The number one rule of being successful in the world of publicity (or in just about any other field, for that matter): Dont sabotage your efforts with dumb -- and easily correctable -- mistakes. Here then are the dumb things that publicity seekers do. Avoid them, and youll be well on your way to scoring great coverage! 1. Thinking Like an Advertiser The more you remind a reporter that youre a commercial entity seeking promotional exposure, the less chance you have. Blatant ad copy, excessive use of trademark symbols, overblown quotes, puffed-up claims and other techniques better suited for advertising copy are sure ways to assure that your release gets trashed. You must think like an objective journalist and have a sense of perspective about who you are and what you sell, and communicate that in your materials. If you just cant do that, chances are youve been... 2. Getting Too Close to Your Product If you spend all day eating, breathing and sleeping packing tape, its easy to start believing that the slight change you made in the thickness of your companys new packing tape is an advance on par with the printing press and the polio vaccine. Now, if youre planning on working with Packing Tape Monthly, perhaps the editors of that fine publication will agree. But the guys down at USA Today may hold a different opinion. In deciding (a) whats newsworthy and (b) how to present this news to the media, its vital that you take many steps back and view your company as a marginally interested outsider might. If you cant do that, ask friends, family and other outsiders to help. 3. Getting too Close to a Journalist Ive worked with lots of reporters whose company I enjoyed. Ive shared meals and drinks with a bunch of them. One thing Ive never done, however, is forget who they are and what their jobs are. If a reporter is interviewing you, whether in person or on the phone, never say anything you wouldnt want to appear in a story. Journalists have different interpretations of what "off the record" means, and its foolish to try to test those limits. Carefully think about everything you say, dont be pressured into commenting on things you dont feel comfortable about, stay on message, dont gossip, backbite or share secrets. In short, just as the journalist has his or her job to do, so too do you. Stay smart. 4. Obsessing Over the Big Hits Maybe you really will get on Oprah. And maybe youll win the lottery and never have to work again. In either case, its probably a good idea to have some backup plan in place in case you dont beat out the 10 million or so other folks who harbor the same dreams. Its fine to think big, but smart publicity seekers know that time spent getting actual press coverage is a better investment than chasing dreams. So go ahead and send that press kit to Oprah but, in the meantime, work your butt off to get placement in weekly papers, syndicates, e-zines, local radio and other less glamorous places. Scores of successful businesses have been built on such "small" publicity. You dont need Oprah or Newsweek or the Today show. You need coverage - anywhere and anyway you can get it. Dreamers dream. Publicists get publicity. 5. Reading from a Script Its pretty annoying to pick up the phone at dinner time only to have some guy reading a script about how great vinyl siding is. Now imagine how a journalist, whos busy working on deadline, feels about "publicists" calling up to do the same thing again and again. If youre planning to phone pitch a journalist, never read from a script or repeat a rehearsed spiel. Shes a human being, so talk to her that way. (And always start your call with "Is this a good time to talk?". Never just launch into your pitch.) 6. Using Outdated Media Lists News flash: Look magazine is out of business. So too are about half of the new magazines launched in the past decade, for that matter. Your media list is the lifeblood of your publicity seeking efforts. Take the time to keep it fresh and up to date, or youll be wasting your time. Invest in Bacons media guide (www.bacons.com), visit websites of publications that interest you, visit your local library or bookstore's magazine rack. Do a little homework and youll get a big edge. 7. Not Understanding Timing A non-savvy publicity seeker would ask, "Why do a story about Christmas publicity in June?" A smart publicity seeker understands completely. Its all in the timing. If youre not thinking months ahead, then its probably too late. In early summer, you should be working on "back to school" releases for newspapers and other short-leads (its already too late for long- lead magazines). Have something to offer for Thanksgiving? Start planning now. Learn the lead times for various publications, plan out a yearly schedule. Plan ahead. Plan ahead. Plan ahead. 8. Not Being Accessible If a journalist wants to use your release, he may call to get some more information, get some clarification or even to see if you actually exist. If he gets voice-mail (or a busy signal) and doesnt hear back from you, youve probably blown it. On your releases and pitch letters, include the most accessible phone number you have (your cell phone, perhaps, if youre on the road a lot) and an e-mail address you check throughout the day. If you miss a call from a journalist, or receive an e-mail, get back to him immediately. Dont put it off -- he could be on deadline and have calls in to your competitors. 9. Not Telling the Truth There may be worse people to lie to than journalists -- detectives, IRS agents, the guy whos administering your lie detector test -- but not many. Think about it folks: these men and women are trained to discover the truth. They know how to do research and how to talk to others in your fields to determine whether or not youre being truthful. So dont take any chances. Dont even think about inflating your sales numbers, or making up a story, or pitching something thats mostly BS. Not only will they figure it out, your attempts to bamboozle them may even make it into the press. 10. Being Sloppy Typos, bad printing, hideous press kit covers, poorly shot photos, improperly formatted press releases...these are the signs of an amateur. Amateurs dont get coverage. Before you send out anything, proof it. Then proof it again. Then give it to someone else to proof. Then proof it again |
