8/2/2010
In the increasingly competitive news environment of today’s marketplace, it is important for a public relations firm to understand the dos and don’ts when it comes to interacting with journalists. In order to initiate and maintain relationships with the editors and reporters at the sought after media outlets, and to generate coverage for clients, a capable PR firm must pay attention to the journalists’ pet peeves and avoid them at all cost. At Abelow PR, 25 years of experience in the travel public relations industry has given the agency the know-how to develop and maintain strong relations with top media outlets to increase publicity.
If you were to ask a journalist, they would tell you that the greatest mistake a public relations firm can make is sending generic mass email blasts. Journalists know when an email is not personally written to them and therefore don’t pay any attention to them. An editor expects a pr firm to put time into knowing what that editor covers and approach them with a story that fits their beat with angles that will be of interest. As a boutique PR firm, Abelow PR knows many editors and what they are looking for and can tailor pitches accordingly. Doing so has enabled close, personal relationships with editors at top tier outlets. As a result, of the 350 emails a sought after editor at a publication like the New York Times, they are more likely to open an email from the agency, since they know the proper attention will have gone into it.
Abelow PR makes sure to pay attention to what the journalist actually covers, and that the story is relevant. Steven Baker from BusinessWeek.com confirms that pr ignorance “bruises [his] sensitive ego.” Abelow PR credits its success as a boutique PR firm to the close attention they pay to what the journalists cover.
Also on the list of journalists’ PR pet peeves is being over-persistent by making unnecessary follow-up calls. However, it is necessary to check in with the journalists once they’ve had a day or so to review it. While “pr badgering” can be deterring, Abelow PR knows how to be “pleasantly persistent”, thereby opening a dialogue with the journalist to explore the story further. Interacting with journalists is essential for a public relations agency to be successful, but it has to be handled with kid gloves.
