Tag Archive for: Pitching

The beauty of hindsight: What I wish uni had taught me about PR

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Reaching the end of a degree is one of the best feelings I’ve ever encountered but this feeling of accomplishment comes hand in hand with another feeling, an unsettling one that begs the question; Am I ready to enter the workforce? Upon completion of any task, a person is able to look back on the process with a wealth of knowledge and there is always that lingering thought; if I could go back I would have done this or that differently. This is where I come in, to provide you with a recent graduates guide to the three most important aspects of PR they don’t teach you at uni.

A public relations degree will only get you so far. Interning will get you further.

When I chose to study public relations I didn’t have the first clue about the industry or how it worked. Therefore, it will come as no surprise that I also didn’t know the first thing about interning and a year and a half into my degree had a minor [okay major] freak out. All of my classmates began talking about internships and I heard whispers about the difficulties of securing a job upon graduation without having interned first. It was from this point onward that I began actively volunteering and interning in several different areas of public relations that interested me.

Internships will teach you things that your degree cannot and are a per-requisite for entering the industry after you graduate. Intern as much as you can, as often as you can and as early into your degree as possible. Even if you have just started your degree and believe you have nothing to offer an employer, you’re wrong. Your employer will expect you to be a little rough around the edges; you’re a student after all,  so don’t let your fear of being inexperienced hold you back.

First things first: learn how to write a media release

So this isn’t exactly something they didn’t teach me but more something I wish they had taught me earlier, much much earlier as I wasn’t taught how to write a media release until a fair while into my degree. If you are to know only one thing walking into your first internship, let it be the basics behind writing a media release and I say this for two reasons;

a. writing media releases will be your main duty as an intern and will help you build your portfolio and

b. you will be asked to write media releases in job interviews so that potential employers can gauge your level of writing.

If I could go back in time and give myself one piece of pre-degree advice it would be to:

Utilise your university’s library resources and read literature on how to write a media release before they even broach the topic in class. I found it was vital information that I was learning far too late into my degree. Also, at your internships ask your superiors for feedback on your media releases and tips on ways in which to improve your writing.

What’s that? You want me to pitch a story to the media? Sure I can do that, just give me a moment to start breathing again.

Pitching is a word my tutors had thrown around at uni but one that had never quite been explained to me until my first internship when I was passed a phone and asked to pitch a story to a journalist. The feeling I got in that moment was one of sheer terror; when your entire stomach lurches into your throat. I was absolutely terrified. Why hadn’t they taught me how to pitch at uni? Why had we not done practical pitching exercises in class?

As scary as it is, don’t shy away from pitching. Embrace it until you own it.

Unfortunately, pitching is one of those things where practice makes perfect and your best bet is to start interning, dive into the deep end and learn to swim as you go. You will be required to pitch for your internships and although it may seem scary at first it’s something that becomes easier with time.

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6 Questions: Emma Malone, Editor at CGB Publishing

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Next up in our 6 Questions series finding out how journalists like to work, any issues they have with PRs, how they like stories to be pitched to them etc, we chat with Emma Malone Editor at CGB Publishing.

1)      What is your deadline day/ time?  CGB Publishing has three different magazines, Business Franchise Australia (published six times a year) Business Franchise New Zealand (published four times a year) and the Franchisor (published two times a year).  Add to this the Franchise Guide – a full length book (published annually) and the Franchise Directory (published annually) and there is no day or time when we do not have a deadline!

2)      How do you prefer to be contacted (i.e. email, phone, fax, post)?  I prefer an email followed up by a phone call.  It gives me a chance to review the information and see if it would be of any value to our publications.

3)      Is there a particular time of day you prefer to be contacted?  Preferably late morning. This gives me a chance to catch up on the mountain of emails and action items first.

4)      Do you like to meet companies and bosses for coffee/ lunch? If yes, do you have any favorite venues?  I would love to meet for coffee, but our deadlines don’t really allow for this.  Emails and phone calls are much more effective for my schedule.

5)      What are your three pet peeves about PRs?  I am not sure I have pet peeves.  PR firms have a job to do, just like the rest of us.

6)      What would the perfect story pitch be for you? And what’s the best PR pitch you have ever had?  There is no perfect pitch – at least not that I have seen (yet) – I appreciate PR people who tell me about the company, what they are trying to achieve and what they would like from our publication – no sales dances.

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A day in the life of a PR professional

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While Public Relations is certainly a profession most people know of very little understand what we actually do and what happens day-to-day. A common misconception is that we are always ‘lunching’ and basically having a jolly good time putting on parties. True this is a very simplified and ignorant view of the industry but I have certainly heard it ‘joked’ about on more than one occasion in my career, so today we will take a quick look at a few fundamental things that every practitioner does each day (well at least at Ignite PR & Marketing we do).

1) Plan the day: Time is money so a review of the day ahead, the priorities to conquer and key deadlines to meet that day will ensure the next 8 hours are productive and efficient and maximized for both the client and agency.

2) Media Monitoring: One of the key aspects of our jobs is ensuring we are abreast of current affairs that may influence our clients’ brands or provide great fodder for a story opportunity, so scouring the key news sites, local newspapers, industry blogs and newsletters is an integral part of a good account manager’s job.

3)  Writing , Writing , Writing : No day is complete without a few solid hours of research, interviews and writing covering items like press releases, blogs, newsletters and social media entries to name but a few.

4) Pitch and follow up: Most days time will be spent pitching a story to media with the aim of achieving media coverage to satisfy our clients’ voracious appetites for being ‘seen’ in the market place. Of course it’s all targeted media, so time is spent qualifying the media contacts and ensuring each media receives a story that is relevant to the publication. Sometimes it will work but on the whole a ‘cookie cutter’ approach won’t generate the right results.

5) Client Relations: Clients are our bread and butter so ensuring they feel ‘loved’ is a very important part of a PR professional’s job. Nothing replaces face-to-face communication but given most agencies will work with clients across Australia it is important to be proficient communicators via phone, email and Skype is important. At our agency each manager has multiple clients to work on each day so we have a rule of thumb of a least 3 points of contact a week (if not more).

PR is an exciting and challenging career but there is a considerable amount of time spent behind the desk strategising, writing and working towards helping clients fulfill their communication goals. I’ve never worked in-house but consultancy life is fast paced, challenging, thoroughly enjoyable and satisfying. It’s not a good choice for people who can’t work under pressure but if you hate being bored and like seeing the difference your work can make, PR is a good choice.

6 questions: Susan Ronai, Managing Editor, BUSINESSbne

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Next up in our series finding out how journalists like to work, any issues they have with PRs, how they like stories to be pitched to them, etc, is Susan Ronai, managing editor of BUSINESSbne, a Brisbane specific magazine aimed at SMEs and targeted at business owners, managers and employees; effectively anyone who works in the business world.

1)      What is your deadline day?

My magazine is published 6 weekly, so the deadlines vary… the balance of this year is June 30, August 11, September 22 and November 4 and the time is close of business on that day.

2)      How do you prefer to be contacted (i.e. email, phone, fax, post)?

Prefer email by far.

3)      Is there a particular time of day you prefer to be contacted?

Doesn’t matter, but I don’t have mobile email, so I may not get an email until I’m back in the office.

4)      Do you like to meet companies and bosses for coffee/ lunch? If yes, do you have any favourite venues?

Anywhere except in town… the parking charges are prohibitive!

5)      What are your three pet peeves about PRs?

I don’t have any.

6)      What would the perfect story pitch be for you? And what’s the best PR pitch you have ever had?

I have recently asked Ignite to join with me in supplying copy once every 6 weeks for an interview style piece either on a person of note for “Have a Coffee with ….” or on a business for a “Business Success Story”, so would be interested in receiving pitches for those sections. The [best PR pitch] hasn’t happened yet so I can’t answer any further.

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The basics of body language

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At presentation skills training it’s always drilled into you that it’s not necessarily what you say, but how you say it. So you could be delivering the most brilliant speech ever, but if it’s done badly – mumbling, monotone, no eye contact, etc – then you may as well be reciting a nursery rhyme for all that your audience will take away from their experience. Perhaps a little extreme, but one aspect of delivery is body language. It’s a key part of how you present yourself, whether it’s in a speech, an interview or presentation. Every eyebrow twitch, hair twirl, eye movement or leg-crossing can indicate something about you.

Whilst we’re certainly not experts on the subject, we’ve done some research to offer you some top tips on understanding body language so that you can hopefully make it work in your favour.

1)      First impressions really count. When first meeting people it’s vital to make a good impression – make sure you have a firm (but not too firm) handshake with no sweaty palms; make proper eye contact (but don’t stare); be alert, if sitting down make sure you have a relaxed but upright posture.

2)      Learn the art of ‘mirroring’. This is when you pick up gestures and tone from a person and ‘mirror’ what they are doing. When done in a subtle way this is often said to make people feel more comfortable in your presence as it’s often something that occurs between close friends and family members. Don’t be too obvious though as otherwise people might assume that you’re making a mockery of them.

3)      Be ‘arm aware’. What are your arms and hands doing? Crossing your arms across your chest can be viewed as defensive, expressing opposition or being insecure; if sitting at a table, folding your hands in your lap or having them under the table can be viewed as untrustworthy; wringing your hands can be seen as a sign of nervousness; and when presenting an idea or talking be wary about being too wild in your gestures.

4)      Respect personal space. Never get too close to someone, especially in a workplace situation, unless you know them really well. People can really take offence; it can create nervous tension and create a negative atmosphere.

5)      Are you flirting with me? Women especially can have a minefield to manoeuvre round when it comes to body language being interpreted as flirtatious behaviour, for example stroking your neck (nervous) or fiddling with your hair (anxious). Be wary of this, especially when dealing with people of the opposite sex.

Another tip worth noting is for doing presentations and speeches – film yourself practicing and then play it back without any sound. You will notice any nervous ‘tics’ or repetitive actions as well as what works.

Whilst this blog post is our own work, we used a number of articles to inform our words: Forbes.com, Thinkquest.org, New York Business Partners and eHow.com.

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6 questions: Jen Bishop, Editor and Publisher, Dynamic Business

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Next up in our series finding out how journalists like to work, any issues they have with PRs, how they like stories to be pitched to them, etc, is Jen Bishop, editor and publisher of Dynamic Business, Australia’s highest circulating magazine for SMEs.

1)      What is your deadline day?

I have a different deadline every day of the week! We work on a two-month lead time as a rule, and don’t give out deadlines because if we haven’t commissioned something, why do you need to know?

2)      How do you prefer to be contacted (i.e. email, phone, fax, post)?

Always my email. Press releases by fax or post end up in recycling and I’m so often not at my desk, phone isn’t a good way to get me. I’m usually really quick to reply to emails and tweets/DMs though!

3)      Is there a particular time of day you prefer to be contacted?

Not really.

4)      Do you like to meet companies and bosses for coffee/ lunch? If yes, do you have any favourite venues?

Sometimes. I like venues close to my office so it’s less time out.

5)      What are your three pet peeves about PRs?

One: Chasing up the press release sent half an hour ago.

Two: Not doing your research and getting my name wrong/knowing nothing about the magazine.

Three: Phoning up and reading off a script (usually the intern).

6)      What would the perfect story pitch be for you? And what’s the best PR pitch you have ever had?

The best pitches are those targeted specifically to my publication by someone who has taken the time to look at it.

I get the best pitches from Caroline and Melissa Shawyer from the PR Group because they know exactly what I need and want and they make my life easier by thoroughly thinking something out before they pick up the phone.

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6 questions: Cayla Dengate, Features Editor, mX

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Next up in our series finding out how journalists like to work, any issues they have with PRs, how they like stories to be pitched to them, etc, is Cayla Dengate, features editor of free newspaper mX.

1)      What is your deadline day?

We write mX News early each morning to be ready on the street by 2.30pm, so our news deadline is about 9am Monday to Friday; however features are arranged weeks earlier. Ideally, we want to know about an event two weeks in advance.

2)      How do you prefer to be contacted (i.e. email, phone, fax, post)?

I like to get to know contacts in Brisbane, so a phone call is always appreciated, but email is the failsafe.

3)      Is there a particular time of day you prefer to be contacted?

I’m in the office 6.30am-2.30pm Monday to Wednesday.

4)      Do you like to meet companies and bosses for coffee/ lunch? If yes, do you have any favourite venues?

I find the best way to meet contacts is at launches and openings. That way, I can meet PRs in their element and hopefully get some story ideas in the process.

5)      What are your three pet peeves about PRs?

One: Mobile contact – unless it’s genuinely urgent, I’d prefer work messages to stay on my work phone.

Two: Calling the day of an event – by that stage, it’s mostly too late for mX.

Three: Forced familiarity – it’s not expected for a PR to know everything about every journalist they contact, and it can be embarrassing when they pretend to.

Having said that, I mostly love working with the PR community. Quite a few PRs have helped out mX with last-minute photo requests and contact information!

6)      What would the perfect story pitch be for you? And what’s the best PR pitch you have ever had?

While I’d like to say the perfect pitch is one that’s baked into a cupcake, that’s not necessary. mX is looking for stories that directly relate to the 18-35 age demographic. Whether it’s a serious issue or a community event, we want to know why young people should be interested. In terms of photos, we are always looking for a brightly coloured shoot with young, spunky people and lots of props and movement.

There have been some very memorable PR pitches – from an offer to find me my Soul Mate (already taken, thanks) to a photo opportunity with live tigers – but my favourites have to be the illustrated invitations that arrive before fashion week each year. They’re tiny pieces of art that I often keep for years to come.

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6 questions: Alex Tilbury, Finance reporter, The Courier-Mail

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Next up in our series finding out how journalists like to work, any issues they have with PRs, how they like stories to be pitched to them, etc, is Alex Tilbury, finance reporter from The Courier-Mail.

1)      What is your deadline day?

Deadline is normally every day from 4pm onwards. The afternoon news conference finishes around 3:30pm so that is when the section editors know what they want for the next day. The Your Money section is nationally syndicated across all News Ltd tabloids and is normally done and dusted each Wednesday for the following Monday.

2)      How do you prefer to be contacted (i.e. email, phone, fax, post)?

Email is definitely best. I don’t want faxes. I am just dipping my toes into the Twittersphere so even a tweet is good. I check it a few times a day. Follow me @AlexTilbury.

3)      Is there a particular time of day you prefer to be contacted?

Please don’t ring any daily newspaper journo in the late afternoon as it is simply too busy to talk. Mornings are always best to call, if you must. As a rule, news conference starts at the Courier-Mail at 9:30, then 10:30am. We are very keen to hear about video/audio options. If you can package a story for an iPad edition (every day at 5am and 5pm), then that’ll work in your favour too. We have to sell our own stories across all the multi-media platforms.

4)      Do you like to meet companies and bosses for coffee/ lunch? If yes, do you have any favourite venues?

I definitely like to meet up but I prefer people to come to our office at Bowen Hills. I don’t have a lot of time to get out basically.  It’s also very posh in the new newsroom, all renovated and we even have great coffee here.

5)      What are your three pet peeves about PRs?

I am constantly surprised when PRs call and ask if you have run such and such story and it may have run already but many PRs don’t actually read the book! Buy the paper, it’s so fundamental. Not every story gets uploaded online. In fact it is only going to get worse when the content online will eventually be subscriber-only. And, don’t ring me and ask who you should pitch a piece to. Start with the Chief of Staff and then contact journos directly.

6)      What would the perfect story pitch be for you? And what’s the best PR pitch you have ever had?

Case studies really help, especially in business reporting. Find me a happy customer and it’s an easy way for people to relate. We are definitely not a trade magazine, so nothing extremely single product specific. Be aware of what is happening in the news and in terms of data coming out. New car sales data, retail data, building approvals… all these are hooks to a genuine news piece that highlights your car dealer, shop owner or builder. Think a little more ‘newsy’.

Best pitch… still waiting! Every day is different. I think the best PRs are the ones who understand we are all here just to do our jobs, fill the book and find the best angle for our readers.

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6 questions: Krystal Manson, Drive journalist and newsreader, 101.9 Fox FM

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Next up in our series finding out how journalists like to work, any issues they have with PRs, how they like stories to be pitched to them, etc, is Krystal Manson, Drive journalist and newsreader from 101.9 Fox FM in Melbourne.

1)      What are your deadlines throughout the day?

3.30pm, 4.30pm and 5.30pm for bulletins at 4, 5 and 6pm.

2)      How do you prefer to be contacted (i.e. email, phone, fax, post)?

Email is best.

3)      Is there a particular time of day you prefer to be contacted?

For my particular shift before 3pm; between about midday and 3pm is preferred.

4)      Do you like to meet companies and bosses for coffee/ lunch? If yes, do you have any favourite venues?

No. There’s no time for that really in radio. 

5)      What are your three pet peeves about PRs?

One: PR people that call right in the middle of a reading shift or close to news time (6-9am and 4-6pm).

Two: Sending out a release then not having the talent ready to go.

Three: Really looooong phone pitches without taking a breath to let us say NO THANKS!

Also, please don’t ask me what questions I’m going to ask or for a copy of what went to air.

6)      What would the perfect story pitch be for you? And what’s the best PR pitch you have ever had?

The best story pitches are the ones with the best stories. Don’t waste my time if what you are trying to sell isn’t timely (in the news at the time) or meaty (have some research to back up what you’re saying).  I can’t say that I’ve had any amazing pitches, but the ones I usually go for are short, not pushy, and relevant (something I would have likely put a phone call in for anyway).

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6 questions: Jayne Munday, Journalist, Queensland Business Review

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Next up in our series finding out how journalists like to work, any issues they have with PRs, how they like stories to be pitched to them, etc, is Jayne Munday, journalist from QBR – Queensland’s only dedicated online news source for business owners and operators [QBR is also on Twitter].

1)      What is your deadline day?

QBR is an online publication, so stories are uploaded throughout the day (Monday to Friday). Our daily e-newsletter is compiled in the afternoon comprising all the top news from the day and is then sent to subscribers at around 3pm.

2)      How do you prefer to be contacted (i.e. email, phone, fax, post)?

Email is usually the best option in case I am conducting an interview or in a meeting. If it’s sitting in my inbox I can always go back to it once I get some down time.

3)      Is there a particular time of day you prefer to be contacted?

Later in the morning and early afternoon are ideal for phone calls. The 3pm e-newsletter deadline means my afternoons are fairly busy. However, I am happy to receive emails 24/7 – news never stops!

4)      Do you like to meet companies and bosses for coffee/ lunch? If yes, do you have any favourite venues?

I am always willing to build better working relationships with PR people and Queensland companies – it just depends on my work schedule. Daily deadlines can make it tricky to leave the office.

5)      What are your three pet peeves about PRs?

As a business journalist I welcome the contact from PR people. While I can’t say I have any ‘pet peeves’ as such, I do prefer follow-up calls/emails to wait a few days once the initial email is sent.

Knowing about the publication (whether it is online or print) is always a plus, as it shows you have done your research.

6)      What would the perfect story pitch be for you? And what’s the best PR pitch you have ever had?

While no one pitch in particular stands out, I can say a one or two page press release with a photo attachment usually catches my eye when checking emails. A visual component is always good to accompany an online story.

It’s also a bonus if the news is given to me before it hits the mainstream media. Being a daily publication means I can get the news out to readers in a timely fashion.

If the ‘hard’ news is made clear in the first two paragraphs it is also more likely to get picked up.

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