The press are mad, mad, mad at lazy PR people.
Apparently flacks don’t spend enough time getting to know reporters before we pitch them.
And because our jobs mainly consist of tossing about silly expressions like “innovative” and spamming reporters, it’s not as if we can use “too busy” as an excuse for our bad behavior.
If only we weren’t so self-centered, so shallow, then we’d actually have time to learn the likes and dislikes of ever-so-interesting journalists.
Then, once we know the names of all their favorite indie bands and late night fast food haunts, we can entertain the press with clever pitches, which is what they all want.
Puhleez!
Here’s a news alert for the “I’m too busy to respond to your pitch” media: we’re also ridiculously busy!
We get hundreds of emails every day, just like you. We have deadlines and irrational bosses, just like you. We’re working on a hundred things at once, just like you.
Stop thinking you’re special just because influence peddlers beg for your attention and feign interest in your Academy Award picks.
You want to be entertained? Go to the movies.
You want me to read every story you write? I don’t have time for that.
Before sending a pitch, I read what I can about the journalist I’m targeting. I have about five minutes to spend on this because, in case you didn’t know, we’re targeting about 50 journalists per client at any given time.
The pitches I develop are clear and concise. The journalists I target should be interested.
Often times I get an email response, but many times I don’t.
Reporters don’t like to be called, so when a reporter doesn’t respond to an email, I basically have no idea why the story I pitched isn’t a fit.
Which means I have zero valuable feedback to share with my clients.
Oh, and by the way, clients don’t want to hear our feeble excuses.
They pay for coverage, not empty analysis, and many have very high expectations.
As a PR rep I’m always trying to “manage” expectations, but usually it comes off as sandbagging.
I explain that PR is a process, exactly like sales. It takes time to woo a reporter.
But clients usually expect results right away, so we go as fast as we can and sometimes that means we don’t know where a reporter vacationed last summer or how often he walks his dog.
I’m sorry: I can’t stroke reporters and satisfy anxious clients all the time.
The answer to the first problem is that reporters need to lighten up.
Stop being so demanding.
Recognize that PR people have a job to do and we don’t want to hear your whining and bitching.
Reporters also need to do a better job responding to emailed pitches.
If you don’t like my pitch say, “I’m not interested” or “I don’t think that’s particularly special.”
If you don’t have time but may be interested later say, “I’m busy now, please try again in a week.”
If I send something totally off base, then blast me.
But for heaven’s sake, say something!
As for the second problem: clients, we need you to think long-term about PR.
Not every press release is worthy of press coverage.
Particularly these days, you need a kick-ass story, a strong news hook, a non-tech customer reference and most of all, you need patience, because there’s a long line of people who have good stories, too.
You have every right to expect press coverage.
But unrealistic expectations will only lead to pissed off journalists and pathetic meetings where your PR person tries to explain why you didn’t get coverage for what you think is a “sure thing” story.
As I said, PR is a process. Clients and PR people need to view the process as something they work at every day, like being a better friend.
A more thoughtful strategy is the only way to placate Angry Bird journalists.
Apparently flacks don’t spend enough time getting to know reporters before we pitch them.
And because our jobs mainly consist of tossing about silly expressions like “innovative” and spamming reporters, it’s not as if we can use “too busy” as an excuse for our bad behavior.
If only we weren’t so self-centered, so shallow, then we’d actually have time to learn the likes and dislikes of ever-so-interesting journalists.
Then, once we know the names of all their favorite indie bands and late night fast food haunts, we can entertain the press with clever pitches, which is what they all want.
Puhleez!
Here’s a news alert for the “I’m too busy to respond to your pitch” media: we’re also ridiculously busy!
We get hundreds of emails every day, just like you. We have deadlines and irrational bosses, just like you. We’re working on a hundred things at once, just like you.
Stop thinking you’re special just because influence peddlers beg for your attention and feign interest in your Academy Award picks.
You want to be entertained? Go to the movies.
You want me to read every story you write? I don’t have time for that.
Before sending a pitch, I read what I can about the journalist I’m targeting. I have about five minutes to spend on this because, in case you didn’t know, we’re targeting about 50 journalists per client at any given time.
The pitches I develop are clear and concise. The journalists I target should be interested.
Often times I get an email response, but many times I don’t.
Reporters don’t like to be called, so when a reporter doesn’t respond to an email, I basically have no idea why the story I pitched isn’t a fit.
Which means I have zero valuable feedback to share with my clients.
Oh, and by the way, clients don’t want to hear our feeble excuses.
They pay for coverage, not empty analysis, and many have very high expectations.
As a PR rep I’m always trying to “manage” expectations, but usually it comes off as sandbagging.
I explain that PR is a process, exactly like sales. It takes time to woo a reporter.
But clients usually expect results right away, so we go as fast as we can and sometimes that means we don’t know where a reporter vacationed last summer or how often he walks his dog.
I’m sorry: I can’t stroke reporters and satisfy anxious clients all the time.
The answer to the first problem is that reporters need to lighten up.
Stop being so demanding.
Recognize that PR people have a job to do and we don’t want to hear your whining and bitching.
Reporters also need to do a better job responding to emailed pitches.
If you don’t like my pitch say, “I’m not interested” or “I don’t think that’s particularly special.”
If you don’t have time but may be interested later say, “I’m busy now, please try again in a week.”
If I send something totally off base, then blast me.
But for heaven’s sake, say something!
As for the second problem: clients, we need you to think long-term about PR.
Not every press release is worthy of press coverage.
Particularly these days, you need a kick-ass story, a strong news hook, a non-tech customer reference and most of all, you need patience, because there’s a long line of people who have good stories, too.
You have every right to expect press coverage.
But unrealistic expectations will only lead to pissed off journalists and pathetic meetings where your PR person tries to explain why you didn’t get coverage for what you think is a “sure thing” story.
As I said, PR is a process. Clients and PR people need to view the process as something they work at every day, like being a better friend.
A more thoughtful strategy is the only way to placate Angry Bird journalists.
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