Spray and Pray PR

Having been in the PR business for more than a decade, I’ve seen a lot, both good and bad. It continues to amaze me that the complaints, for the most part, have been the same during my career. The most prevalent complaint is about “spray and pray PR”.

The idea of writing a news release and pushing it to a long list of journalists that haven’t been vetted is appalling. Ten years ago as an industry we would write a news release and hire some guy in a basement to do a fax blast. We were instructed to follow up to confirm the reporter received the news release.

Fast forward to the current decade and we’re no longer doing the fax blasts. No, we’ve improved. Now we’re doing email blasts.

Not cool.

Let me set the record straight:

1. You don’t get coverage just because you’ve written a news release in AP style.
2. Further, you won’t get coverage just because you wrote said news release and sent it to a reporter that shows up in a search for a specific beat.
3. And finally, you won’t get coverage if you follow up with said reporter to confirm they received said news release.

So how do we do it? What’s the right way?

1. We still write news releases. I believe that they’re still important to both PR pros and journalists. BUT we don’t blast them to contacts.
2. Our first point of contact is an email pitched, customized for the specific reporter.
– We still do that quick search for specific beats, but then we take it a step further (GASP!) we Google the contacts and read the stories they’ve recently written to confirm they’re the correct contact for the story we’re pitching. Mistakes can still be made at this point and sometimes (SOMETIMES) reporters are wrongly pitched. But I can tell you that we’re trying everything we can to AVOID wrongly pitching someone who just isn’t interested. It’s a waste of everyone’s time.
3. IF the reporter is interested in our initial pitch, we’ll offer to send along supporting materials, which in most cases, includes a news release.
4. Our news release is aimed at providing a wealth of information… facts, figures, stats, links, etc.

Successfully pitching a story to reporters and bloggers (success is defined as pitching the right person on an interesting story angle and securing a placement) is a delicate balancing act. It takes skill and industry knowledge but it also requires tact and respect for everyone involved.

To me, spray and pray PR practices are much like telemarketers and door-to-door sales tactics. It feels invasive. I immediately become annoyed and I’m quick to say “Not Interested” …. but if I’d been approached in a more personalized way, I may have listed to the sales pitch and purchased the magazines/life insurance/dog biscuits/…. you get the idea.

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. That’s good PR and that’s the best way to get your foot in the door on behalf of your client.

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PR Industry Changes Course

As Media Market Shrinks, PR Passes Up Reporters, Pitches Directly to Consumers

Best Buy, MasterCard among those creating their own content

Click here to read the story via AdAge.

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Finding Journalists on Twitter

Twitter is an incredible tool for PR pros. Use www.muckrack.com to find journalists who are on Twitter. Try www.muckrack.com/beats to locate journalists based on what they cover.

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Jenna Speaking at AAF Topeka

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The American Advertising Federation in Topeka, Kan. has invited Snackbox principal Jenna Oltersdorf to speak about public relations, the industry’s future and how advertising agencies can successfully partner with PR firms. Jenna is speaking to the group’s members on Thursday, September 24.

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Jenna’s Guest Column in TalentZoo

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Benefits of Public Relations
By: Jenna (Gruhala) Oltersdorf

It’s no secret that both public relations (PR) and advertising offer unique benefits when employed correctly. And, when working together, the two practices can build awareness, boost brand value and drive sales. Some of our most successful campaigns stem from a strong relationship between our PR team and advertising agency partners.

To contrast the two, PR earns media coverage through strategic outreach to journalists while advertising is a controlled message placed in paid-for space. Both practices work to influence the behavior of consumers by swaying opinion, calling consumers to action, etc., but the tactics used to gain results and meet goals couldn’t be more different.

Unfortunately, PR tends to be overlooked during the planning stages of some marketing campaigns because many don’t fully understand the benefits. And, if PR isn’t overlooked all together, many times key decision makers don’t quite understand how it works or worse, don’t understand how to measure a PR campaign’s success (common measurements include impressions, number of placements and types of placements).

The primary goal of any PR campaign, no matter how large or small, is to build relationships. Through these relationships, we’re able to secure stories, build momentum and create opportunities for brands, be it a person, organization, product or service. Before launching any PR campaign, it’s important to outline measures of success to fairly evaluate the benefits as well as manage expectations both internally and externally.

So what sort of benefits can you expect from a well-planned PR campaign?

Affordability. When compared to advertising, PR is an economical way to stay in front of consumers and works to build brand loyalty. With PR you are paying for time required and minimal out-of-pocket expenses in order for your agency to develop relationships on your company’s behalf. With advertising, not only do you need to pay your agency for the time required to create the ads, but you’re also paying the media outlets to run your ads.

Credibility. PR professionals pitch story ideas to reporters and because the journalist vets the story first, it becomes more unbiased than advertising. In contrast, consumers generally understand that an advertisement means that the company provided the messages and is therefore approached with some level of skepticism. News stories aren’t typically viewed with as much cynicism.

Visibility. By implementing a PR campaign, you can affordably increase search engine optimization (SEO) and organic results as well as repeat exposure for the same story through media coverage. You can achieve similar results through advertising, but because that visibility is paid for, the costs are great.

Value. PR results are tied to placements secured, conversations started. The value comes from those third-party endorsements that we work to nurture and develop on a client’s behalf.

Relationships. PR builds relationships with journalists and consumers on behalf of your organization by sharing information. Further, PR creates loyalty through dialogue that take place via tactics such as social media and events.

Details. Because PR coverage typically results in more space and time for information sharing, consumers are exposed to more details about your company’s product or service. This, coupled with established credibility, allows consumers to freely take in information from unbiased sources to ultimately make an educated decision for themselves. PR and advertising can easily complement one another by pushing the same key messages via varied channels.

Legitimacy. By launching a PR campaign, you’ll see regular media exposure that typically results in enhancing and legitimizing your reputation. As consumers see increased, positive media coverage, they’ll begin to look at your brand in a favorable light.

Position. Through PR, you can tell your side of the story and be seen as an expert within your industry. By working with a PR firm, they can train you on how to work with journalists, ultimately assisting you with interview styles, key messages and on-camera confidence. Once established as an expert, many times journalists will seek to interview you on other industry topics as new opportunities arise, allowing you to further solidify your authority.

Timely. Because fewer people are involved in developing and pitching a story in PR, advertising campaigns typically require more time to plan and execute. Messages secured via PR, more times than not, will appear much faster when compared to advertising. In addition, PR and advertising can work together to prolong messages presented in the media

When used correctly, PR can be a valuable marketing tool benefiting your brand position and bottom line. PR is not the only answer to a strong marketing campaign, but it is an important practice to employ in order to build strong brand credibility, legitimacy and value.

 

About the Author

 

Jenna has managed and executed award-winning public relations programs for national and international clients in a variety of industries including home/garden, fashion/beauty, pets, and B2B . Before launching Snackbox, she worked for a number of agencies including the largest independently owned PR firm in the world.

When she’s not making PR magic for her clients, Jenna enjoys drag racing Corvettes, baking cupcakes and playing Halo. You can find her on Twitter under @JennaSnacks.

jenna@snackbox.us

https://snackbox.us

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Jenna featured in ArtsBiz

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To see the article in its original form, click here.

WILL USING FACEBOOK AND TWITTER BUILD YOUR AUDIENCE? Undefeated drag racer, cupcake baker and PR expert, Jenna Gruhala Oltersdorf, has practical tips for how to use social media to build your brand and grow your audience.
Jenna Gruhala Oltersdorf, Principal of Snackbox Public Relations, recently presented at A&BC’s workshop “PR in the Digital Age” and she’s the mastermind behind the creation of Artsbiz. Her workshop presentation was so tactics-based and interesting; A&BC interviewed her for its newsletter. Everyone keeps talking about social media. What exactly is it? Social media, or SM, is user-generated content on the web. SM offers low-cost and free tools that enable anyone to publish or access information. Examples of SM sites include YouTube, Flickr, Facebook, Wikipedia, Blogger, etc. The key factor of SM is creating conversations and building personal relationships.

Should arts organizations use SM as a PR tactic? SM is a very rewarding PR tactic for arts organizations to employ, though it does require time, creativity and consistency. SM can help your organization connect with volunteers, build relationships with donors, publicize fundraisers and events, and so much more. How much time per week should an organization devote to their SM efforts? I suggest spending about an hour a day on business days with your SM efforts. It’s important to “check in” on a consistent basis.

Do you have any suggestions as to how to make it as easy as possible to maintain SM efforts? A few suggestions for streamlining your SM efforts:

 

  • Create a list of all of the SM outlets with which you’re involved, along with usernames and passwords. This makes passing the baton MUCH easier should you eventually hire someone to help with your efforts, etc.
  • Develop an editorial calendar for topics you want to cover … this helps you stay on top of your messages and keeps the conversation going even on days when you’re not sure what to talk about.
  • Create a folder within your Internet bookmarks so you can store relevant sites for future use. These sites may inspire you for a future blog entry, be something to share with your Twitter followers, and so on.
  • Keep your staff up-to-date on what’s happening with your SM efforts and call for brainstorm sessions so you can keep your content as fresh and creative as possible.
  • Start small … add more and more SM tactics as you become more comfortable with the types that are out there.
  • Don’t be afraid to try new types of SM tactics, but do sit back and listen in on the conversations so you get a good feel for how the environment works.
  • Keep in mind that you get what you give when it comes to SM. There is no secret formula for how much time you should put into it.

 

 

Jenna Gruhala Oltersdorf has managed and executed programs for sole proprietorships, multi-billion dollar companies and nonprofits. When she’s not making PR magic for her clients, Jenna enjoys drag racing Corvettes (she’s undefeated), baking cupcakes and reading Augusten Burroughs. You can find her playing Halo 3 under the Xbox Live gamer tag xxxJENNACIDExxx and on Twitter under @JennaSnacks.

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How PR Works

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Public relations can be an expensive tactic, mainly because the practice is much more than just picking up a phone and getting a story placed. A lot of work goes into a PR campaign including researching story angles, staying on top of what the client’s competitors are doing and saying, and developing a sound strategy. PR is also about the messaging, positioning and any necessary documents including news releases, fact sheets and bios. Once the foundation is set, then your PR team will begin to “pitch” the story angle(s) to media contacts.

A pitch doesn’t become a story after a single phone call (at least, very rarely does that happen). Instead, the PR team is developing relationships with key media contacts on your company’s behalf. More times than not, it takes several phone calls and emails, many follow up efforts, to secure interest in a story. From there, the PR team guides your story through until you’re confirmed to be a part of an upcoming piece.

Once a pitch becomes a story, then the PR team monitors for results secured and reports back to you in a number of different forms.

With any pitch, it’s important to remember that your PR team has no control over what is covered or how it’s covered. This is one of several differences between PR and advertising.

Before working with anyone, no matter the budget, we put a strong emphasis on setting expectations up front. Consider covering these four key questions before moving forward with any PR program.

1. What are the top five media outlets on your wish list? Meaning: For this PR program to be a success, where will you see your name? This helps us gauge story angles, contacts, etc. before ever getting started on your business.

2. What types of outlets are key in helping you meet your business goals? Vertical trade versus consumer magazines, for example.

3.  What is your timing? Most PR results can be seen three to six months after the relationship begins between a company and a PR firm. Keep this in mind as you’re planning future marketing efforts.

4. What are our goals? Define what success looks like including number of placements secured, total impressions, etc. Many PR firms will supply a number of different measurements to show your return on investment.

And finally, PR isn’t just about delivering a big stack of media placements. Today, as PR counselors, we not only assist with generating media mentions, but we’re also developing social media programs and serving as general strategists to assist in your overall marketing program.

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YouTube Reporters’ Center Debuts

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(via mediabistro.com)

With the explosion of news reports from non-media folks using new technology, YouTube, which ends up hosting a good chunk of those video reports, launched a valuable resource. Click here to read more via MediaBistro.

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Free PR Resources

Some people say nothing in life is free. Well, we have to disagree. There are a lot of great, free resources in the world of PR and we’re providing our list of favorites here! Links are embedded throughout this post, so have fun!

Media List Development

While paid services like Cision and Vocus give you very sophisticated media distribution lists with a ton of background information, there are free sites out there that help you get started in building your list.

Media on Twitter provides media contacts throughout the world. The list includes name, Twitter ID, a direct link to the Twitter page, the contact’s title/beat, media outlet and country.  There is also an option to add to the list if you’ve come across a contact that hasn’t been included yet.

Another option for finding journalists on Twitter is by visiting the Media People Using Twitter Wiki. Organized by country, you can find contact names, beats, outlets and Twitter IDs.

Check out TradePub for acess to free business, computer, engineering and trade magazines.

News Release Distribution

PitchEngine is a fantastic resource for distributing news releases for free. While the free option does not help with search engine optimization (SEO), it does assist you in creating a social media (SM) release and allows you to distribute via several different SM channels like Twitter, Facebook, etc. You can follow the creator of PitchEngine, Jason Kintzler, on Twitter: @PitchEngine.

Story Leads

Sign up for Peter Shankman‘s Help a Reporter. Lists of story leads are delivered several times daily and are organized by topic. This is a great resource for all types of story angles and media types. Plus, on Fridays, the list includes gift bag opportunities. You can also follow Peter on Twitter: @skydiver.

While ProfNet is not a free resource, if you’re on Twitter, follow Maria Perez @ProfNet. Quite often urgent leads are posted with the reporter’s contact information. And, Maria is an incredibly nice and helpful person, so it’s a win-win.

And finally, while we’re talking about Twitter, create an account (it’s free) and find journalists covering the topics you want to pitch. More and more reporters are becoming a part of the Twitter community and this is a great way to build a relationship with them and find out what they’re working on.

Media Monitoring

Sign up for Google News Alerts to monitor a variety of key words that interest you. At a minimum, sign up for alerts covering your company’s name as well as your competitors. Google News Alerts are free and you can have them delivered directly to your email inbox.

There are also some great, free resources for monitoring blogs and social media. Try www.technorati.com for researching and monitoring blogs.

Tweet Beep is a great resource for monitoring Twitter. It catches all replies, mentioned, etc.


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Attachment Gripes

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In public relations, we’re constantly sharing information with reporters, clients, vendors, employees, and so on. As computer viruses increase as well as the use of mobile devices such as Blackberries and iPhones, it’s important to consider the types of attachments you’re sending to the recipient.

For example, anytime we’re working with a reporter, we always copy our news release into the body of the email. This allows us to send a smaller-sized email and makes things as easy as possible for our contacts.

This idea applies to others, beyond our media contacts, too. If we are sending a small document for approval by a client, we’ll copy it in the email so they can quickly examine it. However, if it’s a number of documents, or something that is just too long to read on a mobile device, we’ll of course send as attachments.

Job hunters should take note, too. When you send me your cover letter and resume as an attachment, I’m probably not going to open both. It requires too much time and do you really need to have a cover letter for your email?  Consider making the body of your email as the cover letter. Customize it to my business (you can easily find out anything you need from our Web site) and attach your resume so I can file it away.

It’s all about thinking about what you’re sending and what will be the most convenient for the person on the receiving end.

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