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In a reply to a publicist who contacted me recently on some subject or another, I surprised even myself when I wrote to her that I could not take up her pitch because she used the phrase “reaching out” in her email.
If memory serves, I actually went so far as to tell her it is my policy to say no to pitches in which the phrase “reaching out” or any of its variants is applied. It was a ridiculous, ornery reply to a well-meaning request for coverage, for which I apologize.
However, the “reaching out” phrase rankled me, and I am trying to figure out why. One reason is its overuse. This phrase -- “reaching out,” “reach out,” “reached out” or whatever form it takes -- is certainly overused in the p.r. biz today (and in many other places too)....
Previously available only in France, Babbler already boasts “300 customers worldwide and 5,000 reporters that use it everyday” in that country.
On Tuesday, the organization announced that it’s available to PR pros and reporters in the United States.
Here’s the selling point for the network, said via press release:
Babbler helps create, manage and engage media communities by providing them the best way to interact with their network of sources, content, and story ideas, all in one place....
It was unbelievable news. And reporters shouldn’t have believed it.It turns out that the Institute of Diet and Health is just a Web site with no institute attached.
Johannes Bohannon, health researcher and lead author of the study, is really John Bohannon, a science journalist. And the study, while based on real results of an actual clinical trial, wasn’t aimed at testing the health benefits of chocolate. It was aimed at testing health reporters, to see if they could distinguish a bad science story from a good one.In many cases, they couldn’t....
Working on a campaign outreach? To get an editor's attention, incorporate the way people think and feel.
What moves one pitch to the top of the pile? The answer can be found in psychology. Fractl collaborated with BuzzStream to apply psychological theories to the campaign outreach process. And some interesting results emerged. Below are four key takeaways to give you a more persuasive edge when you work on your next pitch....
"PR is an insanely valuable activity in early-stage companies," wrote venture capitalist Mark Suster on his popular blog for startups.
The problem is that most companies focused on growth are almost allergic to public relations: It takes a ton of time, it doesn't easily lend itself to metrics, and the people who work in PR are often big picture, strategic—or, if you'd rather, "fuzzy"—thinkers.
In other words, PR people don't fit easily into the world of the bootstrapped or venture-backed growth company.
Yet, founders and investors alike will acknowledge that a company's perceived lack of credibility is one of the silent killers of great sales opportunities: Big potential clients can circle and circle, but they are famously risk-averse. In this era of transparency, social proof, and infinite-pages-on-Forbes, a company that doesn't have great coverage or exposure is almost questionable—and that's enough to kill big deals.
Lori Russo and Krista Canfield offer seven tips and tricks for leveraging LinkedIn to communicate with journalists. In a recent PR News article, we mentioned that LinkedIn has become the most-used social network by journalists—92% are on LinkedIn. As PR professionals, you are probably trying to figure out what to do with that astounding statistic, but don't worry—we're here to help. These tips, courtesy of Lori A. Russo, managing director of Stanton Communications, and Krista Canfield, senior manager, corporate communications, LinkedIn, offer advice on how to leverage this valuable communications platform and successfully find and communicate with journalists.... [Practical media relations tips worth noting - JD]
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We suppose it is possible for the Department of State to screw up the handling of questions about whether they lied to reporters even worse — but it is hard to figure out how. The video below from CNN’s Jake Tapper today nicely lays out the series of offenses — but here is our quick summary: In February 2013 Fox News correspondent James Rosen asked then State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland if there had been direct talks between the U.S. and Iran. She essentially said “NO.” In December 2013, Rosen points out to Nuland’s successor Jen Psaki that the correct answer would have been “YES” and asked if State routinely lied to reporters when they found it convenient. Psaki with a smirk said there are times when diplomacy needs privacy to succeed. (Translation: yes, we lied)....
Google is constantly changing its algorithms. We all know about Panda, Penguin, and Hummingbird, but what people often forget is that each one is periodically updated, often without any confirmation or announcement by Google.
The latest known Panda update is Google Panda 4.1, according to the Moz Google algorithm change history log, which has had a profound effect on PR agencies.
The Panda algorithm, in particular, has made huge waves across the PR industry. According to the article ‘Did Google Panda 4.0 Go after Press Release Sites?,’ industry expert Barry Schwartz launched a study which revealed prominent PR agencies like PR Newswire, BusinessWire, and PRWeb lost up to 85% of their visibility within a matter of days.
Studies like this demonstrate that PR agencies are intertwined with the SEO industry, and must adapt or perish in a changing environment....
Plus, if you haven’t got the time to read articles or watch videos during your busy day, podcasts are extremely accessible – listen during your commute, or even on the treadmill. And get this: according to Edison Research, people who listen to audio listen to podcasts almost as much as they listen to the radio.
But why is podcasting important to PR and marketing professionals? Besides the wealth of knowledge it can provide us on a daily basis, its a piece of content marketing we can use to reach our audiences: 67 percent of podcast listeners don’t mind sponsorship messages and occasionally find them useful, compare to 6 percent of TV or radio listeners.
So, if you’re looking to get a daily dose of valuable info from the experts or get inspiration for starting a podcast of your own, here’s our top 50, ranked in order of Twitter followers...
Never leave a reporter hanging—especially one who's ready to write about your company. One of the simplest ways to please any journalist, blogger, or even potential investor, is to have a easy-to-find press kit on your site.
"The goal of a press kit is the same as public relations—make it easy to tell the story," says Jordan Lampe, director of communications at payments company Dwolla. He's helped land the startup on the front pages of the New York Times and the MIT Technology Review....
I've rarely seen someone tell their interviewer that I'm not your monkey. But it seems like filmmaker Quentin Tarantino was very tired of answering this question. Filmmaker Quentin Tarantino has been making violent (but well-received) movies for the past two decades. His latest effort, Django Unchained, is the latest in a long line of bloody films. But unlike other Tarantino movies, Django was released less than two weeks after the tragic school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, which spurred a new national conversation about the role of violence in our culture. Given that context, it’s unsurprising that reporters would ask Tarantino about the extreme violence in his films. But it’s clear from Tarantino’s answers in this interview with Krishnan Guru-Murthy of Britain’s Channel 4 News that he was tired of answering the question. (The exchange begins at 2:40.)...
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Adam Buckman slays another tired bromide by lazy PR people who keep "reaching out" or wanting to "chat."