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.

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!

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?

The problem with the PR industry isn’t with the true pros behind it. It’s with all the folks who think it’s so simple they can do it themselves without any training, or the PR folks who try to take the easy route. It's painful to have to watch others continue to tear apart the foundation that hardworking PR professionals have sweated blood and tears to build up. Here are five mistakes that are killing the industry. 

• My company is a story in itself. Think again. Do you know how many folks launch a company annually? A heck of a lot more than there are reporters. In order to be an asset to a reporter and score press for your company, you’ve got to have an understanding of what makes a good story. That takes research, time, reporter and industry insight, and much more. Too many folks are out their pitching themselves with no knowledge of best practices. Reporters view us all the same whether we work an agency or run our own business so all of these ill-targeted and flat pitches are adding up to more clutter/frustration for media.
  

• Just hit send. Mail merges have been around for quite some time but in my opinion they were just another nail in the PR industry’s coffin. They remove any form of “personal” from the media/PR professional’s relationship, starting with a generic media list made from a database, a pitch written for everyone supposedly covering a specific beat and a program to send it to everyone. That’s real personal. Makes a reporter feel all warm and fuzzy inside. What's even better is when it messes up and ends up sending notes with an intro titled, “Dear XX” or the wrong name altogether.
  

• I want Arrington. Arrington has moved on but his legacy continues.  Some PR reps are probably breathing sighs of relief…not only for his occasional rants on the industry but also because CEOs often have the mindset that their story is only valuable if written by the head honcho at a news outlet. By singling out the top guy, they are not only limiting your chances because that certain reporter has to sift through an unfathomable number of emails,  but also because they aren’t targeting the reporter that focuses on their niche. Sending pitches to reporters because of their status rather than their interests is one reason why reporters get annoyed.
  

• Let’s put out a press release.  Maybe I’m in the minority, but I still see value in news/press releases; they can be very helpful to reporters, providing background info such as the parties involved, details of the news, etc. The problem with releases is that every Tom, Dick and Harry thinks they need to push one out for any type of announcement. Too much of something can ruin anything.
  

• Figure it out for yourself. The daily grind in the PR industry is no piece of cake. Sometimes it can feel like you only just stepped off the elevator when the clock chimes five. Not that you are headed home anytime soon but it just reminds you that you need more time. One of the first “to dos” to go from the list is mentoring and professional development, but it needs to be a made a priority. Otherwise, all those lessons you learned the hard way won’t be shared, and your staff and peers won’t be as strong as they could be. PR practices need to be taught – respect the industry and help out its next generation.

What other mistakes are killing the industry?

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!

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?

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?

How many blogs or advice columns have you read on improving your pitching skills or PR tactics? Probably a lot – and how often do you take the advice. This year, let’s make media and the public (we are in the business of relations with the public after all) happy by actually acting on our own advice. 

Here are some PR resolutions worth making happen in 2011:

• Cut the crap. Seriously. Your press release or pitch does not the need the fluff. If the product or company is amazing – media will get the gist. Put your mind to work and find another way to prove it.
  

• Do your homework. Take some extra time and research your targets. Yes, you won’t have the time to pitch the world, but the world most likely isn’t a fit anyway. Narrow your list to five to ten journalists who would be a fit and tailor each pitch for their outlet and style of news.
  

• Delete 10 words. After writing a pitch, go back and trim it by cutting at least 10 words. I’m sure you’ll find that they weren’t necessary and you’ll save media a little time.
  

• Increase your Twitter activity. Don’t just use your feed as a bullhorn for client news. Create a personality for yourself and build relationships with media on the platform. They appreciate the character limit and the speediness of the interactions, not to mention the fact that you’re paying attention to them outside of a press release or pitch.
  

• Get organized. Finally capture all the contact info for reporter friends in one place rather than excel spreadsheet that gets dated the minute you start the document. (Hint: FlackList – shameless plug.)

What are your PR resolutions? Media, what resolutions would you like to see PR folks execute?

That’s what I gather from Cision’s latest media relations survey that identifies more than 50 percent of media say communications pros have only “some understanding” of their jobs, editorial focus and outlet. 

Well, I’m here to tell you that PR folks are far from being lazy. In fact, their days are just as hectic as media's. As a PR professional myself, I always do what I can to read up on a journalist’s latest stories as well as know who to target for a specific beat or section. I know this is an important part of doing my job well. However, I also know that this takes a lot of time if I’m trying to represent five clients and make sure their stories are being heard by the right people. 

That’s why FlackList can be such a valuable tool for both parties. Media can receive pitches more relevant to their beats and interests by sharing additional insight on their profile. Only cover public companies that have seen substantial growth in the past year? Mention that. Do you handle gift guides for a men’s magazine but also feature gifts for girlfriends and moms? Let folks know. Do you write for the front-of-the-book section of the magazine that features products or write a Q&A expert profile featuring c-level executives?  Include it in your bio. 

FlackList can help PR pros know exactly what you are interested in – saving you headache and them time. 

It’s time for technology to help us better communicate and respect one another. FlackList can help.