In the technological age, it’s possible for us (publicists, or any of us) to have working relationships with people who we have never met, or even spoken to.  Email is a terrific way to communicate, and have a record of your communication.  But…it’s difficult to really get to know someone (journalists) if you have never spoken.  So, next time an email comes through from one of your regular contacts - pick up the phone and answer the email over the phone.  It will be memorable to both of you!

When we create media lists, the numbers of outlets may be overwhelming.  But consider that blanket blind copied emails may get less than a glance from those receiving them - or worse yet, end up in spam filters.  Make sure you spend the time personalizing your pitches.  In addition to knowing the outlet you are pitching, it helps to simply use you recipients name.  “Dear Jane” or “Dear John” goes a lot further than “Dear Editor.”  You just might see the results you are looking for!

Before you schedule publicity events, look at the calendar, and check out what’s going to be going on in the world.  If it’s an entertainment event, think of what might be competing for the media attention.  When is the Oscars, the Grammys or the Sundance Film Festival?  If it’s national press attention you’re looking to garner - make sure it’s not the date of the election primary, or the anniversary of a major event.  Sometimes we can’t help when major breaking news distracts the media, but being aware of scheduled events can help you avoid a conflict.

While the importance of relationships with media should not be diminished, many not involved in the world of publicity seem to put too much emphasis on publicists’ relationships with the media.  A good publicist, is a good publicist, even without the contacts, while no relationship can salvage a bad pitch.  If something isn’t newsworthy, it is likely that even if the journalists is one of your best friends, you can’t get them to run it.  So, with a solid pitch and the correct contact, you should be able to succeed, no matter if you have worked with a journalist in the past.

For those of you who have been in the PR business for a while, it’s easy to fall back on what we learned in PR 101.  10 years, ago, getting the cover story in a national daily newspaper or magazine (NY Times, Newsweek, etc.) was the “holy grail.”  Don’t get me wrong, these are great hits, but consumers today are increasingly getting their news over the internet.  Yahoo, AOL, My Space and You Tube have replaced traditional sources as the place where people get their news.  So, stay on top of the newest technologies and sources of news, and your clients will reap the rewards.

What do you do when you have a client that no matter how you try, you can’t get any coverage for?  I’m imagining you already went to the press you consider “sure things,” and that didn’t work either.  There is no magic solution to this - in reality, you probably have to become a little more picky about the clients you choose.  All I can say is, try and try again.  Take a few weeks, and then go back to the same outlets who haven’t responded with a different version of the same pitch.  And, as always, don’t expect just an email to do - make sure you follow up everyone with a phone call.

Generally speaking, the holidays are not the best time to send out press releases and news from your organization.  For the obvious reason, reporters, editors and producers are on vacation and staffs are thin. 

 However, since other pr professionals are saving their news for after the holidays, local news stations and newspapers do still need news.  If you’ve got something light and breezy (entertainment, events, etc.), you might consider scheduling events on a holiday - and you’ll have no competition from other pr folks!

Is the product compelling?

One of the mistakes that people make when they look to hire a pr firm, is not realizing that publicity is based upon the newworthiness of the story.  If you have a story, or a product that is not new or compelling, chances are the best publicist in the world can’t help you.  A great publicist can help get your story out there, and maximize coverage, but you need to have something that the news media is interested in talking about.  Publicists are not magicians!  This advise would be well-heeded by publicists when taking on new clients - make sure you are undertaking something that is compelling, otherwise, your client will be disappointed in the results.

Follow up!  Journalists (and all of us) get countless pitches a day via email.  Don’t think that simply blind copying a media list with your press release is all you need to do.  Craft your pitch carefully, and follow up with a phone call, as well as a personalized email. This targeted approach will be much more effective.

Know your audience!

Journalists get hundreds of unsolicited emails and phone calls every day.  Make sure you know what their publication is, and what they write up before you contact them.  Otherwise, your email will likely be deleted and that phone call will never be returned.