What’s love got to do with it? The media speaks out.
In a conversation with a media professional recently, I was reminded again how important good media relations habits are for public relations professionals.
I had made a call to check on the production schedule and content requests for a consumer print publication, and to make sure the editorial staff knew I would be sending something on behalf of one of my clients for consideration. At the end of the conversation, this gentleman took to time to tell me how much it meant to him that I had taken the time to call and have a conversation. I’m paraphrasing of course, but he basically told me that because I had taken the time to keep the relationship strong, the news items I send will receive stronger consideration than those received from folks who don’t do that.
What the Experts Have to Say
Now, couple that with a similar report from a panel of experts I had the great pleasure of hearing from at a recent Akron PRSA Chapter meeting. Here were the most important messages of the day, at least to me:
- The media industry has been significantly impacted by the economy. They are all working more hours with far less staff than ever before. (So, you’re going to have to maintain some personal contact to set yourself apart, because they are overwhelmed with work and inundated with requests, so make sure you’ve got something important to share and then pick up the dang phone.)
- They receive hundreds of email every day. (So, use a simple, content-specific headline, keep the email brief and focused on the facts of interest, and then pick up the dang phone.)
- They rely upon public relations professionals now more than ever, and most consider us to be reliable sources for accurate information. (So, deliver the relevant, accurate information and then pick up the dang phone.)
- They are using social media platforms to gather information and identify sources for information because they can reach more people faster that way. (So, use your Facebook and Twitter to follow your journalists so you are poised to respond to their requests when they make them, and then, maybe still pick up the dang phone.
Note the Theme?
Fewer people with far more work and the weight of the inbox and the social media platforms means that folks are going to be much more likely to give attention to the news items you send if they know you and see you as a trusted source. We can only earn that kind of relationship if we’re keeping good media relations habits at the center of the work. Think about it!
Copyright 2010, Tracy L. Teuscher, APR, The Buzz Maker! LLC
She’s Got Style! Your Personality and Media Relations
Today is March 3rd, the birthday of my beautiful Irish grandmother. My grandmother was as grand and as saucy an Irish dame as God ever made, rest her soul. Her glistening red hair, her fair freckled skin, and her sparkling green eyes made her a beauty, but what really made her a stunning woman was her inner person.
Grandma had style!
She was, for lack of a better word, an individual. She had a passion for life, and it painted everything and everyone she touched with light and laughter. She worked hard, she played hard, and she loved hard. And, she was just as much at home on a bar stool as she was in a ballroom because she understood that class is not defined by a persons financial status, it is defined by their character.
What does all this have to do with PR, you say?
Everything, I say. If we are going to be successful public relations professionals, we had better bring our charisma and our own personal style to the work. Each of us has special talents, gifts, experiences, intellect, education, and perspective that we bring to the table. These things together define our personal and professional style, and it’s that style that makes us memorable.
Personal style makes you memorable!
And, you certainly want to be remembered. You want to be remembered there is a need for the specialized service we provide. You want to be remembered when an editor or journalist is developing content related to what you do or what your client or employer does. And, you certainly want to be remembered when it comes time to sign the check.
In order to be remembered, you’ve got to have style! You’ve got to have that special something that differentiates you from the sea of public relations professionals out there. That style must set you apart in a positive way, and must be authentically you.
What makes you so special?
If you haven’t really thought about this whole style thing much, now is the time to get started. What makes you different? What makes you special? Why- oh-why should people call you, choose you, rely on you? If you don’t know, figure it out! Make a list. Focus on the things you immediately recognize as excellent and identify other qualities and areas of skill or knowledge that you would like to develop to the level of excellence. Focus on the best and work on the rest.
In business, as in life, relationships are everything.
And, people will only develop a relationship with you if they like you. For public relations professionals, this is essential because as public relations professionals, we are bound to be influencer’s. It is our goal to influence awareness, attitudes, opinion, and behavior through the specialized practice of the work that we do and the way that we do it. In order to be influential, we must be likable, ethical, and reliable. We must be memorable. In short, we’ve got to
have style.
I don’t know about you, but when people think of me, I want them to say to themselves, as they always did about my grand Irish grandmother, “Now, she’s got style!”
Copyright 2009, Tracy L. Teuscher, APR, The Buzz Maker! LLC
Media Relations Tips
Well, hello again, and Happy New Year! Welcome, 2009! Virtual worlds allowing us unique expression and real-time, self-controlled publishing options like this Blog give us a unique opportunity to be contributors of content. And in every media platform, content is still king. This brings us back to the basics when it comes to our role as creators and contributors of content through our most valued media sources, and how we accomplish that through effective media relations habits.
What Editors Hate Most
I read an article recently that said that the thing that editors hate the most is poor targeting. Based upon what folks tell me, I would add that the other things they hate as much as poor targeting are poor responsiveness on the part of the PR professional, and a lack of knowledge regarding the development goals and working style of the editorial staff.
Three Rules to Remember
To avoid common mistakes in media relations, experience has shown that you must focus on three main areas and work to develop purposeful habits in each area: Do your research, be a solution provider, and be an immediate responder.
1. Research each Media Source
Learn as much as you can. Make sure that you have an understanding of the content, its goals, and the readership. Learn all you can about the unique role this particular media source plays in the media landscape, and their approach to serving their readership. Gather information about the demographics of the readership, and make sure that you have something of value to share with those readers.
2. Offer a Solution
When approaching an editor or journalist, make sure you have something to offer in the form of a solution. The editor is challenged to create relevant, timely, interesting content for their unique audience on a regular basis. If you can present your story or content idea as something of interest to that audience in the littered landscape of messages, you have immediately become a solution provider for that editor, and thus simultaneously become a solution provider for the reader, as well as your company or client.
3. Be an Immediate Responder
If you are contacted by an editor or journalist with a request for additional information, images, or simply a return call or email, make sure that you respond immediately. I can’t tell you how many compliments I have received from editorial staff simply because I responded immediately to their needs. I’ve had more than a few editors tell me that their past experiences with Public Relations professionals had been colored in a negative way because of lack of responsiveness. In addition, please remember the value of a phone call. Many of us get stuck in email land. There is no replacement for personal contact. Remember, at its heart, media relations is about relationships, and it’s difficult to successfully build or maintain them when relying solely upon the computer.
If you can customize your habits in each of these areas based upon your unique situation, you will be far more likely to be successful in your media relations efforts.
Copyright 2009, Tracy L. Teuscher, APR, The Buzz Maker! LLC
Tracy L. Teuscher, APR
