Abelow PR’s dedicated team secures feature coverage for client, Casa Bonita Tropical Lodge, in National Geographic Traveler
When I was starting out in PR all those years ago I sat at a conference table with one of the great legends in the field, who said to a prospect, “Yes of course we can get you on the cover of Time Magazine.” When we left the office, he said to me, “you deliver or you are gone.” Scary but true.
So many promises are made in PR to land accounts, and so many agencies don’t deliver on those promises. What we find over and over again is a new client saying, “You delivered more results in a month, then the other agency did in six months!” The difference? They make promises and don’t deliver: we make reasonable projections and over-deliver.
In the book Traders, Guns and Money by Satyajit Das about the emergence of derivatives, he quotes an oft-touted phrase sales people used to secure accounts: “Draw them in with the prospect of gain, take them by confusion.” It’s actually from The Art of War, a book I won’t read. However, that’s another myth out there about PR: its all very mysterious how stories are placed, and its based on who you know.
Here are a few insider PR pointers:
1. Its Creativity and Diligence — PR is actually a science, and like any discipline, there is an artistic side to it. There is creativity and brainstorms. Then there is diligence and hard work. Its dedication to rolling out the campaign, responding to news that emerges that affects your client, and politely pitching the media. Then results are the bottom line – and good quality features.
2. Earn the Ear of Editors and Key Reporters — Becoming a trusted source for the press is primo. And that comes with feeding them the news regarding your client in palatable, bite-sized, but captivating parcels. Then politely following up with further information and gentle nudges. And then when they want the elephant on the beach in Goa to shoot the cover for Conde Nast Traveler, you deliver. That’s why they depend on us.
3. Always Tell The Truth To Press and Clients – I have had bosses years ago who promised the cover of Time Magazine to a prospect when it was not at all reality. I have seen PR people hype stories so they bear little relevance to the actual truth. My motto: always be truthful, and veracity is king when it comes to press relations.
4. Watch the News Cycle and Sell Relevant Stories – See what’s in the news that is topical and piggyback on the hook. That way your news is useful to the press, and most of all timely. Subscribe to feeds by the New York Times and the Huffington Post and follow them religiously.
5. Write Clear Concise Copy That’s Pithy — Too many writers try to show off their talents learned at college in English, when what the press and bloggers are looking for is easy to digest news. Use short, opening paragraphs followed by bullets, and of all things, tailor it to the reporter. Read their columns and see what they write about, because they will disregard what is not in their field, and pay attention to what is, if its punchy and catchy.
What are some recent examples of your PR success?