When I was a working broadcaster and journalist, together withmy colleagues, we received an average of 100 press releases a week, sometimes more! Ninety-nine per cent ended up in the round filing cabinet beside my desk.
Most were trying to ‘flog’ a product. If you want to make people aware of your product advertise it.
Also the media releases were dull, churned out by a public relations hack – absolutely lifeless , extolling that ‘i’t was ‘leading edge’, and is the best thing ever in its class or product or some other over hyped hackneyed cliche.
I wondered if thing had changed, so I contacted a few jorno’s and broadcast producers.
I asked a couple of questions.
Question One.
“How many releases, both paper and electronic, do you receive each week?
Answer: An average of 90 to 100 per week, sometimes 150 - Not combined, but each outlet!
Question Two.
“How many do you follow-up and use?” was the next question.
Answer: An average of one or two a maybe, but usually none.
In my media history of nearly 20 years as an insider, I hardly ever used a release sent to me, either on paper or electronically.
Credible people with whom I had formed a relationship usually rang me on my direct line or on my second blocked mobile.
They knew they had to have a ‘story’ to tell that would interest readers and listeners.
Then I asked them to send me information, which I read from my email box or from the fax.
Sometimes I used it or at least told them I had forwarded the info to a colleague.
The other releases were dull, churned out by a public relations hack – absolutely lifeless , extolling that ‘it’ was ‘leading edge’, and is the best thing ever in its class or product or some other over hyped hackneyed cliche. Very occasionally there was gold maybe 0ne in a 100 or so.
The majority of releases are considered as SPAM and are never opened, being consigned to the Recycle Bin.
Gimmicks, such as chocolates or other trivia, mean one thing. You or your PR firm are trying to engage the media outlet to interview you.
Publishers like to send books to entice you to interview the author to promote their product.
In Australia about 4,000 new books are published each year – in the US, 40,000.
We had a big box in the production office called the Christmas and Birthday Present Box. Nearly all the books we received were dumped in the C & B Box and anyone could take any number of books and give them to their friends. We had hundreds left over. At the end of the year and after us vultures dipped into the box, a charity would collect them to sell or distribute to those who couldn’t afford to buy books.
The odds are really stacked against you if you use a PR firm.
Never let a PR Agency convince you that they can create ’free’ media exposure for your product or service. In the promotion game nothing is ’free’. The fees they charge for ‘free ’promotion are too high for the return on your investment and benefits you receive, which are usually not much.
In my next blog I outline how to effectively help people find you and how you can engage them to a least look or listen to your ‘story’ without those PR gougers.
The Internet has revolutionised Marketing and Public relations, which you should at least know about if you wish to successfully communicate with your desired audiences.
In the Internet era your first task is to be found.
Second tasks is to engage your audience.
And finally, it is to form a relationship with your audience.
Remember it’s easier when you how.
Christian Peterson
“The quality an effectiveness of your communication is the response you receive.”
PS: Oprah visited Australia. It is rumoured that Tourist Australia paid her organisation, Harpo, $2,000,000 to get her and her team here. The hidden costs have never been revealed. Tourism Australia say they got an excellent deal.
I believe they did, but the increase in the number of tourists will tell us if it was worth it. Things are much tougher with the global economic down turn
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