Pristine Public Relations Blog

When sending pitch emails to journalists, it’s imperative that you follow up with a phone call, as these types of messages do not always arrive at their appropriate destinations.  This is particularly important when you are sending the pitch email to a specific reporter that is interested in covering that story, or covers that particular beat. 

Email subject lines need to be kept concise and specific, lowering the risk of your email getting caught by a journalist’s spam filter.  Email tracking can let you know if your email was opened, if it went to spam, and even which links were clicked.  This can eliminate or at least reduce the need for follow-up calls to every journalist you send your pitch to.

When the story you are pitching is time-sensitive, it’s perfectly okay to follow up with the reporter right after sending the email.  However, it’s important not to be too pushy when following up.  You can risk alienating a reporter/editor who otherwise would have covered your client’s story.  A good tip for doing this is to leave an important piece of information out of your initial pitch, prompting you to call the reporter.  You will be calling not only to say “Did you get my email?”, but letting the reporter know an important fact that’s crucial to the story.  

If you have a pre-established relationship with the reporter you can follow up with them through your mutual social networking sites (i.e. - Twitter, Facebook).  Relationships with each reporter are going to be different so it’s really a judgment call when determining the best method for follow up.  It’s important to keep your follow-up short and to the point over the phone, as reporters are constantly being bombarded with story pitches.

Kristine Bruner

1.)  Creating a PR & Marketing campaign targeting your firm’s specific needs.  The campaign you’re paying for needs to be customized specifically for you.  It sounds simple, right?  But clients’ main complaints after working with other PR and marketing firms are almost always the same: “They didn’t customize a campaign that targeted my firm’s needs.”  Your ideas and goals should be well known to the PR firm you are working with.  Your PR agency needs to understand what you’re all about, where you see your firm going in the next five to 10 years, and have an outlined plan of how they are going to help you get there.

2.)  Making PR a part of your campaign, not your entire campaign.  Your PR firm needs to combine its media relations efforts with direct marketing approaches (i.e., printed brochures, newsletters, sponsorship opportunities, networking opportunities, non-profit partnerships, referral letters, speaking engagements, legal workshops, CLE seminars, etc.) and Internet marketing approaches (i.e., e-newsletters, e-blasts, pay-per-click ad campaigns, SEO, link exchanges, electronic press releases, continuous updates to your Web site, adding content, pages, etc.). This should all be included in a competitively priced package.

3.)  Making sure you are getting what you pay for.  An experienced, senior-level publicist should be working on your account at ALL times.  Did you know that the person you meet with, and the founder or CEO of the PR firm you sign with, is NOT always the actual person who will be working on your account?  Yes, it’s true.  After letting you know about their very impressive background, and having you sign a three to six month contract with their agency, your account is often passed on to someone with far less knowledge and experience in the industry.  To prevent this, it’s important to ask questions like:

·         Who will actually be working day-to-day on my account?

·         What are that person’s credentials and experience level in the industry?

·         Whom does this person report to?

·         How long has he or she been an employee at your firm?

4.)   Meeting with you in person at least once every two weeks to give you a detailed status report on your account.  This is critical in the campaign.  Your PR firm should be presenting a written account update to you in person, every two weeks, that not only tells you what they have done for you, but also what they are working on next.  Your PR firm should be presenting new, fresh ideas to you at these meetings, not simply showing you how many newspaper clippings they have gotten for you that month.

5.)  Making sure your goals and vision for the campaign are aligned.  Whether it’s to increase your list of contacts, your base of referral attorneys, or simply bring more business through your doors, your PR firm needs to have a very clear understanding of these goals.  Ask your agency how these media placements are going to bring you more business.  If the answer is by “enhancing your credibility,” you may have a problem.  The media exposure you receive needs to be targeted while branding your image in your specific practice areas, which can further be used as a selling point for your firm.  Simply put, “enhancing your credibility” will not bring business through your door.  This must be combined with unique Internet marketing concepts and direct marketing approaches.

Kristine Bruner