Successful PR needs more than a fingersnap: Copywriting, convincing editors, and always keeping calm. But what doesn't work at all? If you avoid these 10 things, nothing will stand in your way on the road to top PR work!
We don’t do advertising but pass on relevant information about our customers and their products. That's why you should also pay close attention to the wording in press releases. Journalists will not publish advertising texts, so it is best to formulate them accordingly directly. "Our unbeatable new product is far superior to the competition" would not be factual enough. Instead, it should be formulated objectively: "The new product has the following advantage compared to competitors(...)".
When approaching media professionals, this should not be done for a trivial reason. Therefore, giving value is the key to getting published in the first place. Whether it is because of social relevance, for example, if it is about stock-exchange topics or important investments, due to entertainment value (e.g. surveys or interviews), or due to news value for certain target groups (new products, updates that bring exciting innovations, etc.).
" The worm must be attractive to the fish, not to the fisherman" - this is exactly the guideline PR should follow, because: It is not about expressing the company's interest, but about what the target group wants to read. Those who only fire the company's interests head-on at the target group are basically doing advertising in the guise of PR.
If you send out press releases on a regular basis, you should make sure to forward them to the relevant media. If editors are constantly spammed with information on topics that are of no interest to them, they will ignore emails. In this way, opportunities are lost to reach them for other potential topics. Instead, if you specifically search for suitable media and keep your press distribution list up to date, you can prevent this problem.
With standardized emails, no one feels addressed - and isn't that exactly the task of PR? To address people and the media? At least a salutation and the name should be included in mailings in order to establish at least a little connection with the person opposite. With an E-mail automation platform, you can do this pretty easily.
Before e-mail releases and pitches, there is always the task of finding suitable media and contact persons. For example, if you want to offer an interview and your preferred magazine does not have an interview format, the chances of placing it here are probably small. There is a multitude of media that cover practically every conceivable topic: it doesn't always have to be magazines or newspapers: Podcasts or other video and audio formats also offer versatile possibilities. That's why it's worthwhile to do a little more research and then get publications in the end.
E-mails are the ideal instrument to quickly reach a broad mass of media representatives, but they receive hundreds of other mails every day and it’s highly likely that yours will get lost here. Many topics also require more explanation and can be pitched in a more approachable way with a phone call. Telephone calls give the other person a direct connection to the PR contact and leave more of an impression than an email. If you rely on more than just mails, your chances of success are significantly higher.
As a press office or agency, you should be able to respond promptly to enquiries from the media on behalf of your own company or your clients. Not being available is counterproductive and practically the opposite of public relations. If you write "Please contact us at any time if you have any questions" at the end of an e-mail, this should be meant as such.
Whether it is a minor faux pas or a major conflict situation: Sometimes PR is required to take a position on a topic. If one can be reached but the only statement is "no comment", this will probably not have a positive effect on possible media reports. Understanding the other person and a factual explanation of the situation combined with a friendly tone is the right approach here.
Texts such as press releases and guest articles are part of everyday PR life. When writing these, one should pay particular attention to the accuracy of the information given. Texts that partly appear in print media cannot be quickly changed and wrong information is not only unattractive but may also have consequences. Therefore: It is better to read too much about articles and always double-check the sources.
