Scoring The BIG PR Win

In today’s PR landscape, a high-profile article or interview can mean the difference between a happy client and a disappointed one.  Your clients have the inherent need to look stronger, smarter, and better positioned than the competition, and there’s no better way to accomplish this than by scoring a great feature in an influential outlet (i.e. NY Times, CNN, Mashable, depending on your client’s target audience.)  Here are a few tips to help you land the article of your client’s dreams.

Don’t pitch the big guys on every little announcement and idea

Be strategic with your pitching and make sure it’s the right fit.  Don’t pitch the big guys with every single little industry announcement your client is making.  If you want to eventually secure a Los Angeles Times briefing, make sure every pitch you send to that reporter is appropriate and relevant.  Otherwise, you risk getting lost in the inbox shuffle.

Be personal

Reporters are inundated with emails and phone calls from PR pros all day/every day.  Don’t just blast them the same message you’re sending to 500 other contacts.  Do your research.  Follow the reporter on Twitter and learn what they’re interested in and what they tend to write about.  Personalize the pitch and tailor it specifically to the individual as well as the outlet.

Use current events

I’ve discussed this one here on PR Fishbowl before, but it’s definitely appropriate for this situation.  Don’t hesitate to creatively insert your client into the conversation surrounding popular current events in the news.  For example, check out how client Silverpop was recently featured on Mashable by providing some unique insights into the race for the GOP presidential nomination.

Keep an open dialogue

“No” is not the end of the world.  If a high-profile reporter lets you know that a certain story isn’t right for them, start a constructive conversation to find out what they’ll be looking for in the future.  Keep it open ended, and be sure to follow up when you finally have that great exclusive to offer.

Tell us how you’ve scored a major win for one of your clients.