Today’s post is based on living life in the PR trenches.
As a PR consultant, I often work with clients on media relations and frequently write about tips and tricks to help companies get ink. This post stems from two recent real-world experiences I had while pitching story ideas for small business clients. The takeaway is: never give up!! Tenacity wins the day when it comes to media outreach.
Here a couple of recent examples to illustrate:
1) I’ve been working on getting one of my clients into a major publication for over a year now. When I first reached out, the editor responded to the pitch and we sent a product sample. After going back and forth for about six months, the editor let us know that the product was tentatively slated for coverage in the Sept. issue. (WAHOO!)
Unfortunately, the editor went on leave, and we struggled to get an answer from anyone until she returned. When she did respond, she said the piece “took a different turn” and the product wasn’t going to be included. (BOO!) However, she did say, in what seemed like a very sincere email, that she would keep working on getting it in the magazine.
And that could be the end of the story. But no! At the end of last week, we got a call from the magazine to fact check a piece for November! And this is a MAJOR publication with a circulation of over 4.3 million readers! What a huge win for this small business that could turn into major sales, especially with the holidays approaching and this piece slated for the November issue.
Of course, I never relax until I actually see the published piece—but WOW! Sometimes, it does take time, but if you hang in there, it CAN happen.
2) I’ve been pitching a media outlet for various clients for some time without much in the way of a response (it’s notoriously tough to get a response from this particular program). However, in just the past month, I’ve placed TWO clients on this program! WIN! Both clients are small businesses (one is a nonprofit) who were looking for some publicity opportunities that would open doors for them.
Again, sometimes it takes time—and the right story/right pitch—to make headway, but it CAN be done. Now, this producer is much more likely to review pitches I send in the future, as well, which will help me open this door for even more clients.
These examples illustrate why PR can be a challenge–but it can also be extremely rewarding! I’m not sure who is more excited–my clients or me!
