Five Deadly PR Sins
There are dozens of mistakes that people make when it comes to public relations, but not all of them are fatal. Many PR firms blunder along for years making the same mistakes over and over again. But here are 5 mistakes you simply can’t make if you want to have long-term success with the media:
Deadly Sin #1
Not doing your homework. It’s pretty basic, but you would be surprised at how many well-paid PR people don’t even do a simple Google search before pitching their story to a journalist.
When I was a TV reporter I would get pitched light, fluffy feature stories long after my station had moved me to hard news. When people would pitch me a “leave them laughing” story, it would make me wonder if they ever bothered to watch one of my reports.
Deadly Sin #2
Sounding too much like a commercial. The reason news outlets have sales departments is so that people can buy advertising. If your pitch to a journalist sounds like a blatant commercial, you’re not even going to get a call back.
With our clients we always peel the commercial off the pitch and put a spotlight on the value to the audience. If your story doesn’t meet the “who cares” test, don’t even bother picking up the phone.
Deadly Sin #3
Lying to the media. If you want to have a relationship with a journalist, your credibility is all-important.
For instance, when we’re getting a client on TV and they’re not an amazing interview, I don’t tell the journalist that they are. We coach our clients on how to talk in soundbites, but some are just naturally better than others.
If a journalist asks me how good an interview someone is, I don’t exaggerate. The truth will come out. My relationship with the reporter is paramount.
Deadly Sin #4
Not paying attention to deadlines. These days reporters are under more stress than ever before. With all the layoffs in the industry, journalists are being asked to do more with less.
If a journalist calls me needing an expert who can talk on a subject, my very first question is “What’s your deadline?” I need to know if I need to drop what I’m doing to help the journalist that minute or if it’s something I can get to later.
Deadly Sin #5
Not learning from your PR mistakes. I’ve written a best-selling book on publicity and I run a thriving PR firm, but I’m learning all the time.
For instance, I worked with a client to make them a good soundbite. We did extensive media training, recording interviews and playing them back over and over again until I felt like the client was ready for live TV. They weren’t. They were nervous and actually went to the bathroom and got sick before the interview.
On air they appeared ashen and unsure. The host was nice, but politely told me later that my guest wasn’t very good and to not let it happen again.
I kicked myself and made a promise that I would never put a client in that situation again unless I was absolutely sure they were ready. I was reminded that despite all our preparation, the poor performance of the client reflected poorly on me.
Leave a Reply