Get Slightly Famous

A Movement Against Lame PR Pitches

"The single greatest complaint by journalists about PR people is lame pitches," says an op-Ed by Jim Sinkinson, Publisher, Bulldog Reporter's Daily Dog enewsletter.

"That means pitches that have nothing to do with the media outlet’s (or journalist’s) mission, pitches that are blatant sales pitches, pitches that are filled with jargon, or pitches that are just plain poorly written. Take a second to review these sins one more time. Are they esoteric? Complex? Do they require an MBA or J-school degree to understand? Uh, no."

I constantly remind readers, prospects and clients that it's a waste of time to see PR pitching as the metaphorical equivalent of dropping leaflets out of an airplane. Not only will you annoy editors and journalists, but you risk burning bridges for your media relations strategy.

Unfortunatley, there's still plenty of bad PR to around, and it's prompted a movement on several blogs, including The Bad Pitch Blog, headquarters for of PR "curmudgeons who are mad as hell and just won’t take it anymore...they’re determined to band together in protest of stupid PR tricks and to expose these practices wherever they surface."

As a former journalist, I have been on the receiving end of this trend. It's annoying to have press releases about topics totally unrelated to anything I've ever written about find their way into my inbox. Why do I (and by extension, any media outlet) get so many bad PR pitches? One word: laziness.

Before you approach a media outlet seeking free media exposure, remember this simple rule. Do your homework. It's easier than ever to learn about any reporter, newspaper, or magazine's overall editoral focus before you approach them. Take the time to learn about the media you pitch your story to by visiting their web sites, reading archives and studying the publications themselves.

Editors get hundreds of press releases and pitch letters each week. They have one job, and it isn't to please everyone sending in a release—it’s to please their readership. Knowing this, you should ask the same question of your press release that editors ask, “Will it interest our readers?”

Case Study: Law Firm Becomes THE Resource for the Construction Industry

I'm impressed. The mantra of any Slightly Famous marketing strategy is to become the resource for your target market. That means providing valuable information of interest to your prospects that both attracts potential clients and customers to your business while showcasing your expertise.

Law firm Spencer Fane Britt & Browne has created an entire information rich portal for one of their key target markets: the Midwest construction industry. At Midwest Construction Law, a web site rich with free information including articles, special reports, teleseminars and a blog.

This approach exemplifies the Slightly Famous marketing strategy on almost every level.

The more you become known as a source of expert information, the more potential customers trust you. You become part of their world, a center of influence, and because people like to do business with people they know, or know of, you will be their first choice.

Chapter 3, The Brand Is You, Get Slightly Famous

Ask yourself...what if you were to create free, useful content like this for your own target market, what might it mean for your industry positioning, niche market loyalty and credibility among your best prospects? Spend some time looking around the web site as you ponder the possibilities.