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The 10 Most
Common Publicity Mistakes - Don't Sabotage Your Success!
by Bill Stoller, Publisher Free Publicity, The Newsletter
for PR-Hungry Businesses
http://www.PublicityInsider.com/freepub.asp
The number one rule of being successful in the world of
publicity (or in just about any other field, for that
matter): Don't sabotage your efforts with dumb -- and
easily correctable -- mistakes. Here then are the dumb
things that publicity seekers do. Avoid them, and you'll be
well on your way to scoring great coverage!
1. Thinking Like an Advertiser
The more you remind a reporter that you're a commercial
entity seeking promotional exposure, the less chance you
have. Blatant ad copy, excessive use of trademark symbols,
overblown quotes, puffed-up claims and other techniques
better suited for advertising copy are sure ways to assure
that your release gets trashed. You must think like an
objective journalist and have a sense of perspective about
who you are and what you sell, and communicate that in your
materials. If you just can't do that, chances are you've
been...
2. Getting Too Close to Your Product
If you spend all day eating, breathing and sleeping packing
tape, it's easy to start believing that the slight change
you made in the thickness of your company's new packing tape
is an advance on par with the printing press and the polio
vaccine. Now, if you're planning on working with Packing
Tape Monthly, perhaps the editors of that fine publication
will agree. But the guys down at USA Today may hold a
different opinion. In deciding (a) what's newsworthy and
(b) how to present this news to the media, it's vital that
you take many steps back and view your company as a
marginally interested outsider might. If you can't do that,
ask friends, family and other outsiders to help.
3. Getting too Close to a Journalist
I've worked with lots of reporters whose company I enjoyed.
I've shared meals and drinks with a bunch of them. One
thing I've never done, however, is forget who they are and
what their jobs are. If a reporter is interviewing you,
whether in person or on the phone, never say anything you
wouldn't want to appear in a story. Journalists have
different interpretations of what "off the record" means,
and it's foolish to try to test those limits. Carefully
think about everything you say, don't be pressured into
commenting on things you don't feel comfortable about, stay
on message, don't gossip, backbite or share secrets. In
short, just as the journalist has his or her job to do, so
too do you. Stay smart.
4. Obsessing Over the Big Hits
Maybe you really will get on Oprah. And maybe you'll win
the lottery and never have to work again. In either case,
it's probably a good idea to have some backup plan in place
in case you don't beat out the 10 million or so other folks
who harbor the same dreams.
It's fine to think big, but smart publicity seekers know
that time spent getting actual press coverage is a better
investment than chasing dreams. So go ahead and send that
press kit to Oprah but, in the meantime, work your butt off
to get placement in weekly papers, syndicates, e-zines,
local radio and other less glamorous places. Scores of
successful businesses have been built on such "small"
publicity. You don't need Oprah or Newsweek or The Today
Show. You need coverage - anywhere and anyway you can get
it. Dreamers dream. Publicists get publicity.
5. Reading from a Script
It's pretty annoying to pick up the phone at dinner time
only to have some guy reading a script about how great vinyl
siding is. Now imagine how a journalist, who's busy working
on deadline, feels about "publicists" calling up to do the
same thing again and again. If you're planning to phone
pitch a journalist, never read from a script or repeat a
rehearsed spiel. She's a human being, so talk to her that
way. (And always start your call with "Is this a good time
to talk?". Never just launch into your pitch.)
6. Using Outdated Media Lists
News flash: Look magazine is out of business. So too are
about half of the new magazines launched in the past decade,
for that matter. Your media list is the lifeblood of your
publicity seeking efforts. Take the time to keep it fresh
and up to date, or you'll be wasting your time. Invest in
Bacon's media guide (www.bacons.com),
visit websites of
publications that interest you, visit your local library or
bookstore's magazine rack. Do a little homework and you'll
get a big edge.
7. Not Understanding Timing
A non-savvy publicity seeker would ask, "Why do a story
about Christmas publicity in June?" A smart publicity
seeker understands completely. It's all in the timing. If
you're not thinking months ahead, then it's probably too
late. In early summer, you should be working on "back to
school" releases for newspapers and other short-leads (it's
already too late for long- lead magazines). Have something
to offer for Thanksgiving? Start planning now. Learn the
lead times for various publications, plan out a yearly
schedule. Plan ahead. Plan ahead. Plan ahead.
8. Not Being Accessible
If a journalist wants to use your release, he may call to
get some more information, get some clarification or even to
see if you actually exist. If he gets voice-mail (or a busy
signal) and doesn't hear back from you, you've probably
blown it. On your releases and pitch letters, include the
most accessible phone number you have (your cell phone,
perhaps, if you're on the road a lot) and an e-mail address
you check throughout the day. If you miss a call from a
journalist, or receive an e-mail, get back to him
immediately. Don't put it off -- he could be on deadline
and have calls in to your competitors.
9. Not Telling the Truth
There may be worse people to lie to than journalists --
detectives, IRS agents, the guy who's administering your lie
detector test -- but not many. Think about it folks: these
men and women are trained to discover the truth. They know
how to do research and how to talk to others in your fields
to determine whether or not you're being truthful. So don't
take any chances. Don't even think about inflating your
sales numbers, or making up a story, or pitching something
that's mostly BS. Not only will they figure it out, your
attempts to bamboozle them may even make it into the press.
10. Being Sloppy
Typos, bad printing, poorly shot
photos, improperly formatted press releases...these are the
signs of an amateur. Amateurs don't get coverage. Before
you send out anything, proof it. Then proof it again. Then
give it to someone else to proof. Then proof it again.
# #
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About The Author:
Bill Stoller, the "Publicity Insider", has spent two decades
as one of America's top publicists. Now, through his
website, eZine and subscription newsletter, Free Publicity:
The Newsletter for PR-Hungry Businesses
http://www.PublicityInsider.com/freepub.asp , he's sharing
-- for the very first time -- his secrets of scoring big
publicity. For free articles, killer publicity tips and
much, much more, visit Bill's exclusive new site:
http://www.publicityInsider.com
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