Ads are all well and good for promoting your business and its products. But nothing can beat third-party endorsement – preferably from respected journalists. So why do so many people treat journalists so badly? Richard McCann investigates.

Current media ‘golden boy’ journalist Owen Hunnam spoke out the other day: “My pet hate is blatant advertorial-style press releases written without any research into our magazine or understanding of our readership. Anything that isn’t related is instantly deleted.”

And who can blame him? One-size-fits-all press releases written like a sales brochure with no regard to news value or any knowledge of target readership. Sound familiar? Be honest now!

What’s amazing is that it’s often top sales people who make such elementary mistakes. So try thinking of the journalist in the same way that you’d think of your sales prospects or customers. OK – so you have a product; how will you introduce it to a prospect? Call them up and invite them to lunch without mentioning the product? Unlikely.

Write them an email telling them how great you are, and attaching specs of an item without explaining what it does or checking out if your prospect might actually need one? Of course you wouldn’t!

So why send an email to a list of random journalists extolling the virtues of your new rust killer, for example? Do you really expect that will get published? Don’t hold your breath. After all, the writer has very little time to compile his or her articles so make it easy for them to ‘buy’ from you. Do a little homework.

First of all, identify your titles. Who would use such a product? Car restorers? Boat owners? Who else? List all the sectors you can think of. Then list all the magazines and websites such people will read. And read them all yourself. Do they do product tests? Identify the need and list the most relevant person at each magazine and e-zine by name.
Better to contact two journalists with a well thought out proposal that will get published than 200 with a puff that gets nowhere.

Then – and only then – contact each writer INDIVIDUALLY quickly establishing that you have read their work and that you’ve spotted that they write about the problems of eradicating rust. Add a few words explaining that your product was developed specifically with the needs of their readers in mind. Maybe you have a short testimonial or example? And then – don’t make your pitch into a novel – offer them a sample (if appropriate) or a case study or some research. Don’t add loads of attachments that the journalist will be reluctant to open from an unknown source. And don’t forget your contact details including your ‘phone number and your website.

Oh yes – NEVER pester the writer to see if they have published the item for you. That will rapidly identify you to the ‘customer’ that you can’t even be bothered to check for yourself and want them to help run your marketing campaign for you.

Sure - it’s all common sense – so why do most people continually get it wrong? Because they can’t be bothered!


Richard McCann is from B2B PR experts Friday’s

Friday’s PR delivers straight talking and effective new business PR for many of the UK’s top names in marketing services, HR, conferencing, venues, automotive, legal and government services. For a free PR audit and to learn about our Guaranteed ROI contact www.fridays-group.co.uk