PR Straight Talk

The first biggest mistake made by p.r. people, especially beginners, is pitching a story to the wrong media outlet.  The reason is simple enough:  they haven’t previewed that outlet, whether print, broadcast, cable or radio, to determine if the story is appropriate to its format and audience.

The second biggest mistake p.r. people make is pitching a story to an outlet that doesn’t reach their client’ most important public(s).  That’s not to be confused with contacting an outlet that reaches a general audience, where a particular sub-group may be part of the larger viewership or readership.

Here’s mistake number three:  not respecting a reporter or editor’s deadline.  You not only won’t be heard – you may never be able to come back because you’ve lost that person’s respect.  If you’ve caught a journalist who informs you he/she is on deadline, simply ask about a good time to get back to them - and leave pronto.

Number four?  Pitching a story with a buried lead.  Why would you lead with the meat of the story in paragraph four or five?  Why would you waste a busy news person’s time?  The basic format for a news release is an inverted pyramid, with the fattest facts on top.

The same for pitch letters.  The “meat” should appear on top – or minimally, something provocative should appear on top to catch the journalist’s attention.

Number four-and-a-half is writing a release or pitch letter that is simply too long.  If you’ve grabbed the attention of the editor you’ve approached, and he or she likes what you’ve written, you can always fill in with less important details later, after the story is on its way to placement status.

The fifth mistake is approaching the right media outlet, but the wrong person.  If you approach The Wall Street Journal, why would you bring a personal finance story to someone covering institutional investment?  Why would you bring a lifestyle story to the Today’s Show’s travel editor?   

The sixth mistake is not cultivating a relationship with an important contact.  If you live in the same town, try and meet that person for lunch, breakfast or dinner.  Not always possible, but worth the try.  You may also occasionally let the journalist know about a noteworthy story that isn’t one you necessarily represent, but that might interest them.  If you’ve seen something interesting and notable written by a reporter, or produced by one of your producer contacts, send them an e-mail.  Let them know.  Acknowledge them.  When holiday season is upon us, send your contacts a card.  Let them know you’ve appreciated their consideration and time during the year past.  Sometimes, Thanksgiving is a better time for acknowledgement than Christmas.  People are inundated with cards during December.

The seventh mistake is writing a boring lead in the subject area of your e-mail.  Sometimes you only have that one shot for your e-mail to be open.  This is an editing exercise in saying little but meaning much.  Yes, “laconic” is the way to go here.

The eighth mistake is in bombarding the journalist with too many e-mails, or too many calls.  Bombardment means “bombing out.”  That’s why considerable thought and strategy should go into every e-mail, and every phone call.  If you do make the call – and I like to try a call first, even a voicemail message, with an e-mail follow-up – THINK before you call.  Have the pitch crystallized in your mind.  It should be brief, but content rich, and speak to that outlet’s format and audience.

Once you’ve pitched a story, don’t call later the same day or even the next day.  Wait a couple of days before your next approach.  If you’ve sent a strong pitch via e-mail, follow-up with an e-mail that says (in the subject area) something like, “Tom – did this story work for you?”

If, however, you’ve received a “no” – let it go.  Save your contact for future stories.  Also, if you get “silence” after a couple of follow-ups, you may need to let it go as well, rather than present yourself as obnoxious.

But don’t hesitate to reach other outlets with the story, or even other journalists at the same outlet, if his or her beat allows for the story.  You may even ask the editor or producer who vetoed your story if there’s someone else within the organization for whom the pitch may be more suitable.