Did you miss a bunch of journalists complaining about PRs? We sure did! It’s a rare opportunity to get feedback from some of the most sought after reporters in the world of tech and startups, and makes you a better PR. So when life gives you pet peeve tweets, brush up on your PR skills! Here’s what we saved from April, May and June – you are in for a complaint-flavoured treat.
First bit of advice: important story to pitch to an important outlet: do 5 minutes of research at least. To save yourself a lifetime of regrets.
Localisation is key. But maybe not all the time.
Lean and simple is beautiful. It’s also more convenient for journalists. Word attachments no no. Google Docs link yes yes.
Not really a journo pet peeve, but to get you thinking.
If you get questions sent, it’s better to answer them. You’re not only not going to appear in the article, but you’re gonna piss off the journalist (and ruin their weekend in the process).
Don’t violate copyright law on photos, especially if you are a legal or legaltech firm.
Your pitch should use only one font. Avoid copy paste madness generally.
PR is not sales. And it’s also not email marketing. Consider journalists as individuals with whom you should build a very personalised relationship.
This one is free. And straightforward.
How not to start an email pitch, brought to you by the person that wrote this.
Pitch an exclusive like you mean it. Says Dan, not The Killers.
It is advisable not to reach out to journos with phone calls, they got it covered with emails. But if you do, your story needs to be extremely strong.
If something is top secret, just don’t say it to journalists.
Companies that want to do PR that don’t have Twitter accounts – we also don’t get it.
Are you an old school, pushy sales type agency? Journalists (and pretty much everyone) hate them.
Email success rates can vary depending on the day and time of the day sent. Friday before a long weekend is probably one of the worst choices.
There is an obsession with getting meetings with journalists during events, one of the most time-poor moments possible. If you go for it, do it well and prepare in advance.
The face of every journalist when you “circle back”.
Journalists are not your SEO tools. Again, consider them close connections and treat them like VIPs. Would you bother a VIP with adding links?
Every journalist communicates in a different way. No response is also communication. With journalists, it’s like this: most of them read all relevant emails, and don’t reply if it’s a pass.
We are puzzled: some “PRs” still confuse PR with advertising.
