Why PR?

10 Common PR Mistakes

• PR is not just purely tactical, i.e. don’t send out a press release and wait for coverage. Rather, PR should be much more strategic, with a PR plan designed to fit within a total media campaign that is a key part of building your brand and your overall business strategy. 
  Bottom Line: PR must be a key part of a whole business plan.
  
  
• Mass distribution of a press release to a list of 1,000 reporters will get you nothing but ill will from reporters who resent spam – and it’s murder on your brand. To get results, it is essential to research which reporters might be interested in your story. 
  Bottom Line: Do your homework.
  
  
• Sending out a release will not magically translate into coverage without a follow-up pitch.  A smart PR professional knows how to talk intelligently with the media who cover your field and give them interesting story angles that position your company to the target audience.
  Bottom Line: Follow through is key.
  
  
• Don’t call merely to ask if the reporter received your press release. All this will do is ensure that they never take your calls again.  O.K., so we just said to always follow-up, but do it right. Always have additional, newsworthy information for the reporter (your customer!) to add to the release.
  Bottom Line: Smart follow through is key.
  
  
• Avoid calling at a reporter’s deadline. They’ll be really annoyed, and will probably just hang up on you.
  Bottom Line: Timing is everything.
  
  
• Be sure to respond to a media query in a timely fashion. If someone from the media contacts you, get back to them as quickly as possible. In the fast-paced news world, longer than a day is too long. Hesitate and your competition will fill that space in the paper or that air time that could have been yours.
  Bottom Line: Timing really is everything.
  
  
• Avoid clichés and jargon. Talk about the latest “cutting-edge technology” or the “best-in-breed widget” and the reporter will hear “confusing, lazy and uninspiring.”
  Bottom Line: Blah+Blah+Blah = No story for you.
  
  
• There’s a place in the media for blatant self promotion – it’s called advertising.  Information you send to the news media seeking coverage must be newsworthy. This seems obvious, but far too many companies send out press releases touting their goods or services with no apparent tie to anything in the news. 
  Bottom Line: Make sure your news really is news.
  
  
• There’s a place in the media where you get complete control over what gets said about your company – it’s called advertising. Ads have their place in building your brand, but they do not have the power of third-party endorsement that comes with a well-placed story about your company. We’re pretty good at getting your message out through PR, but ultimately what gets written or said about your company is up to the reporter, the editor or the producer.
  Bottom Line: Let go a little – you’ll like the result.
  
  
• At most places, the good story (aka, the “great media hit”) means the end of the process. But it’s really just the beginning.  Once the story runs, leverage the placement with key audiences. You can post the article on your company website, order reprints for your sales team, include the article or clip in your next e-news. The list goes on and on, but you get the picture - keep the story working for you.
  Bottom Line: The “end” is really only the beginning!