if these posts help you and how we can make them better. Any method of connecting with us is fine. Here are a few links: Facebook. Twitter. LinkedIn. Or you can always comment below and not have to go anywhere.

Thanks for stopping by. Have a wonderful day.

Do you want to arrange major articles or interviews in major media?  To start with: Don’t write an article.  The major media does their own reporting and writing.

It’s the crowning glory of a PR agency to get covers because it’s truly difficult. We’d like to share with you the steps that go into getting that cover and a few of the techniques that help us make it happen for our clients.

Writing a Press Release is Only Half the Battle

If you’re hoping to get major coverage, you’ll be selling an editor on the idea of committing his writing staff to your story. No matter how short that story is, it’s a major decision and you need to know the right way to get your point across or risk failure.

For the average layperson, it would seem that writing a stellar press release would be the definitive moment en route to getting the piece published and your company featured prominently in a publication. After all, if it’s well written it’s going to get read and published right?

Not exactly. Communicating why your event/company is a good fit for major coverage is far more important than an article-ready press release.  Besides, it’s a waste of time to write article ready press releases.  If a publication is going to feature your company, they are going to have their staff report on it and write it.  It’s the way things get done.

Query Letters: Do it Right or Fail Every Time

NEVER EVER SEND BROADCAST PRESS RELEASES. If you don’t have the time to tailor a pitch, why should an editor take the time to give you a cover? You’re the one asking, never forget that.

The query letter is essentially you pleading (ever so gently) with an editor to please, please publish your story. (PS: Never beg. Don’t even come close to begging.)

Nearly every story that is written in a magazine or newspaper began with a query. Journalists are always asking their editors to be given the green light on a story they find of interest and feel is of interest to their readership. So don’t feel discouraged, you’re just one of the bunch now, and querying is the name of the game.

Keep your query to no more than three lines of text plus niceties (Thank you for your time, etc.). If you can’t communicate what your story is about in that length, it’s the rare editor who wants to read it.

One word of caution: don’t send your query more than once. If you don’t get a response, wait a week or two and then follow up. Make sure you don’t write more than a few short lines of text. Write something like: “Just checking to see if you received the proposal for a feature about XYZ company and what the status is. We are hoping to get X coverage and want it for Y reason. Thanks for your time.”

All of your communications should clearly communicate the goal of a prominent placement in the publication. Also, be ready and willing to work with any demands and schedule of the press that you have agreed to cover your company.

If your event (or whatever you’re trying to get coverage for) is a good fit, interesting enough or maybe just timed it right, this may be the only step you need to take besides meeting with the reporter. However, a fairy tale like this is only slightly more plausible than that of Rapunzel.

What does this mean for your press release?

For starters it means that you had better make that editor want to read your release and that is the job of the query letter and your follow up inquiries. Don’t be surprised if you are asked to resend the material once, twice or even more than that. Newsrooms are very busy places that handle an astonishing volume of documents.

Your press release needs to be better than your query and equally concise. Don’t write the release as you’d like to see it printed. That’s not the goal if you are looking for major publicity. When you are writing this type of release it is to inform the editor of the newsworthiness of the event (or whatever it is) you are trying to get a cover for.

Obviously, there is a ton of nuance that goes into the above steps. Keep poking around our blog and you’ll find different bits and pieces that will help to shed some light on a few of those finer points. Or visit us on Facebook or Twitter and we’d be happy to have a one-on-one conversation with you.

Our goal is your PR being the best. Whether you’re a client or not, helping your business succeed puts a smile on our face. If you’ve tried our tips and found them helpful or if you have another tip to offer, post them in the comments below.

Journalists Spot Stories You Don’t

You may know your company inside and out, but do you know what your company is doing that makes for a newsworthy angle? Do you have experience with editors and what they consider newsworthy angles? You need to if you even dream of creating a successful PR strategy.

What is Newsworthy Material?

Newsworthy material isn’t promotional, it’s informative. This is perhaps the largest misunderstanding of companies that attempt to write their own press releases. You simply cannot lead with “Our company XYZ is so good and we’re doing this:” It won’t work. Ever.

So when you’re looking for a story for a press release, or to submit to a reputable publication or broadcaster, you can’t be thinking of promoting yourself or your company. Sure, that’s the obvious goal and everyone involved knows this but it can’t be printed with such bravado. In fact, it can’t be bold at all, it needs to read like the news: somewhat dry but wet with facts.

The role of the press in your company’s publicity is not to advertise your latest product with a news story; that’s what they sell ad space for.

How Do You Determine Newsworthy?

This is a difficult topic. It’s a sense that journalists are brought up with and one that they possess inherently from their years working within the news industries.

There are questions that help those of us in the PR industry to find the news in your company, but it takes a nose to sniff out what’s the best story (and it’s often one that many CEO’s and managers would overlook).

For instance, say you gave two speeches recently. One was to a group of investors and one was to a group of satisfied clients spouting praises. Which of those two is newsworthy? Chances are it’s the investor speech.

The satisfied clients provide great testimonial content for your web page and other promotional materials – but mainly there. Your speech to the investors contains the necessary facts about your company and the potential for big business deals that will land you in the newspaper because something is happening that is of interest to the community.

Surprised? That’s why companies hire PR firms and why PR firms hire former journalists

Despite its being a somewhat intangible field, PR, when it is done correctly, is a huge complement to your marketing strategy and a necessary business expense.

If you have questions, feel free to post them in the comments below or meet with us over on Facebook. We’d be happy to answer your questions about how to best spot and create newsworthy angles for your business. After all, we’ve had years of experience learning these things the hard way, and there’s no reason not to use our knowledge. We probably can’t do your job, but you probably can’t do ours.

As a simple Google search shows, it’s fairly well documented that journalists make the best PR people.

Knowing what an editor wants and how they want to see it is a huge advantage. But journalists on your PR team have benefits much larger than simply providing an editorial in.

The Golden Lips of Journalism

One great example of this comes from the PR Breakfast Club and is written by Jim Crawford of Crawford PR.   According to Crawford, Journalists make the best PR people for one reason: they aren’t the kind to kiss behinds.

You can hire a PR firm that says, “Oh that’s a great story idea sir/ma’am, I’ll get right on it.” but if your idea stinks and the firm is too afraid of losing your business to say so, you are not served well. It can be bad PR if it appears anywhere. Nothing is worse than being the fool. A journalist would have told you it wasn’t any good from the beginning.

A “Low BS Threshold” = Successful PR

Crawford writes: “Only an ex-journalist would be so brash. Having spent much of our careers wading through the guff churned out by government agencies, corporate PR departments, [and] marketing dweebs … journalists have a low BS threshold and get down to business quickly.”

Because a journalists gets down to business quickly, so does the material we write and push. How many ads have you seen that you had no idea what the company was selling? You can bet a journalist wasn’t behind it.

Journalist-driven PR is superior because, as journalists, we’re all trained to be transparent. If the reader doesn’t get what you’re communicating, you’re out of work. Furthermore, if the editor doesn’t get what you’re pitching, they won’t OK your story. If they don’t (you guessed it),you’re out of work.

At JournalistPR, “journalists talking to journalists” is more than our motto, it’s our modus operandi.

1. Journalists talking to journalists obviously speak the same language as the editors they’re contacting.

2. They spot stories you don’t.

3. They’ll arrange major features, often covers (19 in the past year!). Press releases rarely do it. Tailoring a pitch to an editor works.

4. They know how to shape stories (or pitches) to attract an editor or reporter

5. Journalists know how to arrange cover stories.  Press releases don’t do it.  Personal contacts do.

It makes sense for a corporate person to ask this. After all, larger companies are receiving solicitations – or pitches – every week from publicists, and a lot is written about the field.

Seeing the word, you may think of Hollywood press agents doing stunts to attract media attention.

But for a serious company, the reality is different. Here, the publicist is responsible for all sorts of things that often are gathered under the title,”Public Relations.” Such as helping sell the product or service. Or improving the impression of the corporation in the minds of customers, prospects, holders of the company’s stock, investors of other kinds, and the world in general. Or handling media relations in time of emergency.

So how does a publicist for a company go about it?

For starters, he or she is definitely responsible for finding major feature article stories within the company, and finding editors that the stories will fit, and bringing the two together. For this function, it helps to be a journalist. Because a journalist can spot stories you may not realize exist. And a journalist can talk to other journalists knowledgeably.

In our firm, we actually guarantee a certain number of major feature articles per year, and pledge to work for free if the target is not met.

A second publicists’ responsibility – most think this is the primary goal, but it probably isn’t – is to turn out news releases. (Often called “Press Releases,” which ignores the fact that broadcasters – who are a major target – don’t have presses.) The reason it isn’t a primary goal is that of 100 releases sent out, today maybe 10 get printed or broadcast, except when there’s real news…which isn’t all that often. When there is no real news, your journalist will be creating stories that quote you or the company, such as “Company reports 10 things to think about…” etc. If you have a really good publicist, who writes in decent journalese, you may get picked up by 20% or 50% of your target media. Writing to journalistic standards is crucial. We see so many news releases that start with a company name and say that the company “proudly announces.” No newspaper or magazine uses “proudly announces.” Awhile back, a client inserted the word “esteemed” before the name of a new board member. We axed it because no reputable editor will carry such an adjective.

Third major role for your publicist is to be there in case of catastrophe. Say you are a hotel and someone jumps from a window. The press and TV come a-running. It helps greatly to have a journalist to help work with the press and blunt any criticism of your hotel. Another example, from a few years ago, is the poisoning of some consumer products. Back then, Johnson & Johnson did fabulously in instantly recalling a product, and won many kudoes. They’ve not been so fabulous in a recent instance of a product liability.

Your publicist may also help you settle on a central theme for your news and advertising. And then fight to retain it. Years ago, the president of an aspirin manufacturer asked his agency, “You keep proposing that we continue the theme, ‘Fast, fast, relief.’ Aren’t we paying you for new ideas? The president of the agency replied, “No, you’re paying us to insist that you continue a winning theme.”

So whatever you call the job – public relations consultant, publicist, PR person, Communications Manager or ? – it’s a valuable function and worth some fraction of the corporate treasure.

By Ronald T. Smith, Managing Member, JournalistPR LLC www.journalistpr.com. journalistpr@gmail.com. 888/730-6630

 JournalistPR -  Public Relations, PR, and Publicity serving Sarasota, Tampa, and St. Petersburg Florida

From veteran journalist Ronald Ted Smith (once senior editor of United Press International in New York, and now managing member of JournalistPR) to help your press releases get more media attention. JournalistPR produces press releases for clients, and major interviews and articles – all from journalists, NOT “PR People.”

1. You’re writing for a news organization, not for your management. So if you have a management willing to learn, then only in rare cases start with your company name and braggadocio. Try to figure out what is the news, and lead with it.

To illustrate, DO NOT start this way:

XYZ Company, a leader in something, proudly announced today…

Instead, start this way:

A cure for cancer has been announced by XYZ Company…etc.

Or, given that a cure for cancer is going to attract a lot of critical attention, you might start qualifiedly like this:

What is described as a likely cure for cancer has been announced…

And then within the first few paragraphs, quote someone as saying, “…it’s likely to be a cure for cancer.” You need that quote to back up your lead.   Read the rest of this entry »