The Bcc field on an e-mail. A fax machine. A speed dialer. If
the competent use of these three tools were all it takes to garner
consistent media coverage about your organization or client, life
would be easy. Well, perhaps, not life for PR execs working in
media relations, since we would be completely replaceable for a few
hundred bucks. But for your organization, yes, getting ink would be
effortless.
But since you're still reading instead of firing your entire
communications department, I'm guessing that you know it takes a
lot more than technology to get good ink. But do your junior
professionals? Too many journalists would probably say no. Many in
the media see the PR pros contacting them as annoying, glazed-eyed
telemarketers, spammers who have no idea who they're talking to or
what they're talking about.
Reaching out to junior PR pros helps them to more effectively
reach out to the media. Here are seven tips for managers that may
just help change journalists' minds, at least as far as your junior
pros are concerned.
Remind newbies that journalists can talk
In addition to the fact that journalists are inundated with
e-mail, if a time-sensitive pitch lacks a piece of information
required to decide whether it's a fit for publication, an editor is
more likely to trash it than to try to chase down the answer. Tell
your juniors they should want to 'be there' while the decision is
being made - and that the telephone makes that possible. While some
journalists don't take calls, most are amenable to a quick,
efficient conversation.
Replace scripts with real understanding
Assure your media professionals always understand what they're
pitching. A "cheat sheet" can be a helpful tool, but never send
someone to the phone lines solely with a script in the hope they
may interest journalists in a story. Journalists are actually
intelligent beings who ask follow-up questions. If your juniors
can't competently communicate the basics about the organization and
relevant details on the piece of news they're pitching, they will
fail. Worse, unprepared professionals undermine the reputation of
your organization or client.
Make your media relations professionals customize every
pitch
Each pitch should be a personal communication that considers
journalist preferences as far as deadline, beat, delivery format,
length and personal style. Journalists respond better when they can
discern that you are communicating with them as individuals rather
than as a faceless member of a distribution list. When conducting
outreach via e-mail, discourage your juniors from overusing the BCC
field. Don't allow them to become spammers. One quick, personalized
note to each target will always yield better success than the
shotgun approach - and some journalists even have filters that
block BCCers.
Focus on "which" more than "how many"
Help your juniors understand that a single placement in the
right publication may be more valuable than dozens in poorly
targeted media. Likewise, work with media relations execs to assure
they always uncover exactly which journalists within a publication
or broadcast source are the best ones for their initiatives.
Sending multiple editors within the same organization the same
pitch promotes editorial conflicts at best, and a staff's
perception of ineptitude at worst.
Don't force your media relations professionals to cry
wolf
Eliminate buzzwords, marketing hype and, most of all,
self-delusion when it comes to pitching. Not every product is
groundbreaking or revolutionary and not every story is worthy of
coverage by the top newspaper in town. Don't force your media
relations pros to say otherwise - or the relationships they are
striving to develop will sour. Good journalists know when someone
is laying it on thick and will not take subsequent pitches
seriously.
Tell juniors to get personal - professionally, of
course
Just as salespeople record their dealings with each prospect,
your juniors should do so with journalists, on everything from
communications preferences to hobbies to favorite sports teams to
their pets' names. As superficial as it may sound, a question like
"how's your daughter's softball team going?" can make a difference
in whether a reporter remembers your junior's last pitch call.
Encourage conversations without agendas
There's nothing worse than a friend who calls only when he wants
something. So if you truly want your junior professionals to foster
relationships with journalists, you should support outreach to key
targets in the absence of news. Your media pros should be
encouraged to spend a few hours each month on outreach to key
journalists just to touch base and get a sense of the stories
they're planning. Regular conversations such as this also increase
the likelihood that the journalist will contact your organization
for an expert and usually develops into a casual way to keep a
journalist up to date on your organization. Also encourage your
junior professionals to arrange lunch briefings with the same
media. Amid quantum leaps in technology, face-to-face meetings
still work best.
Contact: Ian Lipner, the founder of YoungPRPros.com, is an account
manager at Washington, DC-based Stanton Communications. He can be
reached at 202.223.4933, [email protected].