FlackList Blog

PR professionals have nightmares all year long that are much scarier than anything to do with ghosts and goblins. Ours actually pertain to real people – the clients we serve. Forget black cats, this Halloween we are highlighting the most terrifying clients to cross a PR pros path.

The Micro-manager: We’ve all had this one. They give you a deadline for a document on Tuesday and on Monday ask when they will be able to see it.

The DIYer: I’m not talking about a client that wants you to do it all yourself. I’m talking about the client that gives you an order and then does it themselves. For example, they ask you to say contact a reporter and then they reach out themselves. Or, they ask you to change a pitch and then send you a new version just as you are finishing up the re-draft.

The Unforgiving client: Not sure who this client crossed or crossed them in the past but making a mistake with them is not a pretty sight. They may either treat you like a blithering idiot for the remainder of the relationship or ask for you to be transferred off the account. Yikes!

 The Love You/Hate You client: Oh, this one may be the worst. They praise you daily and then two weeks go by without a placement and the horns come out. Suddenly, you’ve produced no results for them and are the worst agency with which they’ve worked.

The Inhumane Client: This client just has no respect for anyone. They throw out new deadlines and assignments on Fridays at 5 for a deadline of Monday at 8 a.m. They only give criticism for a front page placement or any other success.

The Never satisfied Client: This client is insatiable. You have 15 meetings in NY set up? Well, it looks like we have two slots left – why aren’t those filled? Why did this last Facebook post have less likes than the former? “You got us on the TODAY show – great? But our segment was only two minutes.” Sheesh!

The “I Want my Money Back” client: You don’t want to meet this one – trust me. 

The OCD client: Everything has to be in Calibri and 1.75 spaced. You have to spell out every little detail in summaries but keep it to 250 words. Everything – memos, emails, etc. must be in AP style.

The Ad Person in a PR Title Client:  The client who edits your pitches so that she can insert “marketing messages” into the copy and thinks that media will simply pick up whatever you send out and run it verbatim. The client who is only satisfied when the story resulting from an interview reads like an ad, or who keeps pushing you to pitch a business/workplace story to a morning show who only covers fluff.

The “Ellen”/”The View”/TODAY-obsessed Client:  It used to be “Oprah” but now everyone seems to want “Ellen,” “The View” or GMA. And they don’t have a celebrity or a budget to do audience giveaways. Right.

The Talker:  This is the client who can talk the birds out of the trees and eats up your whole budget with calls and face-to-face meetings to discuss minute issues or even her personal life. She seems lonely and needs her agency to make any decision, big or small.

Strategy Seeker:  “They get great media results, but don’t give us any strategy.” Many a client has arrived on our doorstep with this lament about their previous firm and the reality 99% of the time is that they don’t have the budget for strategic discussions or any of the big program ideas we threw into the pitch to get the business. But a month into the account they are screaming for the hits.

The Make Me Look Bad Client:  The client who asks you to pitch top tier media promising juicy data or key interviews and then leaves the reporter … and you … hanging out to dry when they don’t deliver. Nice way to get your agency person blackballed from a reporter she will likely need to pitch for another client long after this client is long gone. This is also the client who begs for media placements and beats down your door to get “results” but who “forgets” to return the calls of a “Today” show producer for 2 days after your release goes out.

You need it. Otherwise it’s going to take a heck of a long time to build awareness of your product or brand through just word of mouth spread by you.

PR shouldn’t drain your bank account. Sure, you’ve got an office space now and are feeling official but that’s no reason to lose your head. Big agencies do bring a lot to the table but their admin time and team turnover can waste your precious start up dollars. Determine how much you think you should spend monthly – yes, you should do a retainer – and how to best put that money to use. Small agencies and freelancers can have just as strong relationships as the big guys depending on your needs.

Know where your money is going. By the time most start ups get PR, they are ready to hand the reigns over to someone else so that they don’t have to think about it anymore. I hate to be the one to tell you that now is the time you get even more involved. Collaborate, set goals and finalize your plan. Look at where your money is going. Ask how much work is administrative and determine how much of that you really need.

Determine your measurement goals. I have a love/hate relationship with measurement. I hate it because it truly is hard to determine a realistic way to measure if PR is working for you. We all know that increased organic traffic, more facebook likes and tons of positive stories demonstrate success but what about those companies where – let’s be realistic – this doesn’t happen so quickly. Work with your PR reps to determine what you would consider success – on a short-term and long-term basis. Ask them if this is realistic. Don’t play the game where you say one thing and they just say ok. Have a PR team that is as good at coaching and mentoring as they are at executing and delivering.

PR pros aren’t magicians. We can’t make stories magically appear the night after hiring us and we can’t “make” a reporter write about your company. We can help you finesse or even find your story and tell it the right way to the right people.

Results take time. Unless your father is Bill Gates or you’ve partnered with Mark Zuckerberg on a new venture, reporters most likely won’t be chomping at the bit when your story is pitched. There are some nuggets of info that make a reporter’s ears perk up but it takes time for most stories and opportunities to come to fruition. 

There are no promises in PR. If an agency or PR professional promises you anything, be very skeptical. After a decade in the business, I can promise you this: there is very little control in PR. The best thing you can do is have someone who you respect and trust and is straight with you and very upfront as to what work has been done, what progress has been made and why goals have or haven’t been met. You can have a great captain steering your ship but it is still going to be a huge struggle when a big storm comes your way.

There are many roads to success. As with any endeavor there are many dead ends but always other routes to try. Just because one strategy didn’t work, don’t freak out and fire your PR representation. Once you bring them on, treat them like they are part of the team, not a temporary hire. They will be much more committed to your business if you are open with them about your business successes and failures. Take some time to evaluate why this particular strategy didn’t work and determine your next strategic move.

Refer, refer, refer. So you aren’t the biggest client on their roster? Get some extra love by referring their PR work to other start-ups or businesses (if you are pleased with their performance.) PR pros love loyalty and praise (it’s not handed out lightly) so it can get you some major brownie points and possibly some extra attention.

Retainers are flexible. I mention above that I do recommend a retainer. I do so because you always want a well connected and experienced PR pro looking out for your brand. I didn’t mention that you don’t have to have the same cash retainer for every month. You can increase it during launch/release months and lower it during months that are going to be a little quieter. I don’t recommend just doing something monthly just to do it. You need a good reason to be reaching out to journalists, hosting events, etc. I do recommend having a touch point for media and spending your money and their time wisely.

Give credit where credit is due. If your PR rep or agency is doing an awesome job, let them know. The PR industry is brutal (though launching a company isn’t easier) but a little praise goes a long way and can do wonders for your team loyalty.

Fellow PR pros, any that you’d like to add so startups 

By Ronnie Manning/MyntPR

As public relations and marcom professionals, we have all gotten advice from some pretty savvy minds throughout our careers. Whether in school, your first job, or late into your career there is probably one nugget of advice that someone told you that has stuck with you to this day.

I can say that the best piece of advice that I was ever told (and one that I still reference often) was back when I was fresh out of college and working at Edelman in DC.  That piece of advice was “Public Relations is a marathon, not a sprint.”  I still think that this holds true today, but I would say that with the introduction of social media into our daily PR lives, the pace of the marathon has definitely been kicked up a notch, so maybe now we are running a 5K. 

I was curious to know what other bits of advice PR practitioners have received that has helped guide their careers.  I reached out to peers in the industry and asked them what they would consider some of the best public relations advice that they have ever received and if they met a new graduate who is about to do a cannonball into the PR pool, what would they tell them?

 Below are 35 great pieces of advice - some I’ve heard, many I haven’t, most I’ll repeat - so, chew these little nuggets up and digest. 

1. The best advice I ever got was from one of my college professors and I’ve carried it with me into my career: KISS: Keep it Simple Stupid - Elyse Petroni

2. Unless you have a weekend event, or want to purposely bury a story - never pitch the press or send out a press release on a Friday - Kathleen G. Berzon 

3. Best piece of advice I ever received came from a Silicon Valley venture capitalist who told me that ‘Information is Currency’ -  Jane Evans-Ryan

4. Court Attention at All Costs: Never let yourself get lost in the crowd, then, or buried in oblivion. Stand out. Be conspicuous, at all cost. Make yourself a magnet of attention by appearing larger, more colorful, more mysterious, than the bland and timid masses. - Ryan Holiday 

5. There isn’t one right way of achieving results (placements, mentions, social media following, etc.). You have to figure out what works for you and always be creative” Janice Yu

6. Never let your ego get in the way - especially if you are just out of college. It’s easy to think that a certain task is “beneath” you, doing these things shows that you are a team player and can take on whatever is thrown at you. - Stephanie Yonus

7. Media/PR world is a small world, so don’t burn any bridges. - Daniel K. Lobring 

8. When you walk into a meeting with a client, say one smart thing and ask one smart question. - Michele Moore

9. During my very first PR internship, my boss emphasized the importance of being courteous toward clients and the media, especially when on the phone. - April Harter

10. The best piece of advice I’ve ever received was from a professor who told his students to “take ownership of our work.” - Beth Parker 

11. The best piece of advice I had received from a PR trainer when I first started was: “We’re tellers, not sellers. As soon as a journalist smells a whiff of sales, your press release is going in the bin.” - Vickie Chiu 

12. Don’t rely on other people tell the world how great you are. You are and will always be your own best cheerleader. - Erica J. Sandberg 

13. Especially during these tough economic times, having the ability to help bring in new business can make you a huge asset for a company. - Hana Bieliauskas 

14. The best PR advice I ever got was from a former manager and she often told me “It’s PR, not the ER.” - Nivene Judeh 

15. The best advice I’ve received regarding PR is actually twofold: 1) tailor your message to the right audience (ie:don’t just blindly send out press releases to any media contact with an email address) and 2) always say thank you when something gets picked up. - Meghan Ely 

16. Whenever something happens, the first two questions you need to ask yourself are: who do I need to tell? And who do I need to thank? - Laura Kane 

17. The best advice I received was from my first internship and it was to “Write tight.”- Rachel Esterline 

18. Always, always, always have someone proofread your work. Let me repeat this for the folks in the cheap seats, always, always, always have someone proofread work. Do not rely on spell check because it won’t catch pubic and dead when you meant public and deaf. - Shannon Mouton 

19. Listen before you speak. And when the other person is done talking, ask if he or she has anything else to say. - Susan Matthews

20. The best advice I ever received was to tell “the story behind the story.” - Shel Horowitz 

21. The best PR advice I received was from my Advanced Public Relations professor, “Tell YOUR Story and Tell it FAST!” - Jill Morris 

22. Relationships matter above all, and that you build relationships by making yourself useful, not annoying. The PR practitioner should focus on providing helpful service to the journalist whenever possible. Help them source good story ideas, provide sources with intelligent contributions to make, thank them for their time and attention. - Laura Fitton 

23. When you pitch your company, pitch it as if you are writing the article for the publication. - Erik Huberman 

24. Read, read and read some more. The best way to be a strategic counselor to your clients is if you build time into your day—every day—to read about what is going on in the world. Schedule time on your calendar if you need to, but make reading a daily habit. - Lisa Tilt 

25. Don’t get into a pissing match with someone who buys ink by the ton. - Mark LoCastro 

26. PR is not about spin. It’s about telling the truth well. - Mark Grimm

27. The best advice I have ever been given is to “toot your own horn because no one else is going to do it.” - Catherine Fiehn 

28. The best PR advice I ever received is also the most fundamental rule, “Always know who you are pitching beforehand” - Walter Ocner 

29. Public relations is a lot of different things to a lot of different people. Before new practitioners commit to an organization or even to an industry, they need to understand what that organization/industry places under the public relations umbrella. - Alana J. Mauger 

30. Best advice I got and give is “Just because someone asks you a question doesn’t mean you have to answer it.” - Darlene Tenes 

31. Things are going to go wrong, and we’re probably going to be blamed. We just have to accept it, apologize for it, and turn it into a good thing later on. - Meghan Williams 

32. The main ingredient is HUSTLE. No, seriously, it’s the ability and desire to passionately pitch your product to the media any time (it’s 6:53PM on Friday and here I am) with the right angle, the right message and the right attitude. - Adrian Salamunovic

33. Tell the Truth Faster - Dave Phillipson

34. Don’t say anything (on/off the record) you’d regret seeing in print. - Marc Holloran

35. “Never let them see you sweat” is some of the best advice I have gotten with regard to both the PR business and clients. - Janet A. Fallon

And if you have any advice that isn’t listed, please feel free to add in the comments!

Ronnie Manning is the Principal for Mynt Public Relations, a technology and consumer electronics boutique agency located in San Diego.

Posting a news release on FlackList is a great start to generating publicity for your brand. Notice I used the word “start.” That’s because it’s only the beginning. Here are five ways to generate even more impressions of your release:

• Share it on your social news feeds. Push it out via Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn – you name it.
• Share your release with employees, friends and family and ask them push it out via social channels as well.
• Send a link of your announcement to key reporters. Don’t know where to start? Here’s a few tips on creating a media list for free.
• Subscribe to relevant media query categories on FlackList so you can reach out and share your release when appropriate.

With google’s new ranking system, higher shares equal a higher ranking for your release. So what are you waiting for?  Start sharing!

My last post upset a few PR pros (maybe those select few of us that take our jobs a little too seriously) because I possibly came off sounding like media hate PR pros. Now, media don’t hate PR pros. Hate is such a strong word. Tee hee, only teasing. Yes, a handful might not like us, but a majority do and some might, just might love us.

Why? Well I’ll tell you:

• We are here to serve them. Working on a story that doesn’t include my client? It’s 2 a.m. with an hour until your deadline? That’s ok. Let me see what I can do for you.

• We’re nice to them even when they treat us like crap. Most journalists are having bad days or crazy busy days as they like to tell us. Sure, we aren’t. I mean we get to call up cheery journalists eager to talk to us and relay their incredibly helpful feedback to our patient, understanding clients. Riiiiight. Regardless we are always happy to get them what they need when they need it, or at least try our best. 

• We keep them informed. Yes, they don’t like to receive news releases on everything, but they LOVE being first to know real news. Without us, they’d have to spend a lot more time digging up news, making their days even busier.

• We know what they want. Well, the good PR pros do and surely all of you reading this are pretty savvy. Without us, they’d be dealing with a bunch of naïve CEOs and entrepreneurs who really do think their crappy story is worth telling, leaving out all the important info that WE know reporters want in order to consider a story, a story.

• Samples, anyone? Ok, ok, I know the regulations about receiving samples or freebies, but let’s be real. Reporters don’t have time to go out and pick up a bunch of items to consider for review or to test for their readers. They might not get to keep the items but we make their lives a hell of a lot easier by getting it right in their hands.

• We give them insider access. Many a CEO has been skeptical about a reporter’s intentions. It can oftentimes take a LOT of convincing to get a reporter access to top execs, behind-the-scenes settings, etc. Convincing from an experienced PR pro who knows the value far outweighs the risk (on a case-by-case basis of course.)

• We spread their news. Hey, we not only do PR for our clients but we’re here to help reporters get their stories shared as well. We are some of the most active participants on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Reddit, Pinterest, etc.

• We make them smarter. Ok, we already know how intelligent reporters are, but in a lot of cases, they are assigned to beats that they know nothing about. Scheduling desk sides and interviews with our experts get them up to speed faster than having to read a dozen books on their kindle or spending hours researching on the internet. 

And the list goes on. Tell me, what did I miss? Let’s celebrate all the ways we are loved by the media!

I’m not sure if I cringe or chuckle more when I see a college student or college graduate comment how glamorous public relations is or that they would be good at it because they like to talk to people, host events, etc.

Reality check: PR is NOT glamorous. If that is in your top five reasons for entering the industry, it's best to change directions now.

The truth is most people don’t understand public relations, even those entering the field. As a PR pro, I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing because if we want to get down to it, most of the time it is a thankless job with a lot of blood, sweat, stress and tears.

Every day is a new day full of opportunities to make an impact for the company or brands you represent but there is never enough time and luck isn’t always on your side. Yes, I’m saying it. Luck does play a part in PR. Call it whatever you want – timing, circumstance – if you’re in PR, you’ve experienced it and usually when you really, really needed it. There is a God!

BUT, you should never count on luck to be on your side. Every successful outcome starts with a solid strategy with various plans of attack. By “attack”, I don’t mean duping reporters, spinning the truth or forcing a story down anyone’s throat.

Smart PR pros focus on the brand and the consumers. What is their love line? What is it that brings them together? They start there and build programs, platforms, pitches – whatever to emphasize the strengths of the brand. I get so sick of people assuming everything in PR is a lie. Yes, there have been serious cover ups and flops under the PR flag but that isn’t the premise of PR. We helps brands tell their stories – true stories. We compliment other marketing programs like advertising to give life to a brand, a personality/reputation that you respect.

So to the next generation of PR pros coming in, here are five things to prepare yourself for:

• Be prepared to work your butt off with little pay
• Be prepared not to receive much praise but be given quite a bit of responsibility (every part of a PR team is important)
• Be prepared to be given little respect by journalists and some clients until you’ve earned it
• Be prepared to listen/soak in all information when told the first time
• Be prepared to continue making mistakes/learning throughout your career
• Be prepared to feel immense pride when you see the positive impact you’ve help make for a company

I’m not trying to scare away new recruits but I want the ones joining the ranks to be as tough as nails and ready to dive in head first, not expect to flounce around at parties in cute clothes, mingling with celebrities.

There’s incredible, incredible power in PR that can give the foundation for a career in any industry. You just have to have the hunger to learn. Well, that and exceptional writing skills, a lack of fear for public speaking, creative thinking and the list goes on.

Any words of wisdom you’d like to share with those joining the PR ranks?

NOTE: Scroll all the way down the page to leave a comment.

Feel like getting on someone’s nerves today? Well, that’s pretty much how every day starts as a PR pro because you’re contacting someone who doesn’t know that they want to hear from you. It’s not always a negative experience, but 75% percent of the time you get, “this isn’t a good time” from the reporter you called. Aren’t you glad you asked? You don’t want to know what they would have said if you hadn’t.

Here are 17 more ways to get on a journalist’s bad side so steer clear of them.

1)      Send a 1,000 word email detailing why your company deserves coverage

2)      Send a mass email that has [insert name] in place of the reporter’s name

3)      Send a press release and follow up with a phone call asking if they received it

4)      Send a mass email period.

5)      Call them during a breaking news announcement

6)      Call them before they’ve had their coffee

7)      Call them and not know anything about the company you are pitching

8)      Include large files in emails

9)      Not respond to their email within 30 seconds

10)   Not follow through on information requests

11)   Ask to sit in on phone interviews

12)   Ask to see a list of questions before an interview

13)   Flake on an interview or have a client that flakes

14)   Request to review an article before it goes to print

15)   Don’t include phone/cell in email signature

16)   Send a pitch and go on vacation

17)   Request a correction for misinformation you gave them

Let’s help each other out. Do you have any to add to the list?

This Sunday we celebrate dad. PR pros can feel even more thankful to their “big guy” for preparing them for the crazy world of public relations with his wise adages. Here’s a list of my personal favorites and how they apply to PR:

• A little dirt never hurt anyone, just wipe it off… i.e. yes, crisis happen but there are ways to recover. You’ve just got to get up and do it.

• Whoever said life was supposed to be fair i.e. so your team lead took credit for a placement you scored? Suck it up. You can’t say, “No, wait I secured that. No one likes a whiner, tattle tale or attention hog.

• This hurts me a lot more than it hurts you.i.e. your client really did feel awful throwing that press announcement and messaging prep over to you an hour before they were due on a call with the CEO. Right…

• Always say "please" and "thank you". You’ll get more. i.e. media love polite PR pros. Well, can anyone really resist one?

• I'll tell you why. Because I said so. That's why. i.e. yes, you’re up at midnight doing timesheets, brainstorming ideas for a ridiculously boring launch that’s due tomorrow. Get over it. This is PR.

• Keep your eye on the ball. i.e. make your plans and follow them, but most importantly, stay focused on the end goal. If your plan ever starts to stray from that, don’t be stubborn. Change it and get back on track.

• I'm not just talking to hear my own voice! i.e. don’t babble on media calls!

Any you’d care to add? And to all the dads out there, Happy Father’s Day! 

Press releases are as old as the PR profession but that doesn’t mean they have to be boring or not useful.

If you are new to PR or have no experience in the field, you may be wondering, “What is the point of a press release and why is it called a press release?”

Press releases are primarily treated by reporters as a backgrounder for important news announcements. They provide provide media with the cold, hard facts of an announcement, parties involved, verbiage of how the company likes to be described, who to contact, etc. Thus, they are releases for the press.

There are other terms used for a press release but a new one to arrive on the scene is the social news release (SNR) which is a basically a press release with social sharing capabilities. It’s also a little different than a press release because rather than just being media facing, it’s also written for audience of choice so that they may be inclined to share the news via Twitter, linkedIn and/or Facebook.

Before writing your release, ask yourself is this information newsworthy and be honest in your response.What makes something newsworthy? If you hesitate on this question then most likely your “news” isn’t worthy of a release. If you consider the announcement to be a company milestone or can honestly say that an audience whether consumer or b2b would want to know about it then take the time to write a press release.

Now that you have determined whether your news warrants a release, it’s time to put one together.

There is one secret to writing a great press release: simplicity. Sure it’s fun to be clever and do a play on words but don’t go overboard and add a bunch of fluff. Reporters have limited time to read your news and they will toss it aside if they can’t digest the premise within the first couple of sentences.

Generally speaking a press release contains the following:

Headline:This summarizes your news and tells them what you are announcing. Try to keep it to seven words or less.

Sub-head:This elaborates on the news shared in the headline, calling out why the announcement is newsworthy.

Date/City of Origination:Include the date of the news announcement as well as where the news is originating from.

Intro paragraph:Again, summarize the news here as well as elaborate a little further on details not yet mentioned.

Background info paragraphs: These graphs share all information pertinent to the announcement. Include all details a reporter might want to know. Don’t over share though.

Quote(s):Most releases contain quotes from the CEO or executive leading the charge as well as any partners involved. These aren’t generally used by media but it does help with SEO around the executive and provides an option to media who don’t have time for an interview.

Boilerplate:This is a general summarization of your company or organization. These are usually listed at the bottom of the press release.

Media Contact:Always include the name, email and phone number of someone the press can contact.

Images/Video:Visuals always make news more enticing.

Hyperlinks:Include links back to important web sites to search optimize your company’s website and news.

Social Media Pitch:This is specific to SNRs. Make your pitch clever and short so that others will be inclined to open the link or want to share it with others.

Bottom line: Short and to the point is always easy on the eyes and mind.

That’s about it for the basics. Good luck! 

It’s happened so many times you don’t even dare to try and count. But no matter how many times you hear one of the below sayings slip from a client’s lips, you still feel the urge to throw everything off your desk and possibly break something. Well, maybe it doesn’t go that far but these sayings can definitely make you throw your hands up in the air and not in a Kelly’s Clarkson kind of way. Sigh…all in a day’s work as a PR pro, right? Go ahead and add your favorite least thing to hear from a client – we can all relate.

“Can I do the interview over email?”

“Can you find out what the reporter wants to ask before we commit to an interview.?”

 “I’ll be able to proof the article before it runs, right?”

“Why weren't we in this story?”

“We want this news embargoed." [when it’s not news]

“I reached out to the reporter directly.”

“This press release needs a lot of work.”

“We’ve decided to go in a different direction.”

“Yeah… sorry, I forgot about the interview.”

“I need this done in an hour.”

“We have an announcement that we want to go out tomorrow.”

“We need this to be viral.”

“We only want to give [insert top media outlet] an exclusive”

“Are you sure this is going to work?”

Mashable recently highlighted some tips from us on how to catch and keep a journalist’s attention. These are great rules to follow. We wanted to call out a few of these for those you who may be pitching on FlackList. It’s our goal for this site to be beneficial to everyone – media and those trying to get coverage – but it will only work everyone plays by the virtual rules.

The number one rule to always follow is don’t waste a reporter’s time. If they put out a query for something, don’t respond with one sentence saying you have a great company for consideration and ask for them to let you know if you can send info. That is causing them to have to respond to you without knowing if what you even have to offer is of any value. You will annoy them before you even got on their good side. Unless they are unusually nice, you most likely blew your chance.

Offer just enough. A reporter needs to have an idea of what you are offering – why it is a fit and what makes it special. This should take three to five average length sentences. If they want more, they will ask.

Take your time. I know, we said, “be fast” in our tips which is key, but you also have to provide a stellar response. This is probably the most amount of time you’ve ever spent on three sentences but it could result in an article so it’s worth it. It’s wise to craft a description of your company that you really like and have it ready to go so all you need to do is tweak your description based on the query and hit send.

What’s your story? Ask yourself this. Pretend that you have a reporter on the hook and you have to sell them your story. What’s interesting about your company? What sets you apart? What is the news here? Where’s the fire? Come up with multiple scenarios and write mini “pitches” for all of them so you can have them on hand when the time comes. Make sure to tweak them for individual story needs but this way you aren’t rushing to create something from scratch.

You’re not doing media a favor by responding to their queries. It’s actually the opposite. They are doing you a favor by allowing you the opportunity to pitch your company for a story. Don’t blow it. Treat every opportunity with respect. Just as you wouldn’t reach out to a potential employer asking a question about a job before you submitted why you are a fit for the position, don’t do that to a reporter. Gain their interest; earn their respect by listening and responding professionally.

Happy pitching!

This past week I’ve needed a little refresher in tricky grammatical issues so thought you all might need a reminder too. Here a few of my favorite “high patrol” situations. 

AFFECT VS. EFFECT (Writer’s Block)

"Affect" is usually a verb meaning "to influence". The drug did not affect the disease.

 "Effect" is usually a noun meaning "result". The drug has many adverse side effects.

 "Effect" can also be used as a verb meaning "to bring about". The present government effected many positive changes.

 IN TO VS. INTO (The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation)

One of the main uses of the preposition into is to indicate movement toward the inside of a place.

The children jumped into the lake for a swim. Mom drove the car into the garage.

 In to is the adverb in followed by the preposition to.

He turned his paper in to the teacher. The administrators wouldn’t give in to the demands of the protesters.

We will explore into vs. in to in more depth in a future blog.

I.E. VS. E.G. (About.com)

"i.e." stands simply for "that is," which written out fully in Latin is 'id est'. "I.e." is used in place of "in other words," or "it/that is." It specifies or makes more clear. Use "i.e." to paraphrase.

"E.g." means "for example" and comes from the Latin expression exempli gratia, "for the sake of an example," with the noun exemplum in the genitive (possessive case) to go with gratia in the ablative(prepositional case). "E.g." is used in expressions similar to "including," when you are not intending to list everything that is being discussed.

Pop Quiz

1. Rheumatic fever can affect/effect the heart
2. He said he was greatly worried, or words to that affect/effect.
3. I’m going to turn the wallet I found into/in to the police.
4. If your battery is running low, you’ll need to plug your power cord into/in to the socket.
5. The elephant is a pachyderm, i.e./e.g., an animal with thick skin and nails resembling hooves.
6. Buy some vegetables, i.e./e.g., carrots.

Answers

1. Affect
2. Effect
3. in to
4. into
5. i.e.
6. e.g.

How many did you get right?

Perhaps this is a dumb question. And if it is, I’ll be glad to get finally get a sound answer to clear up any confusion. Though old as dirt, press releases are still an important part of relaying key facts about company news to journalists. I get that. I typically include the release under a tailored pitch to my top targets. For those media, I know they’ve received my release and hopefully read it. My question isn’t about my pitching; it’s about the wire.

We pay big bucks to put a release over the wire. After all, it isn’t official until it has been made searchable, right? So who is searching for our news? Who received the release? Read it, clicked through or whatever the measurements are for wire services? I know wire services have partnerships with outlets to feature new releases on their sites. Only these are usually only found through searching google. Good luck trying to actually find it on their site. I doubt anyone could. And, it only lasts for a limited period of time.

So, what are we paying these big bucks for? Journalists, how do you receive your wire news? RSS feeds? What happens if you’re out sick the day my release crosses the wire? Am I just sh*t out of luck?  

PR folks, please weigh in here too if you have insight. I’m very interested in finding some answers so I can make sound recommendations to my clients.

Read. Don’t be lazy! Seriously, slow down and do your homework. Read at least five articles the reporter has most recently written so you are aware of the types of stories he/she writes, any beat/column changes, etc.

Personalize. Toss that gigantic media list in the trash. Rather than pissing off a journalist, why not make their day? Identify five targets and pull info that would make a great angle for each publication. Tailor each pitch specifically for that reporter/outlet.

Simplify. Cut the crap. Reporters don’t have time for it and it’s embarrassing. What’s the story? What’s interesting about it? Lead with that – keep the pitch super brief. If they’re interested, they’ll follow up.

Wait. Yep, that’s right. Reporters don’t want you calling them during their morning coffee to see if they have received your release. Give them at least a week. If you haven’t heard anything, follow up with an email…maybe with a juicy piece of news you left out, to see if they have any interest. If you want to brave a call, go ahead. Just don’t say we didn’t warn you.

Finalize. Fifty percent of media opportunities most likely don’t happen because a PR person dropped the ball (or their executive has bailed.) Don’t be a flaky flack. Your reputation is on the line for every bit of correspondence you make with a reporter. Whatever you do, follow through and get the reporter whatever he/she needs, even if that means another source.

Repeat. Phew. You made it through the jungle. Guess what? It’s time to go back in. Have fun!

If you’re a PR pro, you most likely do not like to be referred to as a Flack. If you’re a journalist, you love dubbing a PR rep as one since you have that love-hate relationship going on. Many of you might be surprised to know that being called a Flack is actually a compliment not an insult.

There is a big discrepancy between the two terms Flak and Flack. According to Dictionary.com, the term Flak refers to “anti-aircraft fire or artillery.” Most specifically, the term is derived from German short form ofFliegerabwehrkanone, meaning anti-aircraft gun, which was popularized during WWII. One might say a PR pro is constantly at war firing multiple guns at once to combat negative publicity, or perhaps is the big puff of smoke from the artillery explosions.

Well, breathe a sigh of relief PR pros because that term isn’t meant for you. The term Flack is and came about from the first well-known public relations man, Gene Flack, according to a number of well-known sources including The New York Times, PRWeek, Word-Detective.com and so on.

To quote Word-Detective, “a magazine called ‘Better English’ reported in June 1939 that the show-business newspaper Variety was, at that time, “trying to coin the word ‘flack’ as a synonym for publicity agent,” adding that “the word is said to be derived from Gene Flack, a movie publicity agent.” 

Gene Flack was known for doing an amazing job working with the press and helped create legacies for a number of stars that have well outlasted their lifetimes. What’s so bad about that?

So, are you a Flack or not?

It seems like every month you hear about a magazine folding or a news outlet laying off staff. It’s heartbreaking to watch. Yes, as a PR person, my professional side worries about fewer reporters to pitch, but much bigger than that, as a person, I feel for these people who are fighting an uphill battle while pursuing their passion. (Yes, PR people have hearts and souls!)

According to the East Bay Business Times, the non-scientific San Francisco Bay Area Journalist Census of more than 700 current and former Bay Area journalists revealed that 44.7 percent “say they have been laid off, accepted a buyout or voluntarily left their job during a period of downsizing during the past 10 years.” Forty four percent!  

The positive side of this?  Only three percent of respondents said they are currently unemployed, two percent have retired, and 15 percent described themselves as workers or students in fields other than journalism. More than 70 percent are working as journalists or “journalism entrepreneurs.”

Oppositely, the Business Times believe this finding to be negative, saying that the above "shows it’s hard to transform a journalist into something else, no matter how grim the outlook appears for the profession." 

I would never think that. Media, do you feel this way?

It’s mind blowing to see how much the media industry has shifted over the past decade. Any thoughts on what’s in store in the next?

As PR pros, we cringe at the thought of Michael Arrington or another reporter calling us out for a bad PR move – but can it also be considered a new age PR tactic?

I mean, surely the flack behind this pitch of a vaginal moisturizer for mom this Mother’s Day knew she/he was scraping the barrel? Or, perhaps they thought, maybe this is just SO out there that a reporter will blog or tweet about the ludicrosity of it and score some ink for a hard product to promote.

Perhaps the good PR practitioners don’t sit around saying, “Let’s make a viral video.” But rather say, “hey, let’s really go out on a limb and make ourselves look like asses – maybe that’s what it takes?”

Media/PR pros, what do you think? Do we play it too safe too often? Should PR pros act like idiots more often?

AP held its February Twitter chat (#APStyleChat) today covering questions on entertainment. Here are some interesting tidbits shared. Quite baffling, huh?!

• We don't use quotes for the James Bond films but do for the "Star Wars" series.
  

• Movie, video game and book titles are compositions and take quotes. Character names do not.
  

• We capitalize the first letter of a company name or product if it begins a sentence: IPod, EBay. (They have changed their tune from our tech update!)
  

• Actor vs. actress. It's actress for Oscars, but actor for Screen Actors Guild.
  

• In Stylebook Online's pronunciation guide: Ricky Gervais jer-VAYS', Beyonce bee-AHN'-say and Kanye West KAHN'yay.
  

• AP recently added onstage (one word) to Stylebook.

In the words of Amy Poehler, Tina Fey and Seth Meyer, “Really, FTD and Groupon? You wouldn’t think folks would notice that you jacked up prices on a different website? Really? I mean we might pay out the wazoo for roses on Valentine’s Day but you don’t think we still wouldn’t price compare on the INTERNET? Really?”

I’m pretty appalled by Groupon and FTD in this whole ordeal. It’s great that they are refunding peeved consumers’ money for the supposed $20 for $40 worth of merchandise deal but you can’t buy back people’s trust. I personally wouldn’t go back to a site that tried to rip me off and I might turn on over to Living Social from Groupon since the monster discount company appears to be getting lazy in their deal checking. 

It’s so sad that a PR success turned into a PR massacre because of greed. Would you use these vendors again? What would you do if you were in their PR reps shoes?