PR in 2012: Basics Still Hold True

The public relations industry has evolved dramatically in just the last five years. Media lists include more than just TV and radio stations, industry and trade publications, and consumer news outlets; they contain wide-read blogs, RSS feeds, streaming online news sources, Internet radio stations, and more. Now, your journalist contacts not only have phone and email, but also twitter handles. It’s a whole new PR world in terms of media research, but the universal rules of pitching stand the test of time.

Below are a few tips:

1. Less is more. Don’t blanket pitch every contact at a publication. It makes you seem like a novice, and your pitch appear unimportant.

2. Get it right the first time. Be strategic, do your research, and edit your work. Make sure that you have the correct contact – with their name correctly spelled; make sure that there are no typos or misspellings, and before sending it, ask yourself if the pitch itself is relevant and worth the recipient’s time – you do not want to be labeled as a mass-pitcher, someone who takes the shotgun approach and just blasts out irrelevant or poorly-targeted pitches.

3. Know your audience. Take the extra time to see what kind of stories the folks you’re pitching to are interested in. What have they written about or covered previously? Checking their archived materials can save you from pitching a story to someone who has already covered it—and form a foundation for an ongoing relationship.

4. Make it easy. It is surprising how many PR professionals have never actually been journalists themselves. They have never been on the other end of that phone. Those who have know that what a journalist craves is succinct, newsworthy information that is both on target in terms of relevancy and audience. They want bullet points and easy access to a more comprehensive idea; they want a quick way to reach a PR professional should they want to interview a client. A pitch they have to work for won’t work.

5. Get social. Follow writers that you frequently pitch to on Twitter and you’ll get a feel for what interests them and what they’re working on. It’s also an opportunity to start to forge a relationship. Re-tweet, comment and interact with them in a thoughtful, professional manner.

It is an exciting time to be in the public relations industry because communication channels are constantly evolving. However, the PR basics remain relatively constant. Do your homework: make sure that you know what sort of stories your contacts are interested in, who the appropriate contacts are (and how they prefer to be pitched), and the best day/time to pitch to them. This prep work, in addition to the five tips above, will go a long way in cementing your reputation among key contacts and building a mutually beneficial working relationship.