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 seventh guest was Eileen Shapiro, celebrity correspondent for Get Out Magazine and more than 72 others she contributed to. In this episode, you’ll hear about how Eileen bridges the world of journalism and public relations, her role as a partner of World Star PR, how when you are doing PR right, it’s a win/win for you and the journalist, and more.
Promote the Work You’re Doing
Promote, promote, promote. You know the saying “pics or it didn’t happen.” Well, for PR professionals, it’s “promote or it didn’t happen.”
It’s not just about the article or interview that you did, it’s about how you let others know about it. If you write an article, but don’t promote it, who will see it? Likely, no one.
“The piece itself is the least important thing. It is what you do with it afterwards, how you promote it and how the person you interviewed promoted it,” Shapiro said.
This is why it’s important to share what you’re doing on social media, on both the company profiles and personal accounts. Whether it be on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, or any other platform you prefer, it’s important to not let this work go unnoticed.
Build Relationships With the Media
If you build a relationship with a media person, not only will this show that you’re reliable and they can trust you, but they’ll also think of you and your clients when a new idea story arises.
“I’ll always do a favor for a PR person because I know I’ll need a favor too,” Shapiro said. These relationships are mutually beneficial and, “It’s a great feeling, you’re doing something for them and they’ll do something for you.”
It’s important to not view these relationships as a competition. PR professionals want to be allies journalists, not competitors. Our goal is to help one another, so more stories can be told and create better access to information.
It shouldn’t be an us vs. them kind of thing. The relationship can be, and should be, mutually beneficial.
If You Don’t Have Anything Nice to Say, Don’t Say It
It’s something we grow up hearing. “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all,” and the same goes when you’re writing a story.
“Never write anything negative. People want to read and be entertained. They don’t want to read about someone’s mishap,” Shapiro said. “A lot of journalists are sensationalists, but I just want to tell the truth. You’re talking about someone’s life. Don’t ruin it.”
Even the Best Writers Need a Second Set of Eyes
Having a second set of eyes on your work is always a good idea. There are things that your brain thinks have gotten on paper, but when you read it back, it’s missing words. This is why an editing process is so important.
Writing isn’t a God-given talent. It’s a muscle that you develop and continue to strengthen over time. There’s only so much experience you receive in school, so if you keep at it and allow other people to come in and critique it, you’ll get better.
Never stop strengthening this craft.
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 Eileen 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.