Re: News Story Pitching - Call & Blab?

From: Frank Catalano <frank_at_frankcatalano.com>
Date: Fri 20 Oct 2000 11:14:00 -0500

LAWRENCE WAN <ivitae_at_mail.com> WROTE:
> Do any PR, Marcom & Marketing experts out there have
> any tales & advice on what truly works when pitching a
> story? How about sending a pitch email 1st, then
> calling? Or, is calling not effective, since it takes
> forever to reach the journalist, & they never listen
> unless you're a close contact?

You are absolutely doing the most effective thing to
get press coverage -- contacting journalists directly,
either by phone or personalized e-mail. News releases
and one-size-fits-all e-mail pitches are great
supplements, but -- unless you're a publicly-traded
company where investors are hanging on to every word --
they don't replace direct, customized contact.
Following up with prepared e-mail or print materials
after a direct contact, or using e-mail news releases
to create a "steady drumbeat" of name recognition for
when you do directly contact a journalist, is a good
supplemental approach (as long as you don't overdo it).

However, I'd suggest you spend a bit of time developing
a PR strategy (which I suspect you're already doing
informally and unconsciously), making sure before you
make press contacts that you've answered the following
questions:

- Who are you trying to get word out to? Prospects,
  analysts, investors?
- What media do those people rely on for information?
- Who at those media outlets cover companies similar to
  yours?
- How do they prefer to be contacted?

There are several ways to get this information -- the
first and second, obviously, requires you identify and
know your target audience. The third and fourth can be
identified through copies of the publication mastheads,
as well as through press database services such as
Bacon's (www.baconsinfo.com) and MediaMap
(www.mediamap.com). Both Bacon's and MediaMap, though
pricey for a small firm (about $1,800-$2,400 a year),
can help you rapidly build a good in-house press
contact list, and both do have free trials for a few
days so you can see if they're what you need.

In any event, you're already doing the most effective
thing, and though labor intensive, it's the best way to
build long-term press relationships.

Frank Catalano

Principal, Catalano Consulting
Co-author, Internet Marketing for Dummies
frank_at_catalanoconsulting.com
www.catalanoconsulting.com





Received on Fri Oct 20 2000 - 11:14:00 CDT