Vikki Bennett’s Post

Happy journalists make for a happy PR. I've given you their pet PR peeves, now it's time for the things that please them. 1. e-mails that begin like this - Dear Joe Bloggs, I read your article on X and thought you might be interested in talking to Y who can speak to you about A, B, C and explain why D is of growing importance. 2. A strong hook/news angle. 3. A link to hi-res images. I say it so many times but there is no excuse not to do this. 4. A great headline that is 'hooky' while also summing up the story perfectly in one line. 5. Free stuff. Journalists are overworked and underpaid and they like free stuff. It doesn't mean they're going to write about your product/service but it will certainly sweeten them up. If you're going to invite them to a launch, make it worth leaving the office/their homes for. Drinks of the alcoholic variety help as does great catering. And for the love of God, if you're a travel brand, pay for their flights and other expenses. Your return on investment will be huge. 6. And finally, get their name right! Journalists, if you've anything more to add, please comment below!

"I've literally just received this request from a journalist at The Daily Telegraph!" This is what one of my PR Bootcamp clients said to me earlier after I checked in to see how she's getting on. Over the years she's built her reputation as a solid, dependable expert, which is why journalists continue to email her and ask her to contribute to the articles they're writing. Two weeks ago she shared her expert comments with a journalist at The Times, and then the request came in from The Daily Telegraph. Despite the fact she's securing publicity, she knows that she can't only rely on inbound opportunities landing on her lap. She knows that she could achieve 10x more pieces of coverage if she was consistently proactive, yet she knows that she hasn't got the time or the headspace to do that at the moment (she's also in the middle of a house move!) I speak to many sole traders who share similar stories: ✅ They know how to secure their own media coverage ✅ They have seen the impact that PR creates ✅ They have felt the ripple effect of results that it generates But when everything on their to-do list is a priority, creating healthy habits and sticking to them tends to go out of the widow! If this sounds familiar then there are a few different ways that I can support you: 1. An overnight spa & strategy day 2. An in-person VIP Day 3. A mini DFY PR + Social Media package 4. A mini DFY PR only package If you're already achieving incredible things solo, just imagine how much more you can achieve with an expert by your side (or doing it for you!) If you'd like to schedule a call with me to discuss any of these PR packages, you can access my online diary here: https://lnkd.in/g_tmAKn3

I read this article earlier and I laughed at how colleagues over the years have teased me about my "i hate generic media lists, don't use them, remove editors, what ARE THEY DOING ON HERE, personalise it" mantra - I am particularly looking at you Heather Bull Max Fairhurst Alanna Pagella (with love, obvs) As a freelancer who is tasked with delivering media coverage, I've witnessed firsthand the challenges surrounding media lists and the approach to pitching journalists. Often, the demand for a comprehensive media list - which takes ages, and a blanket 'we must get something' stems from senior management or clients eager to see outreach efforts structured in a traditional manner. This can sometimes result in hastily compiled lists being passed down to junior team members for execution. Fortunately, I've had opportunities to advocate for a more thoughtful approach, emphasising quality over quantity in our media outreach strategies. It does take a bit longer, but taking a bit of time out to read, research and personalise not only respects the journalist's inbox but also enhances our chances of securing meaningful coverage. However, it's clear that many junior team members may not always have the autonomy to push back against these practices. Follow ups though, I am undecided on. I've often followed up (once) on a - targeted (obvs) cold call email for a journalist to respond 'so sorry, I missed this as I was busy, would love to do something'. But specifically when a journalist has requested specific or even exclusive material and then goes quiet, it becomes tricky. I understand it's often due to their workload or lack of interest, sometimes making it difficult to determine the next steps without pissing someone off. I think one needs to determine on a case by case basis. Moving forward, there's a significant opportunity for organisations to empower their teams with training and resources that emphasise relationship-building with journalists. Just DONT USE A GENERIC MEDIA LIST AND READ THEIR BEAT. If you want any tips on this, or want someone to come in and help your organisation understand how to do this, please give me a shout https://lnkd.in/e4ag4Q5K

As a former journalist who's worked with and for many PR firms over the years, my LinkedIn feed is full of opinions from both sides about the journo-PR relationship. There's a lot of hate (in both directions) with a healthy dose of positive posts about our "mutually beneficial" relationship. I don't know if good media relationships are so much about "mutual benefit" as they are about mutual respect for each other's jobs. That means... 📢 Journalists: PR pros are not here to serve you; they're here to get their clients coverage. 📢 PR pros: Journalists are not here to promote your clients (unless it's sponsored content); they're here to write a story that's going to get clicked on, read, and shared. Is there a middle ground where both of those goals get accomplished? Yes, absolutely. It happens all the time. But let's not ignore the dynamics. We shouldn't pretend that "being nice" to a journalist will get them to write a feature on your client, or that a PR firm isn't going to try to get a subtle plug for their client's business when you interview the CEO as a subject matter expert. Each side is going to do what they have to do to get results, and that's okay (within reason). The key is understanding where each other is coming from and trying to work with, not against, those expectations.

A question our clients often ask when embarking on PR is "how much of a difference does it make to getting media coverage if you actually know the media?" In the PR industry people usually answer this by saying it's not important, as editorial integrity means you can't persuade a journalist to cover something if it isn't already a strong story. It's all about the story. I have always thought it's a bit more complex. I think if the journalist recognises you or the agency's name and trusts the content you've provided before, they're tons more likely to open the email and give your story proper consideration. They won't cover anything you send their way, obviously - goes without saying, but maybe you'll get good feedback on it, or they'll come back to you or the client later for something else. I think this is why longevity in PR can be a real bonus. We have quite a few journalist contacts we've nurtured over a long period of time. Some who are even friends 🙂 What do you think, PR and marketing people? Does it matter who you know?

I was working at an event recently, writing up some post-event releases for the PR consultancy handling the media coverage, and I watched the client exhibit a fundamental misunderstanding in a particular area: how news works, and how fast the news cycle turns. Three days after the event started, they were still "tweaking" the media releases. Yes – releases. And not releases tailored for different media: releases for spray and pray. So, to put it simply, they wanted to send out five or six different releases to the same media list. First off, if you're sending out releases three days after the event starts, you might as well not bother. Please don't blame your PR agency when you don't get any coverage. The news moves fast. There used to be a saying that today's newspaper is lining the budgie cage tomorrow. How much faster do you think things move now that we have social media and digital news platforms? Exactly. Second, it's unlikely that journalists are going to care as much about your event as you do. And that's because you don't understand what news is. People have events every day, all around the world – yours is not news. You're going to have to dig quite deep to find something a news journalist will be interested in, or have some serious heavy-hitters attending. Finally, the journalist in me has one fundamental question to ask: So what? You had a conference, a summit, an expo. So what? Why should I care? How is the status quo going to change because of your event? What's going to happen when it's all over? Can't answer that question? That's why your release is in that journalist's Trash folder. Find the news. Find the 'so what'. And get it out fast – no one wants to read stale news.

The power of radio...and PR, and the journalist who responds A client was on a national radio station earlier today and within a few hours he had six new bookings. So gratifying to connect clients to the best audiences for them, as well as supplying journalists with the content, or people, who can connect with their audiences. These sorts of 'wins' for clients can come after many many approaches to media that disappear into the black whole of busy journalists and producers. It can be very disheartening in PR, especially when you do the research, know the audience and know that it is a good idea for that journalist to know about this topic... so when do you follow up, and when do you just move on to the next potential space? Many journalists who I have great relationships with, when they reply, say they are only too grateful for the follow up as they had missed it the first time and this is a story they are definitely interested in.....but, when you are approaching someone for the first time, how many times is it okay to email them? I like to think I get the balance right, and while I do sometimes distribute a press release to a group of media, personalised with their name, I mostly send targeted 'pitches' explaining why I thought it would be of interest to THEM, or identifying an aspect of the story or person that makes it a good fit for them. Yes, if you are a journalist and you get an email from me, chances are I have read your last three articles or tuned in to your show (and probably subscribe to that media in order to do so), checked you out on LinkedIn, and really given thought to whether this is something worth emailing you about, so it would be so nice to get a response. I know journalists are inundated with PR approaches, so I try not to take it personally when I get no response. And wow is it great to build relationships with media who know that when they get an email from you, chances are its a good lead to a great story. That is gold. Are you a journalist who ignores PR appraoches, and is it simply because you get too many emails and actually have a job to do, or do you find you get some great leads from PR? I would SO love to know.

For my fellow PR professionals — or reporters — I'm interested in your thoughts on this article. Is longer better for pitching? It meshes with my instincts, in spite of all of the advice about making pitches as short as can be. Whatever the length, the fundamentals are most important. - Personalize it for the reporter and their readers. - Make it timely. - Frame a unique and compelling story with valuable takeaways for readers. - Help the person you're pitching envision the story. - Make it scannable. https://lnkd.in/eDFJc_FG

Mandy Collins This is when the PR agency has to be firm, both for themselves and their clients. Long before they are engaging in coverage for conferences, comments on national news events (the budget speech, election outcomes, disasters) and other arenas in which they can provide their clients with coverage, there must be an education process. The agency sits down with the client and explains HOW news works. While respecting the client is paying, they are paying for a professional service. The agency doesn't question how the company performs its responsibilities and the same needs to apply to the client. They have to trust in the agency's experience and knowledge about how the press works and listen when it comes to writing up and publishing releases. That means having one person responsible for checking the copy before it is sent out (not a whole committee for whom the importance is of the lowest priority) - a person who understands the necessity for speed. The release is written up and sent out on the day of the event (or worst-case scenario, the following morning). Only then does it stand a chance for publication. Like

Today on the blog, we talk news! Abena Koomson shares her insight about the importance of news consumption as a public relations professional. “The smart way to remain knowledgeable is to sift through and focus on the highlights. Highlights may come in the form of happenings in your industry, industries you represent (tech, beauty and lifestyle, automobile, real estate), and related issues that affect your business (government policies, legal issues, financial services). By doing this, you are soaking in the right amount of news that is pertinent to you, your work and things that affect your work.” Read the full article on the PR & Lattes website: https://lnkd.in/eedFRgmH #PRAndLattes #Blog #News #PR #PublicRelations #Communications