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What PR People Should Know About Journalists
Advice from Angela Kambarian
There are so many things about the world of PR that most journalists know and many PR people are totally unaware of. Here are a few pointers I would like to share:
1. Your BS is obvious.
Most journalists are rather skeptical by nature. So, donā??t bother with the press releases about hiring your new VP of Marketing no one has ever heard of. Who cares?
2. Timing is of the essence.
Journalists usually work with tight and unreasonable deadlines.
Therefore, they may not even care about what you are pitching unless they are right in the middle of it. What I mean by that is sometimes you need to focus less on what your message is, and more on when you deliver it. Fortunately, an increasing number of journalists use Twitter and Facebook to update their status. It makes it easier to know when is a good time to reach out to them.
3. Reputation matters.
Always remember: having interviews fall through at the last minute can cause problems and damage your reputation. If you let a reporter down once, you will be fighting an uphill battle the next time.
4. Speed and contactability can make all the difference in the world.
You should always be accessible to the media. Giving journalists multiple ways to contact you and being available when they have a question is critical to garnering publicity.
5. Peer pitching works.
It is much easier to pitch a story if a member of the media could consider you a peer instead of a hired flack selling a story. Not only is this good for relationships, but it also helps you to sympathize with journalists if you yourself are on the receiving end of more than a few clueless pitches.
About the Expert: Angela Kambarian is a President of Essential Communications headquartered in Long Beach, NY. She has over a decade of business experience and holds a master's degree in Communications and Public Relations. She creates effective, results-driven sales materials for different companies, organizations and entrepreneurs. Angela writes compelling sales letters, advertising copy, direct mail packages, public relations materials, newsletters, website content, landing pages, etc. She also provides marketing consulting and develops profitable online and offline strategies for her clients. Visit her website at www.kambarian.com for more information
Contact information:
Phone:
516-889-8636
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