Changes Are A’Brewin…

After spending some time looking back at my past posts, I realized that I’m not happy with my style or the quality of my posts. I feel like, and I’m sure you’ve noticed this too, that I’m lecturing everyone without any true substance It all seems too redundant and I aim to change this.

So, please bear with me as I make this transition and find my true blogging personality. I may not post for a little while because I’m also moving in the middle of this epiphany.

Hopefully I will re-emerge with more interesting posts and with a more regular schedule. I apologize in advance for this hiatus.

Thanks for reading my posts throughout the last year. I will be back.

Photo credit: Aaron Molina

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Have You Reviewed Your Media Relations Strategy Lately?

I’ve just started reading Making News: A Straight-shooting Guide to Media Relations by David Henderson and can understand his desire to provide a guide for all ranks of the PR trade, from the newest practitioner to the seasoned professional. Although it was published in 2006, the book is still relevant for PR folks today.

Henderson incorporates extensive research and interviews with over one hundred journalists and media professionals from all over the globe into the book. His approach is fairly simple: What advice media professionals have for PR folks to improve their media relations and increase their chances of exposure? The book walks you through several scenarios, principles and practices that are backed by many media leaders with insider tips for better relationships with them and their media colleagues.

The added bonus to this book is that Henderson himself has spent his life on both sides of the spectrum.

As a new graduate and someone who hasn’t had extensive media relations training, I can appreciate and learn a lot from Henderson and this book. The book sparked this question from me: Why are we as PR folks reluctant to make personal contact with journalists or reporters such as a phone call? I know this sounds like a broad generalization, and it isn’t meant to be, but this is a trend among those interviewed in the book. Are you sending out your releases to hundreds of journalists hoping for a placement or are you taking the time to target specific journalists who cover what you’re communicating and learn their preferred contact methods?

A point from the book I’ve also been thinking about is that the media folks complain that PR people aren’t providing solid news angles in their releases or pitches.  I can see this. I’ve read many releases that don’t actually say anything. As PR people, we are charged with several duties, one being the ability to find a great story about our client or organization and tell it in many different ways. Are we getting away from this somehow?

One more quick question: Are you monitoring media’s trends (not trends in the media) to make sure you are current with your approaches?

This post is more or less my thoughts on media relations and the current state of media relations practices among PR firms and departments. If it sounds like I’m bashing the PR field, I’m not. I love PR, but I want to be an effective media relations practitioner for any organization I work for and to make sure our field earns the respect it deserves. If nothing else,  maybe this will reinforce the need to understand our media counterparts as much as we understand our clients and their audiences. Keep in mind that although social media allows us to bypass the mainstream media in many ways, social media isn’t going to eliminate the MSM altogether.

Hopefully this will get some folks to take a second and think about their media relations practices, for change or for reassurance. Any ideas on this?

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From Bystander to Conversationalist

It’s no secret that today’s communicators need to take the leap from social media bystander to an active conversationalist. For some, me included, it takes a little while to adjust to the fast-paced flow of information. It can be intimidating to join in and share your two cents, but here are my two cents on how to join the conversation:

1. Figure out your purpose for using SM tools.
2. Find industry/opinion leaders in areas that interest you and follow them, read their blogs, etc.
3. Take the time to read and understand the aforementioned leaders’ thoughts.
4. Don’t be shy to reach out and ask for advice or information. Everyone wants to help and share their knowledge.
5. Contribute to the flow of information. Retweet information, show some link love on your blog, share your thoughts on issues, pose questions to spark conversation, etc.
6. The more original content you provide, the better your chances are to be heard.
7. Be patient, enjoy the purpose of these tools and realize that you will not read or absorb all information available.
8. Converse. The purpose of social media is to be social, not to spam everyone with your product, clients, etc on every platform available. Talk from a human perspective and connect.

Sadly, it took me a while to understand all of this. It’s a process, but one that requires a little hard work and perseverance. I’d like to think I’ve finally had my “Aha!” moment with social media and realized its true value and impact–but who knows?

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