A few days ago on LinkedIn, I polled my network with a simple question—what PR tip do you live by? The response was astounding. It’s clear that PR Pros have seen a LOT, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. And what I love about the PR community is that they are always willing to share their own best practices, lessons learned, and advice.
There are a few resounding themes in the advice shared—truth and pitching thoughtfully. Many think of PR as damage control or spin when, in fact, it’s all about sharing high quality, truthful content in a thoughtful way. So without further ado, here is a round-up of some of that advice shared by top PR Pros:
Always try to be easy to work with. I’m not talking about being a pushover or a yes-person. I’m talking about habitually taking one thing off the plate of other folks without adding two more things to that same plate.
Truth first.
Never lie. Even when it seems like it’s just a little thing that will make the story more colorful. Because in reality it is all about little things.
Be the calm in the storm, but make sure you don’t lose sight of the lighthouse.
Don’t be a ‘yes person’ when clients demand us to pitch something. Reputations are the *only* thing we got.
Content is queen! No matter how good your relationship is with a top tier journalist, a story pitch won’t gain traction unless it’s interesting.
Always provide your client the feedback they need to hear, not the feedback they want to hear. That’s where your value comes in.
Invest time in knowing the reporter and not always pitching them. Show you care about them on a personal level.
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Pay attention to the beat of the media person you’re pitching and follow up within a reasonable timeframe.
PR is not spin; PR is putting your best foot forward (and getting noticed).
Add value to ALL stakeholders.
Be responsive, honest, and build relationships.
Always seek to add value to the conversation at hand. If you can’t, wait until you can, otherwise you’re just adding to the noise.
Quality content, pitched appropriately and thoughtfully, with easily available supporting info to tell a great story. Make it easy for the journalists.
Be a person that people want to call for a coffee.
Respect the deadline.
Treat your media contacts like you treat your clients.
A smaller amount of super high quality content > 5X mediocre content.
Truth!
Mine stories worth sharing—and share them broadly.
Speak less, listen more and consume the content you are pitching!
Believing in the purpose of your message. “Alternative facts” can ruin your efforts & reputation.
As you ramp up your own authority and credibility for your practice and your own clients, consider enrolling in my new LinkedIn Learning course called “How to Build Your Own PR Practice.” To learn more and enroll, please click here.