Four Takeaways From PRfect Pitch Interview with Jenny Melros, Influencer Entrepreneurs Podcast
PRfect Pitch focuses on interviewing media and key event managers who PR agencies pitch regularly on behalf of clients. As the name implies, successful pitching is a key ingredient in achieving results as a public relations professional.
The podcast discusses how and when to pitch a story to editors and producers who in turn learn which PR sources can be trusted to bring them interesting stories that resonate with their audience.
Our fifth guest was Jenny Melrose, host of the Influencer Entrepreneurs podcast, business coach, and author.
In this episode, you’ll hear about tips and tricks to position yourself to find the right audience, how Influencer Entrepreneurs podcast can help maximize online growth and your potential as a business owner, and more. Here are a few takeaways:
Market Yourself
Marketing yourself is important to move up in your career. For Melrose, this was especially imperative because she pivoted her career from full-time teacher to blogger and podcaster.
While it was a natural transition for her, no one knew Melrose as anything other than a teacher at the time. This compelled her to market herself more to drive traffic to her website and podcast. One way she was able to do this is by learning her niche and putting her focus on that specific subject.
Being in the coaching space was a passion for Melrose and her podcast gave her a platform to coach people and give a peek into what one-on-one coaching sessions look like. Through networking, she ultimately got to a place where she’s been able to produce her podcast for four years without missing an episode.
Networking is an important aspect of marketing yourself. A new way that people are networking is through Clubhouse. You may remember we discussed how Clubhouse is changing the media relations game in the PRfect Pitch interview with Dean Takahashi.
Believe it or not, using Clubhouse to help grow your Instagram and make yourself known is becoming more common. One thing that Melrose always does is look at the Instagram accounts of everyone who is in her Clubhouse room and send them a thank you note on Instagram afterwards. By doing this, she builds relationships and grows her brand simultaneously.
Show Personality In Your Pitch
Pitching can be mundane at times, but it doesn’t have to be. One thing that Melrose constantly looks for in the pitches she receives is if someone’s personality comes through.
Part of being able to show the right personality in a pitch is by doing your research. As a former teacher, doing your homework is extremely important for Melrose, and if she feels you’ve done this prior to pitching her, she’s more likely to interview your client.
Doing your homework in this case can mean listening to a past episode of a podcast, so that you’ll get a feel for what the host is expecting. If you’re able to make a connection between a past guest and the client you’re pitching, that’s a great way to show that you’ve done the necessary research.
Coach Clients On Making Clear and User-Friendly Websites
Clear website messaging not only helps journalists understand the work you do, but is also important for business. We’ve discussed the importance of PR professionals doing their homework, but it’s equally as important for the journalist to do their homework as well, and know that they will.
Especially for a podcast host, they want to make sure someone is the best fit for their show as possible. Melrose says the worst thing she encounters is when someone's website doesn’t make sense and is hard to navigate. In cases like this, it can be a deal breaker on whether or not someone will interview you.
Website messaging should be concise and clear and as a PR professional, you can coach your clients on the best messaging to use for their company.
Subject Lines are Key
For Melrose, she wants to look at a subject line and automatically know why you’re unique. Have you been podcasting for awhile? Include that you’re a podcasting veteran. Are you a mom of five? Write that too!
This goes hand-in-hand with doing your homework. If you listen to Jenny Melrose’s podcast, you may notice that everyone she interviews has a podcast of their own. This is why indicating you’re a veteran podcaster would be important in a pitch for her.
Your subject line should say in a few words why your client would be a good guest and this will help increase the odds of receiving a response.
Whether it be subject lines, doing your homework, marketing, networking or more, a lot goes into relationship building with the media and understanding the appropriate time to pitch someone. Melrose provided a great perspective on these topics and we loved having her on the show.
Do you have tips and tricks for PR professionals that you want to share? Whether it be about pitching, media relations, podcasting or more, we’d love to hear your thoughts! Drop a comment on this interview with Jenny on YouTube, which can be found here!
You can also listen to this season of PRfect Pitch via Apple Podcasts, or your preferred podcast platform.
Four Takeaways From PRfect Pitch Interview with Jonathan Small of Green Entrepreneur Magazine
PRfect Pitch focuses on interviewing media and key event managers who PR agencies pitch regularly on behalf of clients. As the name implies, successful pitching is a key ingredient in achieving results as a public relations professional.
The podcast discusses how and when to pitch a story to editors and producers who in turn learn which PR sources can be trusted to bring them interesting stories that resonate with their audience.
Our fourth guest was Jonathan Small, an award-winning journalist, producer, and host of several podcasts including Write About Now where he talks to other successful writers. He also is the founder of Strike Fire Productions, a full-service podcast production and consulting firm.
Nicole and Jonathan talked about his journey from the magazine world to podcasting, tips on staying agile in an ever changing world, and more. Here are a few takeaways:
Follow Your Own Skills
If you’ve already listened to this interview, you learned that Small actually helped Nicole ghostwrite her book, Beverly Hills Boss. As writing has always been a passion for him, he’s been able to take his skills and apply them to various industries in his career.
It’s important to note that every job will offer transferable skills that you can take with you into another opportunity. If you’re an accountant or a lawyer and decide to switch careers, you will have learned many lessons and skills that will be valuable in another industry.
“You work for so long that it becomes who you are, but your skills go so much deeper than that,” Small said. As long as the foundational skills are there, it’ll help you later on in life and don’t underestimate the lessons you can take with you throughout your career.
There's an Art to Podcasting
When someone wants to start a podcast, Small always gives them the same piece of advice he gives to people who want to write a book. “First you need to read a book and then you can write a book.” The same goes for podcasting.
Jonathan has encountered many people who said they wanted to start a podcast, but haven’t actually listened to one before. In order to be good at something, you need to study it first.
Here are a couple of things you should know and do if you want to begin podcasting:
- You should know what the medium is and how it works.
- You should also listen to some of your favorite podcasts to see what people are doing and emulate them until you find what works best for you.
Podcasts are creative outlets. Do your own thing, interview friends, and take a little time before actually releasing it, so that you have an idea of what you like.
Another piece of advice that Jonathan gives is to drop the first three episodes at once. The beginning of your podcast's life is important for the algorithm it makes. It takes time for people to discover your podcast, so be patient.
You should also know that the number of listeners you recieve are of more quality than the number of views you have on a video.
Personalize Your Pitch
A common theme that we hear in these interviews is that journalists want to see personalized pitches. Small said it’s very obvious when he receives a pitch that’s been sent to many other people and when this is the case, he automatically deletes the email.
Small said one sign someone hasn’t done their homework is beginning a pitch with “Dear Editor.” Why? Because with a simple search, you’d be able to see that Jonathan, for example, is the main editor at Green Entrepreneur Magazine.
In Small’s mind, and likely most journalists’, if a PR professional didn’t research you or the publication to begin with, why should they take the time to read your pitch?
Mysterious Headlines Gain More Traction
People love mysteries. Not only in movies, but also in writing and books as well. This is why headlines are so important.
Not only does a mysterious headline make a story more clickable, but it also looks at the content from a different perspective.
For example, instead of writing something about “the four things you should do for entrepreneurship to be successful,” write a headline along the lines of “the four things you should always avoid if you want to be a successful entrepreneur.” A story like this almost has a negative connotation, but it’ll pique people's interest.
Do you have tips and tricks for PR professionals that you want to share? Whether it be about pitching, media relations, podcasting or more, we’d love to hear your thoughts! Drop a comment on this interview with Jonathan on YouTube, which can be found here!
You can also listen to this season of PRfect Pitch via Apple Podcasts or your preferred podcast platform.
How to Have a Successful Relationship with Your PR Agency
Like any relationship —be it business or personal —commitment, communication, and respect are required. Working with a public relations agency is no different. There’s a lot that goes into building and maintaining a trustworthy relationship. It all begins with communication.
Communication Is Key
Before you even sign a contract, you should communicate expectations with your PR agency. It’s critical that both you, as the client, and the agency have a clear understanding of and agreement on intended goals and what the measures of success will be.
Think of your goals as S.M.A.R.T. — specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely. With this in mind, how do you communicate on specific projects ensuring the end goal is attainable?
It’s easy for someone to become caught up in their own business and forget to share information with the PR agency. Oftentimes, you’re so familiar with all aspects of a project that small details are left out. However, to have the most success, these small details are crucial.
To help ensure all information is being passed to the PR firm, an agency representative should attend internal planning meetings, so they can keep everyone up to speed. Not only will this help ensure all the information is correct, but it also helps expedite the work on both sides of the business.
Whether you communicate via email, phone, or in-person, always be sure you’re staying in regular communication with your PR firm. Quick messages can be emailed or texted while in-person (or Zoom) meetings are necessary for planning, messaging, and more strategic conversations.
It’s also important that the client be honest with the agency team, which means sharing both good and bad news. This way you can work together to move past roadblocks and grow together.
You Need To Commit To The Work
There are two sides to “commitment.”
The first is the formal commitment of creating terms, scope of work, and financial arrangements. What will the priorities be for the PR agency and your business? You want to align the team’s primary tasks with your operational efforts, which also goes hand-in-hand with the importance of communication.
The second side is that the client and agency need to be committed to creating a successful relationship. There are many aspects that go into making a business run smoothly and PR is only one of them. However, even if it doesn’t seem like a big part of the business, it’s critical that you make time for PR-related activities.
Part of the commitment to work together also means that there is a point of contact available to answer questions and serve as spokesperson on short notice. When you’re committing to work with a PR agency, these should all be a package deal.
Respect The Agency
The PR agency is an extension of your team. They’re also a partner in your brand. As a partner, the team’s time and counsel should be respected.
A great PR agency acts as though every client is the only client, but the agency does have commitments beyond your account, so being mindful of their time is important.
Another way to show your agency respect is to recommend them to colleagues and serve as a reference to help them grow. Their goal is to always help more clients in their PR efforts and these references help them succeed.
In the words of NRPR’s CEO Nicole Rodrigues, to have a successful relationship, “You need a connection, a hint of shared interests, an ability to clearly communicate, a confidence and a spark. When these factors are in place, it becomes exponentially easier to move past the hiccups and disconnects that occur naturally in business.”
Four Takeaways From PRfect Pitch Interview with Fast Company Contributor Susan Karlin
PRfect Pitch focuses on interviewing media and key event managers who PR agencies pitch regularly on behalf of clients. As the name implies, successful pitching is a key ingredient in achieving results as a public relations professional.
The podcast discusses how and when to pitch a story to editors and producers who in turn learn which PR sources can be trusted to bring them interesting stories that resonate with their audience.
Our third guest was Susan Karlin, a regular contributor to Fast Company, where she covers space, science, autonomous vehicles, and the future of transportation. Susan has traveled to a long list of countries to cover stories and loves learning about new cultures, emerging trends, and the people behind them.
Nicole and Susan talked about best practices for pitching new journalists, how to maintain a friendly yet professional ongoing relationship that benefits both parties, and more. Here are a few takeaways:
You Need To Know Clients’ Messaging Like The Back Of Your Hand
Consistent messaging is key. As a PR professional, it’s important that both the client’s website and how the firm is positioning the client in a pitch are consistent.
Accurate messaging is the first step in a journalist deciding whether or not they want to work with you. For Susan, when she works with a PR professional, she looks at it as a partnership and trust is at the core. “If a publicist is good at their job, they’ll know their client inside and out,” Susan said.
When a journalist looks at a pitch, they want all of the necessary information right off the bat. If there are additional questions, it’s easier for a journalist to ask the publicist who knows the messaging, rather than waiting for a CEO to get back to them.
It’s important to note that there’s a process that journalists follow. If the publicist has all the answers, then a journalist can go directly to their editor and pitch the story. Not only is this quicker, but also makes it more likely that a story will be written.
Be Flexible
If someone writes for a variety of publications, like Susan, the publication you pitch her for might not work, but another will. Every publication is different — sometimes it’s the journalist who can decide whether or not a story will run, and other times it’s an editor, like at Fast Company.
If you’re flexible and open minded, you’ll likely lock in a story, even if it’s not what you initially had in mind.
Additionally, if you go into a pitch idea open to other opportunities, you will grow as a PR professional, while also making a journalist friend at a new publication.
Thoughtful Subject Lines Are Imperative
Does this sound familiar? It’s a common theme in PRfect Pitch interviews and there’s a good reason why.
You may remember Jessica Naziri’s interview where she mentioned that email subject lines let a journalist know right off the bat if they’d like to move forward with a story. Susan feels the same.
Journalists are often pressed for time, which is why subject lines are important. A journalist will begin by skimming their email, and if a subject line piques their interest they’ll open the email and read the first few sentences for more information.
That said, you want to make sure that the subject line and body of the email provide all of the necessary information. As Nicole said, “Do your homework, know the journalist's needs, understand what your client is trying to accomplish, and be honest.”
Journalism Is An Interpretative Art
Journalism is subjective. There’s no one way to understand something and this is one reason why journalism is an interpretive art. Think of it as presenting a scenario as opposed to coming up with something from scratch.
As technology, companies, and platforms evolve, there’s always something new to learn and everyone will have their own take on it, which is part of the art of journalism as well.
Journalists must pivot based on what’s going on in the world and part of this interpretive art is understanding what others want to see based on timeliness.
“I often speak with publicists about branding and presentation,” Susan said “A lot of people who have been in the field for about 10 years feel that there's nothing else to learn. However, this is far from the truth.If you are still learning in your job 20 or 30 years later, you are really lucky.
That’s the beauty of journalism. There’s always something new to learn. As Henry Ford once said, “Anyone who keeps on learning not only remains young, but becomes constantly more valuable, regardless of physical capacity.”
You can listen to this season of PRfect Pitch via YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or your preferred podcast platform. The full interview with Susan can be found here!
Why Your Company Needs PR to Build and Maintain a Positive Public Image for Your Brand
While some say a good product sells itself, if you have a great product and no one knows about it, your brand will not be associated with anything worthwhile.
Public relations can be a valuable part of your business plan and marketing toolkit as long as you know what PR can and cannot do. If you aren’t sure, we defined it here.
Your PR team, whether in-house or an agency, needs to work closely with you to ensure that the company messaging being shared with the media aligns with the message your company wants to share publicly. PR is a critical part of any company and here are a few reasons why.
PR Can Build Credibility For Your Company
Every media outlet has its audience, readers, viewers, and/or followers who have learned to trust what that outlet is telling them. PR professionals continually cultivate and reinforce relationships with media to foster trust.
This relationship offers information and resources that outlets need to create a trustworthy piece of coverage. An organization can build its own credibility and trust by having reliable products and services, however, PR can help build credibility for the company by framing stories about the company’s good works.
Executives can do their part by being honest as spokespersons, through participation in industry events, and thought leadership activities that demonstrate valued expertise in a specialized field. Thought leadership is based on subject matter experts’ ability to discuss industry issues going beyond talking about what your company is doing.
PR Can Build and Leverage Visibility For Your Company
Any public attention for your company builds visibility. The more visibility your press coverage has, the more potential it has for positive impact.
One story may be picked up by several outlets, which helps build this visibility. A news section on your company’s website keeps these stories active and discoverable.
As social media continues to dominate in our society, sharing coverage on social media with the expectation that company employees will also share the stories on their social networks helps build exponential coverage.
Videos and podcasts are also great additions to content offerings and may include recorded interviews and speaking presentations from conferences and internal events. Our CEO Nicole Rodrigues has a podcast where she discusses everything you need to know about PR and more. If you’re still wondering why you need PR, give it a listen here.
PR Can Share Stories About Your Company
Stories personalize your company and products from two angles. It is important that the story be targeted to the appropriate audience and PR professionals have the knowledge of media outlets and staff to know how to tailor stories for their particular audience.
Stories make it easier for a potential or present customer to remember the intended message and make them more likely to share the story.
Moreover, if it is a story about solving a pain point for that audience, it will attract the attention of those with that problem and they may turn to the product or service to alleviate the problem they are having. It’s the old WIIFM—what’s in it for me?
PR at its core is about building and maintaining a positive public image for your brand. Perception is reality and while you may be doing many great things behind the scenes, if your various publics do not know about what you’re doing, it’s like it never happened.
Experienced, proficient PR pros focus on building solid relationships, so that they will share information that conveys the right image for your company. Never underestimate the value of a good PR team for creating, enhancing, and sharing positive brand identity.
Four Takeaways From PRfect Pitch Interview with TechSesh Founder, Jessica Naziri
PRfect Pitch focuses on interviewing media and key event managers whom PR agencies pitch regularly on behalf of clients. As the name implies, successful pitching is a key ingredient in achieving results as a public relations professional.
The podcast talks about how and when to pitch a story to editors and producers who in turn learn which PR sources can be trusted to bring them an interesting story that resonates with their audience. Our second guest was Jessica Naziri.
Jessica is the founder of TechSesh, a lifestyle blog with a mission to bring tech to women and women to tech. Jessica talked about her impressive career in branding, marketing, journalism, and now as an industry leader and connector.
She shared the inspiration behind starting TechSesh, her advice for companies looking to get their product featured, thoughts on influencer marketing vs. traditional PR, and more. You don’t want to miss this interview! Here are a few takeaways:
Journalism and Editorial Content Is Different
Journalism has shifted overtime. If you look at major publications like the LA Times and NY Times, they each have a page dedicated to folks and companies who want to have their companies written about.
However, Jessica points out that there’s a difference between journalism and editorial content that most people don’t understand. Here are the two key differences:
- Journalistic content is unpaid because journalists are meant to state facts without having an opinion.
- Editorial content means your opinion is your job, so it’s often paid opportunities.
“I’m not here to take assignments because someone tells me to review something. I make the decision on if I’m going to or not going to try a product out. My opinion is my job,” Jessica said. “However, the line between paid and unpaid content is often blurred, and it’s important for PR and communication pros to understand this and let their clients know as well.”
PR Pros Shouldn’t Expect Anything From Journalists
“PR people aren't gatekeepers, they are facilitators,” Jessica said. “As a PR pro, you should know that your job is to convey messaging to the journalist and/or influencer, who ultimately decides if they want to cover the story and/or product.”
Jessica talked about how one of her pet peeves is when a company will send her products and ask her to do five Instagram stories, a blog post, an Instagram post, and a video. This is never how you should approach a journalist.
It’s important to know what beat someone covers. If they’re an influencer, what are they covering that’s organic? What are the latest tech trends? If you have this information going into a pitch, you can leverage it in your initial messaging to a journalist. This makes it more likely that they will respond to your pitch.
Subject Lines and Media Kits Are Key In Email Creation
Email subject lines are important because they let a journalist know right off the bat if they’d like to move forward with writing a story. It’s imperative that the subject line be short, sweet, and to the point, especially because so many people check email from their phones nowadays.
If you start a subject line with something along the lines of, “Joe was part of this webinar and you should check it out,” it isn’t as clickable as “The #1 rated webinar in the world interviewed Joe about PR.” You want to make the “why” at the beginning of a subject line,” so that a journalist knows what they’re about to read.
Media kits are also important when sending an email. Here are a few reasons why:
- Journalists will have all the information needed if they’re going to write a story
- It shows if a story will be visually appealing
- If all of the content is provided from the start, the journalist won’t need to go online to find photos and information on the product. It’s all there in a concise way.
What should be included in a media kit to make the most of it?
- Information on the founder and their backstory
- The backstory of the company and/or product
- How much funding the company has
- Headshots of the founder(s)
- Images of the product
The Future Of Technology Is Now
We’re in the midst of a pivotal part of the evolution of technology. In our virtual world, applications like Clubhouse are showing us that the future is here. We’re moving toward this new route of listening and being able to reach more people at the same time.
This progression can be seen as podcasts being what YouTube was 10 years ago and Clubhouse being the new podcast platform.
There’s so much great content on Clubhouse, even for journalists. PR pros can find ways to pitch people in these rooms and from a journalist's perspective, Jessica looks for people whose audience will appeal to hers.
Media are looking for thought leaders in these rooms and journalists are relaying information to users in Clubhouse as well. We’re seeing a new wave of influencer and PR marketing that PR pros should take part in.
You can listen to this season of PRfect Pitch via YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or your preferred podcast platform. The full interview with Jessica, you can find it here!
What Makes Tech PR Different from Traditional Public Relations?
Fifty-nine percent of PR pros feel that technology will drive considerable change to the industry — USC Annenberg, 2019
To understand tech public relations, you must first understand what PR actually is. According to PRSA, PR is “a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics.” Now, let’s break that down.
- PR is about building and maintaining relationships with the media.
- One way that PR professionals analyze media is based on SWOT analysis, focusing on a person and/or company’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.
- At our core, PR pros are communicators.
There are many different areas of PR that one can go into. Whether it be crisis communications, internal relations or media relations, one thing is for sure: Tech PR is different than the rest. Here are a few reasons why:
Tech PR Targets A Niche Audience
The difference between traditional and tech PR is that tech PR targets a very niche audience. While traditional PR still has a target audience, it’s likely to be a broader spectrum.
PR is becoming more specialized and tech PR is one of the branches of the evolution of our industry. Not only do PR firms “need a firm grasp of how to grow and manage the reputation of your brand, but they also require an in-depth understanding of current technology trends,” according to Publicize.
An in-depth understanding of current technology is imperative in tech PR, which is why this next reason is essential to being successful in this industry.
Technology Itself Is Essential For Any Successful Business
Technology is constantly changing, and in today’s digital world, you can’t have a business without adapting to the change. PR professionals are communicators and one part of this is communicating with customers/consumers.
As the face of a brand, PR professionals want to ensure that the public knows why your product or service is the best. By staying up-to-date on the newest technology as a tech PR firm, you can leverage this when pitching a product or service, so that others know your offerings are best-in-class.
People also consume news every day on their electronic devices. We’re constantly using them as a resource, so it’s important to focus PR efforts on both technology being an enjoyable part of life as well as a necessity for today’s generation.
This leads into the next reason why tech PR stands out from the rest.
Tech PR Helps Position You As An Authority
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, an authority is someone who has the “power to influence or command thought, opinion, or behavior.” Positioning yourself as an authority takes time.
To be a true authority, you need to provide value to others, engage with your community, and build authentic relationships. This is where PR comes in.
PR allows you to develop relationships with other journalists who will help build your authority. These relationships influence how much traction your website receives and ensures that the information about you or your product is positive and is reaching the right audience.
Lastly, once these relationships with journalists are formed, they’ll likely want to stay up-to-date on all things news-related for your company. The more information out there, the more of an authority you are!
COVID-19 Has Revolutionized Tech PR
As companies transitioned to solely working from home, new technologies were created and others adapted to the needs of work-from-home professionals. Now, as we’re seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, many companies have announced hybrid work or the end of working from home, which means the technology may soon be changing again.
As more resources are needed for hybrid work and other companies like Google begin offering permanent remote work opportunities, technologies will come out to help make this transition easier.
PR pros need to be mindful of what’s going on in the world, while simultaneously showcasing the work that is helping us all get through these difficult times.
This is where corporate social responsibility (CSR) comes into play. More than ever, we’re seeing people choose whether or not they want to associate themselves with a company based on the philanthropic work that they do.
If your company is donating a portion of proceeds to COVID-19 relief efforts, it’s important to make that known, not only from a PR standpoint, but also because it can help influence others to do the same.
Overall, traditional and tech PR differ in many ways. Whether it be through leveraging your work to become an authority, adapting to the changes and needs of users or branding yourself to a niche audience, we’re seeing a need for technology more than ever, which is both exciting and empowering for those in PR. Technology is driving our industry and it’s up to us to make this a positive driving force for others.
Four Takeaways From PRfect Pitch Interview with VentureBeat’s Dean Takahashi
When our CEO and Founder, Nicole Rodrigues, came up with the idea for her PRfect Pitch podcast, she hoped to spark an ongoing meeting of the minds, where members of the media could share their honest thoughts, tips, preferences (and pet peeves) with PR professionals to help align, elevate, and empower the overall pitching and storytelling process.
Her aim for the show was to reveal some of the best kept secrets of what sets meaningful public relations activities apart from the pack, and to give our media counterparts the opportunity to tell us what, exactly, they want and need from a pitch.
Now, after a brief pause, PRfect Pitch is back — and better than ever!
First up on the revamped PRfect Pitch guest list was Dean Takahashi, lead writer for “GamesBeat” at VentureBeat, author of two books (Opening the Xbox and The Xbox 360 Uncloaked), and organizer of the annual GamesBeat Summit conference.
Throughout the interview, Dean shared some expert insights and pro tips with Nicole that you don’t want to miss! Here are a few:
In Order to Cover Something Well, You Should Immerse Yourself into the Subject
If you care about the subject you’re covering, your work will show it. Not only does the energy that you put into writing and researching pay off, but you also enjoy the work that you’re doing as a result.
For Dean, this looked like starting his career covering video games — a less prevalent topic at the time, but something he loved researching and writing about. As gaming has since skyrocketed in popularity, he has been able to carry that beat throughout the many phases of his career.
This kind of mentality helped Dean grow over time, and is something you can do too. Afterall, immersing yourself into the subject is how you learn the best.
Journalists Want to See Creativity and Consistency from PR Professionals
Whether working for newspapers or online publications, Dean says the trends for success remain the same — PR professionals should stay creative, consistent and always offer value in their pitches.
One way to catch a journalist's eye is to write “embargo” in the subject line of a pitch. Why? Because someone like Dean gets over 500 emails a day, so he needs to be able to decipher between a pitch that will pique his interest and one that won’t.
Similarly, journalists love exclusives. There's a sense of urgency if a journalist knows that they can break a story and it helps you stand out from the crowd.
Something else that Dean mentions is consistency. If a journalist doesn’t respond within 24-48 hours, follow up with them. They may not have responded because they haven’t seen the email or because the pitch angle wasn’t quite right.
As Dean says, “Telling the best story is sometimes more important than telling the story first.” So, don’t rush, and make sure your pitch is the best it can be.
Journalists Are Humans, Not Robots
While it would be nice if someone could be available 24/7, it’s simply not realistic. When pitching, it’s important that you give journalists time to not only read and respond to emails, but also allow time for them to craft their coverage.
Oftentimes, journalists plan a week or months worth of stories at a time, so if you pitch them an announcement happening the following day, that doesn’t give them adequate time to write a story if they’d be interested.
As a PR professional, you should put a story on a journalist’s radar early, so they have time to decide if it’s a good fit for their audience and if so, write their story.
Media Communication is Constantly Changing, and We Need to Evolve With It
Like every other industry, the art of journalism was greatly impacted by the pandemic. Networking is now more digital than ever and as a PR pro, we need to evolve with the industry.
Instead of attending an event or conference to network, we now have applications like Clubhouse that we use to connect with others. Dean discusses how this has been a great platform to come out of COVID-19.
Clubhouse offers the opportunity to connect with, learn from and showcase media opportunities in new ways. It's become the equivalent of going and listening to a panel, which has been a great way to virtually network during the pandemic.
“Clubhouse gives me the opportunity to meet people that I don’t already know,” Dean said. “The more people that you talk to, the less likely you’re locked into the wrong point of view.” This is why applications like Clubhouse are important in our digital world.
Dean also reminds us that we don’t have to rely solely on email to catch the media's attention. You can tweet someone, send a Facebook message or connect with them on LinkedIn —these are all great ways to connect, while also gaining more insight into their interests by observing what they post.
We are stoked to bring you this new and improved season of PRfect Pitch, which you can tune into via YouTube, Apple Podcasts or your preferred podcast platform. The full interview with Dean is available to watch here!
Why AI Cannot Replace PR and Communications Professionals
We are seeing more companies use AI and robots to replace people in the workplace. There are coffee shops that use robots to make and serve coffee, like Cafe X in San Francisco. There are also restaurants relying on robots to cook, rather than having employees, including CaliBurger in Pasadena, California. Slowly but surely, in the near future, we will see many more restaurants of this nature. Afterall, even self-driving cars will soon be tested more and more. We see robots and AI slowly taking jobs away from people, but one thing is for sure. AI cannot replace PR and Communications professionals, and here’s why:
Think About Siri…
Siri can be great. If you ask the right question it's programmed to answer. Have you ever asked Siri a question and not received the answer you were looking for? Did Siri just pull up a wikipedia page for you to click on? That’s because it can’t answer something that isn’t within the code she is programmed for. Something you would imagine Siri being programmed to answer are questions about the Iphone you have. Ask Siri if your phone is waterproof. It won't have the answer. As PR and Communications professionals, we have answers that Siri doesn’t have.
AI Is Programmed
The world around us is constantly changing. Think back to a week, month and year ago. Things are different now with the new political and environmental/health climate. Change is a natural process in life; However, AI cannot adapt like humans can. Was there a huge disaster you wanted to find data on, while simultaneously searching for data on unemployment? AI won’t focus on which one you find more important or which one is more prevalent within the area you are in at that moment. Rather, it will build data in the order you put it in the computer. This is because it doesn’t know the difference between what’s urgent and what is not. It also likely won’t find the data at the same time. You can’t build a strategy on programming because the world is constantly changing and you need to pivot with it - as we’re all learning from COVID and the Black Lives Matter protests circling the globe.
AI Doesn’t Know Who To Reach
So much of PR and communications jobs are building relationships with reporters and other journalists. For this to be successful, you have to know what each individual reporter and journalist's niche is and when the right time is to reach out. In this article, Forbes discusses the importance of being able to turnover stories quickly and efficiently, while also adding a creative spin to it. While AI and robots may be able to pick up keywords in an interview or story, it cannot dive deeper into the meaning and how to respond based solely on this.
AI lacks emotion
AI stands for artificial intelligence, not emotional intelligence. Part of PR and Communications jobs is that human to human connection. How do you build that connection looking at a screen? You can’t. According to PR Weekly, “The fact is that data is emotionally driven. Buzzy phrases like "data-driven decisions" only reinforce the misapprehension, if not the false ideology, that the best way to make decisions is rationally and devoid of emotion.”
What does this mean? It means that the data, which AI can produce, isn’t the full answer, because it is data and numbers driven. However, true data has an emotional side to it. Making decisions means being able to think rationally and logically, which AI simply cannot do. Therefore, in PR humans are an absolute necessity. Now that doesn’t mean AI can’t help improve what we do and can’t be used simultaneously. It means that we, as humans, are designed to be more agile than computers but we should still work on updating “our own systems” with constant learning and professional development so we don’t outdate ourselves the way computers and AI do.
Beginning To Switch From Working From Home Back To The Office
Transitioning from being in the office to working from home may not have been easy. It was likely something you had never experienced before. It happened quickly, but was necessary to keep everyone safe and healthy. Providing the tools for your employees to be able to do their work from home was and still is essential. Providing the same tools as people begin to return to work is even more necessary. As more news continues to come out about COVID-19, the future is unclear. Will you be able to come back to work within the next couple of months? By the end of the year? There are many unknowns, but here are a few things to keep in mind when deciding to make that switch.
Be Transparent
No one wants to be in limbo, but that is kind of how life is right now for everyone. Being transparent is the best thing you can do with your company. At this point in time, you probably don’t know when everyone will be back in the office. Be honest and upfront about that. A simple email to the staff saying you don’t have an update yet will be helpful. Even though you may not know, the rest of the office doesn’t know what you’re thinking. This will keep everyone up to date on what is going on, so they know to keep looking out for a future update.
Be Flexible
When the time comes and people begin to work in the office again, not everyone will be ready to return. Providing your employees with the opportunity to decide for themselves when to come back will do a world of wonder not only for the work they provide, but also for their mental health. If an employee works one week in the office and decides they aren’t ready to do it again, allow them to work from home. Maybe they thought it was the right decision, but it turned out not to be. Being flexible and working with them is the best thing you can do right now.
Plan Different Scenarios In Your Head
You can never be too prepared, especially during times like these. There are many different scenarios to imagine before having everyone come back to the office. What will you do if someone seems sick at the workplace? How will everyone take their lunch break while adhering to social distancing laws? Take a look at the way your office functioned before and be realistic about how things will be different now. If you have a plan ahead of time, it will be easier when the situation ultimately arises.
Sanitize, Sanitize, Sanitize
It is likely that computers and printers are frequently used in your office. Make sure at the end of the work day, every computer gets sanitized. Everytime the printer is used, sanitize it. Limiting the amount of markers that are being used and having people write with their pens in their notebooks will prevent further cleaning of whiteboards and markers. Anything that is being touched should be cleaned afterwards. While it may seem like tedious work, keeping track and making sure this sanitization of appliances happens is imperative.
Samantha is a Marketing and PR Assistant at NRPR Group.