Apparently, it makes us more pushy and aggressive, much like an only child or a first-born. As a PR person, and a blogger, I’m inundated with pitches, but I evaluated them much more harshly than your standard, run of the mill blogger would. And even those people, without the PR training I’ve had, are starting to get annoyed.

From what I’ve heard from other bloggers, who talk to me like one of their own, is that PR people are starting to get aggressive; asking when a review will be published, asking for more than they would from a newspaper or a magazine. These are the same PR people who wouldn’t dare call a reporter and ask if their release was received, or suggest to a magazine that coverage was expected because a product was sent for review.

Let me tell you this right now. Bloggers, for the most part, are not any different than traditional, or legacy media, despite what the traditional media may say. Sure, there are some bloggers who are out to simply get free stuff or attempt to make some money from their ‘advertising’ (which is why the FTC started to crack down on marketers who were trying to make a go of ‘cheap advertising’).

What are your options? Be human. Talk to the bloggers, and read about what they write, and what they’re interested in before you approach them. It’s standard media relations tactics, but for some reason, PR people have managed to throw all of the ‘expected’ media relations rules out the window.

Now, what happens if a blogger blatantly insults you or your client? First, check their traffic, and remember the things that make something newsworthy: proximity, timing, significance, prominence and human interest. If Dooce talks about your brand on her blog, without your interaction, that makes a bigger impact than … for example, Brenda’s Cat Journal (well, unless you’re dealing with pretty specific cat products). The moral is, don’t lose sight of the fact that the blogger complaining about you or your blog might not carry much weight.

When you’ve looked at their traffic, what about their influence? Do they have a following you care about? If your answer is no, then you need to stop replying, and move onto something more important, in the grand scheme.

Blogger relations is a lot like traditional media relations. Watch what they write; approach them appropriately.  If they trash you, see how much damage they can cause. If the answer is earth-shattering, deal with it much the way you would with traditional media. If it’s barely a ripple in your world, move on.

Bloggers, and the PR people who are chasing them hard, seem to have changed the rules for the rest of us. Good news? They haven’t.

This article, written by Colleen Coplick, originally appeared in PR Fuel (http://www.ereleases.com/prfuel), a free weekly newsletter from eReleases (http://www.ereleases.com), the online leader in affordable press release distribution. To subscribe to PR Fuel, visit: http://www.ereleases.com/prfuel/subscribe/.

One of those products is the “social media release”, which is, in short, a press release designed specifically for distribution through social media channels. The features of these social media releases vary by provider, but generally they include one or more of the following:

• Distribution to various social media outlets.
• Comment functionality.
• Social bookmarking for popular social media services.
• The ability to include of greater multimedia content, including video and audio.

Companies are sold on the idea that these features will give their press releases a bigger edge when it comes to reaching bloggers and influencers on popular social media websites. But is this really the case?

In my opinion, the answer is generally “no”. The reason: there’s nothing social about features. Just because your press release is distributed to social media outlets, for instance, doesn’t mean that people there are going to read it. Just because your press release permits comments doesn’t mean that people are going to be motivated to leave them. And just because your press release has buttons that enable readers to “share” it on popular social media services doesn’t mean they will.

In essence, most social media releases are nothing more than traditional press releases with a few bells and whistles added. These bells and whistles might give companies warm, fuzzy feelings but they’re unlikely to help them effectively reach people through social media channels.

Doing that requires far more than a few extra features. It requires writing a different kind of press release and understanding how it’s likely to catch on in the world of social media. Here are six tips for truly social press release distribution:

• Headlines = linkbait. Most press release headlines are boring. That’s bad news generally, but even worse news when it comes to your chances of seeing traction in the blogosphere and on social networks like Twitter. So make your press release interesting from the get-go: ask a provocative question, make a bold declaration, find a way to reference something topical. A creative, interesting headline is a linkbait must and will encourage others to share your press release.
• Ease off the PR-speak and techno-mumbo jumbo. Bloggers and influencers on Twitter are not your typical journalists. They’re less likely to care about how you package your release; they want substance. That’s all the more reason to refrain from using words and phrases like “leverage” and “market-leading.” They set off BS detectors like there’s no tomorrow.
• Build and use relationships. A press release is cold and impersonal. Few bloggers, for instance, are watching the wires looking for press releases to blog about. This is why relationships are so important. Outreach is crucial in social media circles. But don’t confuse outreach with unsolicited pitches. Being able to approach people you already know makes all the difference, which means you’ll have to do the legwork in building up your street cred. Getting an executive or employee active on Twitter and commenting on blogs are two easy ways to become a visible part of “the community.”
• Personalize. When reaching out, don’t hesitate to adjust your press release “template” for the person it’s being hand-delivered to. If you’re reaching out to a blogger, for instance, how can it be made more interesting to that blogger specifically? Perhaps he wrote about a similar subject in the past. Or perhaps he complained about something that your new product or service solves. Whatever the case, don’t be lazy: personalize where appropriate.
• Don’t be the boy who cried wolf. Bloggers and influencers aren’t going to bend over backwards to promote your company. So don’t expect them to jump at the opportunity to share every bit of news you reveal in a press release. Before making a social media push, ask yourself a simple question: is this something people will genuinely be interested in? If the answer is “no”, save your goodwill for a time when the answer is “yes.”
• Be open and available. Be prepared for feedback of all kinds when you reach out using social media. Even if the response you receive isn’t entirely possible, being open to feedback and making yourself available to respond constructively can go a long way in getting the positive publicity you desire. By following these tips, your press release will have a much better shot at getting attention through social media channels. And the best news of all: you can save the money you would have paid for that “social media release.”

This article, written by Patricio Robles, originally appeared in PR Fuel (http://www.ereleases.com/prfuel), a free weekly newsletter from eReleases (http://www.ereleases.com), the online leader in affordable press release distribution. To subscribe to PR Fuel, visit: http://www.ereleases.com/prfuel/subscribe/.

PR started out as a way to talk to the public, the stakeholders our brands were interacting with. And then, seemingly all at once, our publics started talking back to us, and then they started talking about us, whether we were involved in the conversation or not. Thirty-four percent of all bloggers (more than 200 MILLION blogs exist right now, and more are joining those ranks, every day) post reviews about the products and brands they use, and that doesn’t count the bloggers who are courted to write product reviews. The average person (the ones who used to care about what the newspapers, radio, magazines and television said about products and brands) cares more about what their social graph thinks about products and services than how Google ranks them.

These are big numbers. These are important statistics, and ones that traditional PR people have got to start caring about.

Social media is not a fad, no matter what you, or your clients, think. It’s not going away, and the entire movement is only going to get bigger, stronger and more powerful.

So, what do you, as a PR person, do about this tidal wave known as social media? Easy. Be a sponge. Soak every single thing up you possibly can. Learn everything, every platform, every single way the public interacts. Apply your traditional knowledge and the way you know people converse and share information to the new social medium. When you really break it down, there’s not much new about this “new communications” tool. Sure, it’s all online now. Sure, it’s one to one (even if it is one to many) versus the one to a million that traditional media used to provide. That does not really change the fact that your job, as a PR person, is to get people talking about your client’s brand, your client’s newest widget, whatever.

People haven’t changed as much as they want you to think they have. They still talk to each other about what they like, and more importantly, what they don’t; they still talk about your client’s brand. The only difference now is that you can search for what they’re saying, and respond immediately, rather than not knowing what’s going on until something explodes.

Social media is really not as big and scary as many of the old school, traditional PR and media people would have you believe. It’s just a new way for the public - our true audiences - to receive our information and use it in a new way. Social media is that traditional water cooler, or better yet, a cocktail party. There are a bazillion conversations going on at any one time, and you, as a PR person - that person in the cocktail party with the information, who knows things - has the pleasure, and responsibility, of dipping in and out of these conversations, correcting information where necessary, adding to the conversation where appropriate and observing most of all.

So, what are your responsibilities to your client? Observe. Listen. Pay attention. Much as it was a few years ago, when you hired a media monitoring service, only now, there are a ton of free services that allow you to keep up with what people are saying about your clients every day, on every service.

Despite the media drama surrounding social media tools like facebook and twitter (and, come on. We all know how that really happened, don’t we?), it’s simply not as scary as you are led to believe.

Yes, you will need to change the way you monitor chatter. Yes, you’ll need to learn a few new tactics for your tool box, but overall, things are simply not as dire as we are lead to believe.

This article, written by Colleen Coplick, originally appeared in PR Fuel (http://www.ereleases.com/prfuel), a free weekly newsletter from eReleases (http://www.ereleases.com), the online leader in affordable press release distribution. To subscribe to PR Fuel, visit: http://www.ereleases.com/prfuel/subscribe/.

You know what happens. The next day, a real wolf happened to show up, but when the boy cried “Wolf!” nobody answered, and the wolf gobbled the shepherd up.  Like a bad PR department, the Boy Who Cried Wolf buried the real news amid lots of fake news, but what happened when he really had something to say?

Nobody listened.

Like the Boy Who Cried Wolf, you too can write press releases that will alienate journalists and bloggers and ensure that your organization never, ever gets media coverage. Here’s how:

1.)   Cry Wolf - Imitate the shepherd boy and send out a press release for every new product, personnel change, and employee picnic at your organization. Saturate your reporter contacts with press releases. They’re happy to read through dozens of releases to find just one real newsworthy gem from your company.

2.)   Bury Your Lead - Journalists and bloggers are people with a lot of free time on their hands. They don’t mind going over your press release with a highlighter and a fine toothed comb in order to find the real news. Feel free to throw a lot of stream-of-consciousness sentences on the page and rest assured that your news will show through. Somehow.

3.)   Make Contacting You Like a Scavenger Hunt - Forget traditional press release formatting and stick your contact information just anywhere. Better yet, only provide a company name, but no press contact, phone number, email or website. Reporters are resourceful and keep a whole staff of private detectives on hand just to track you down.

4.)   Advertise - Save time and money on press releases by lifting the wording directly from your marketing copy. Sure objectivity is one of the basic tenets of journalism, but journalists will never notice that your press release includes sales terms and calls to action.

5.)   Don’t Bother to Prepare - Send your press release out the day before your main press contact goes on vacation. Better yet, encourage the press to get lost within a labyrinthine telephone menu or to contact an email address that you only check once per week.

Of course, if you’re like most of us and want your press release covered, you probably won’t be following the above advice. Still, before you hit send on that next press release, check your writing, check your facts, get ready, and by all means, make sure there’s a real wolf among the sheep.

This article, written by Jennifer Escalona, originally appeared in PR Fuel (http://www.ereleases.com/prfuel), a free weekly newsletter from eReleases (http://www.ereleases.com), the online leader in affordable press release distribution. To subscribe to PR Fuel, visit: http://www.ereleases.com/prfuel/subscribe/.

1. New product or service
2. New website or significant upgrade to existing website
3. Involvement with charity work
4. Making a charitable contribution
5. Free shipping offer or change to shipping rates
6. Releasing findings of new study or research
7. Helpful tips related to your business
8. News of the weird (e.g. Coffee shop offers excusive $200 gourmet drink)
9. Commentary on or tie-ins to current events
10. Interesting trends
11. Starting a new sister company
12. Receiving an award
13. Being singled out for an accomplishment
14. Offering free information: ebook, newsletter or white paper
15. Celebrating an important company anniversary (e.g. 50 years in business)
16. Opening a new office or relocating your office
17. Changing the company name
18. Changing a product name
19. Signing a large, well-recognized client (make sure you have their permission to publish this)
20. Announcing a media appearance
21. Inspirational stories of overcoming major challenges
22. Hosting a seminar or teleseminar
23. Sponsoring an event or team
24. Partnering with another business or organization
25. Hiring a new executive or changing ownership of the company
26. Announcing personnel change: retirement, resignation or death
27. Changing the way your products are made
28. Changing the prices of your products or services (particularly if you’re reducing prices)
29. Developing a new technology or unique procedure for your industry
30. Rebranding your business
31. Reorganizing your company
32. Hosting a major contest, sweepstakes or promotion
33. Making an outrageous claim (be careful not too sound to gimmicky or salesy)
34. Revealing industry scams
35. Announcing holiday-related sales and events
36. Making predictions for your industry
37. Provide expert opinion on important subject within your industry (think sound bites when creating quotes in your announcement)
38. Publishing findings of a recent report, survey or poll
39. Filing of a lawsuit
40. Responding to being name in a lawsuit
41. New uses for your products
42. Receiving endorsements from a major celebrity or public figure (make sure you have their permission to publish this)
43. Offering internship program with local schools
44. Establishing a scholarship
45. Hosting a tour of your facilities
46. New certifications and credentials achieved by your staff
47. Providing pro bono work
48. Responding to accusations against your company or industry
49. Setting a major goal
50. Launching a referral rewards / affiliate program
51. Speaking at a conference or event
52. Providing free consultations or a free sample
53. Taking major steps to go “green”
54. Debunking common myths
55. Taking your company public
56. Discontinuing a product or service
57. Filing or Being Awarded a Patent
58. Merger or acquisition
59. Celebrating an important milestone (e.g. one millionth customer)
60. Exhibiting at a trade show
61. Stock offering
62. Financial or earnings update
63. Securing business funding or credit (e.g. VC or angel investment)
64. Tips sheet or feature story (e.g. Top 10 Valentine Gifts, Effective Tips to Land a Job in 30 Days, Turn That Brown Lawn into a Suburban Oasis)

So far, I have 64 ideas for press release topics. I’d love to make this list even longer. Leave a comment with your best ideas!

This article, written by Eric Brantner, originally appeared in PR Fuel (http://www.ereleases.com/prfuel), a free weekly newsletter from eReleases (http://www.ereleases.com), the online leader in affordable press release distribution. To subscribe to PR Fuel, visit: http://www.ereleases.com/prfuel/subscribe/.

While clients rely on their PR reps to secure these connections, PR reps rely on their clients to do just a few things right - and to NOT do a few other things. Here are some of the pet peeves of writers and reporters and how to avoid them so you actually do see your message in the news:

• Don’t bait and switch. If an employer expects to interview you about strategies for increasing the effectiveness of your brand, don’t launch into a soliloquy on the evils of capitalism. Stick to the reporter’s topic.

• Do offer helpful and valuable information. Be forthcoming with information. Don’t be afraid of “giving it away.” In today’s information-rich society, those who freely share of their expertise are those who get exposure, clients and connections. Offer meaningful information designed to resonate with the reporter’s readers/viewers.

• Don’t be an over-the-top huckster. Hucksters were an early version of today’s PR professional and we’ve worked hard to overcome the image ever since. Journalists and reporters are not interested I helping you promote your products or services (that’s a side benefit that you’re interested in, but you can’t be shameless about it). What’s shameless? Things like insisting that your web site, telephone number, fax number and address be included in the piece. Not going to happen.

• Do offer background information and materials as a helpful service to the reporter - more of an aside than a demand. “If you’d like, I could send over some .jpgs of my XYZ.” “Would you like me to send you a copy of that report I mentioned?” “I’d be glad to send you some excerpts from my book that you could pull from…”

• Don’t ask to see the piece before it’s printed/aired. IT BEARS REPEATING: Don’t ask to see the piece before it’s printed/aired. Don’t even hint at it. It marks you as an amateur and in most cases - particularly with the major news media - is against the media outlet’s policy.

• Do welcome the opportunity to review the piece before it’s printed/aired if the journalist offers you the opportunity - and some will.

• Don’t miss your appointment. Reporters are busy people. You snooze, you lose. There are plenty of others looking for the coverage.

• Do interact with the reporter/writer professionally - even if they’re not professional or fully up-to-speed on your topic. Sometimes they won’t be. This is your opportunity to educate and inform.

• Don’t complain about the coverage you receive. If a gross factual error is made, it’s fine to point it out and ask for a correction (much easier to receive these days in our electronic environment). But, if you just don’t like how you came across, let it go. Learn from your experience for the next time.

This article, written by Linda Pophal, originally appeared in PR Fuel (http://www.ereleases.com/prfuel), a free weekly newsletter from eReleases (http://www.ereleases.com), the online leader in affordable press release distribution. To subscribe to PR Fuel, visit: http://www.ereleases.com/prfuel/subscribe/.

Keep these ten tips in mind in order to get the most out of HARO.

10. Read Every Email
You’ll get three emails full of queries every single day. Read every single one. It takes all of about 30 seconds to skim the query headlines in each email. If a headline strikes you as promising, you’ll spend a further 60-90 seconds reading the full query and determining whether or not to respond.

9. Memorize the Rules
Without clicking away from this page, recite the “Five Rules of HARO.” Don’t respond to a query until you can do so. If you don’t know the rules, you can’t be sure you’re following them. Breaking a rule could lead to a ban for yourself and your firm.

8. Look for Long Tail Value
If you can help a reporter out by responding to a query, do so, even if there’s no immediate opportunity to get exposure for your product or a paying client. This is a good idea for two reasons: First, the more often your name shows up in reputable publications, the better you’ll look. Second, an existing and friendly relationship with a reporter means you’ll have a better chance of being sourced for future stories by the same reporter.

7. Share the Love
Don’t post queries in any public space (see Tip #9), but do send them to personal friends with relevant expertise. It’s good karma and it’ll help HARO grow, which means more journalists on HARO and more queries for you.

6. Don’t Delay
If you see a query that you want to respond to, reply immediately. When I sent a HARO query seeking sources for a post on a blog about pet care, I got hundreds of responses within a few hours. The first, best sources are most likely to be used.

5. No Canned Jargon
If you don’t have time to compose a brief and personal email to a reporter, you probably don’t have time to be interviewed for a story. Stale press releases won’t get you noticed. A brief, polite, on-topic and tantalizing email will.

4. Use As Directed
Many HARO queries include specific instructions for responses. Replies that don’t follow directions will be discarded and may not even reach the intended recipient at all. Check to make sure you’ve followed the reporter’s instructions before sending a pitch.

3. Never, Ever, Ever Pitch Off-Topic
Don’t pitch off-topic. Don’t pitch kinda-sorta-on-topic, either. If you aren’t sure whether or not your pitch is relevant, forward the query to a knowledgeable friend for a second opinion.

2. Be Unique and Personal
A personal touch and unique hook are especially important when you need to stand out among hundreds of potential sources. Because of one unique personal detail included in a response to a HARO query, I was featured prominently in a magazine and had a well-known photographer sent to do a photo shoot with me.

1. Network, Network, Network!
When a HARO reporter quotes you, don’t be afraid to politely ask, “Can I connect with you on Twitter, LinkedIn or another social networking site?” If the reporter agrees, keep in touch and use that connection responsibly-never send unsolicited pitches! Do make an open-ended offer to help with future stories.

This article, written by Jelena Woehr, originally appeared in PR Fuel (http://www.ereleases.com/prfuel), a free weekly newsletter from eReleases (http://www.ereleases.com), the online leader in affordable press release distribution. To subscribe to PR Fuel, visit: http://www.ereleases.com/prfuel/subscribe/.

The Purpose

The primary difference and main purpose of a SEO press release is to drive traffic to a business website. The SEO press release is another online tool to help you gain position in the search engine rankings. When you gain rankings in the search engines, it increases targeted traffic to your site. An increase of targeted traffic to your site provides you with the opportunity to gather more targeted leads, to communicate with these leads and try to convert them into paying customers.

This is the direct opposite of the purpose of a press release used to create a pitch to the media. The traditional press release has the main purpose of garnering the attention of a journalist or writer from a media outlet that can tell the newsworthy story related to your business. The press release is the hook that pulls the media outlet representative in and makes them pick up the phone or shoot you (or your PR director) an email and say, “I want to book an interview.”

Characteristics

Beyond the purpose of each type of release, there are some character traits that make these two types of press releases different as well. Because a SEO press release is for online use, the format is slightly different. Format can even vary from online press release submission website to website, so it’s important to follow the format each site provides as a guide.

Word phrases and choices for online releases are more geared toward hot keywords or phrases related to your business. Sprinkling the words your audience uses to find what your business offers throughout the press release is the key to creating a successful online press release. You can use keyword tools such as Google and keyword density measuring tools to ensure you’ve accomplished this goal.

Potential Bonus

As an added bonus, online press releases may lead to a blogger, journalist or writer picking up on your story also. SEO press releases have less of a chance of landing you a spread in a local newspaper or national magazine than if you have a professional pitching your stories to targeted media outlets, but it’s not unheard of for an online release to turn into something bigger.

The short of it is that a SEO press release should be used online as one of the marketing tools used to drive traffic to your website. This occurs by using keywords in your press release that help you gain search engine rankings. While these types of press releases may land you coverage, it’s not the intended purpose. SEO press releases are simply another quiver in your marketing cap to incorporate in your online marketing strategies to drive traffic to your site. Pitching and landing news coverage is the role of the traditional press release and public relations professionals that can get this information in front of the right publications at the right time. No more head scratching required.

This article, written by Kristie Lorette, originally appeared in PR Fuel (http://www.ereleases.com/prfuel), a free weekly newsletter from eReleases (http://www.ereleases.com), the online leader in affordable press release distribution. To subscribe to PR Fuel, visit: http://www.ereleases.com/prfuel/subscribe/.

I wanted to write and personally thank you for applying to write for eReleases PR Fuel. Unfortunately, I have to tell you that you didn’t make the final cut. Don’t despair. There were more than 200 entrants, many of whom were highly qualified writers.

I’ve narrowed the list to a small handful and will be trying to pick a final writer within the next two weeks. There were many factors that influenced my final selection. It came down to style, track record in the industry, and, in a select few cases, following directions. There were a few people who sent resumes with no writing samples or links to blogs, etc. I just can’t gauge a writer based on a resume. In addition, some writers seemed to be really good writers but only within a specific niche, like fashion or wireless technology.

Again, I wanted to thank you and wish you the best in your freelance writing pursuits. I’ve been there and it’s tough. When I started looking for a writing/editing position out of college, the job market was bad. I was competing against people with advanced degrees looking for internships or low-paying work to bide the time. I applied to over 150 jobs before landing a job paying $18,000 (today, the same place still pays in the low-20s).

Below are some observations I made that might help you in the future and that I wish someone had told me nearly 20 years ago. These come not only from my experience as a writer, but also as a publicist and an employer.

Research the Employer

Make your pitch specific to the job. Show that you educated yourself on the company and its needs. At the very least, you should have familiarized yourself with the company’s website, its services, and blog.

Know the Job Process: Beware of Potential Landmines

Read the company’s job description, requirements, and application process carefully. Many employers create small hoops for you to jump through. By asking for a cover letter that answers a specific question or a resume in a specific format (like .rtf), these employers are creating a path from which successful applicants will follow — and unsuccessful applicants will self-filter themselves from consideration. Following directions is critical and the most elemental part of any job. It can also be the land your resume in the keep or toss pile.

Target Your Pitch

If you are coming at a company’s round hole as a square peg, state it up front. This will prevent you from appearing as off target or simply blasting your resume to any writing job. A tailored resume and cover letter to 20 targeted employment positions should yield you more success than blasting 50,000 off-target job postings. If you are a fashion writer (or a writer within a specific niche), you need to address the elephant in the room, perhaps by simply stating, “I know you will see that I have written exclusively on fashion, but I’m savvy in social media and PR. In fact, I wrote this specific article on …”

Position Yourself for Future Opportunities

If you don’t get the job, learn from the experience. If you remain committed to jobs within a specific industry, your efforts and research will turn to gold as competitive intelligence and possible networking opportunities. If you’ve reached out to the employer through social media, you can continue to foster a relationship over the years. Future opportunities may come through guest blogging, cross-promotion, or writing positions. Every lost job presents a future opportunity if you nurture that opportunity.

This article is written by Mickie Kennedy, founder of eReleases (http://www.ereleases.com), the online leader in affordable press release distribution. To subscribe to PR Fuel, visit: http://www.ereleases.com/prfuel/subscribe/.

Before a major news release is distributed, two meetings, lasting a total of about an hour, should be held with your chief spokespeople. The first session is on media etiquette and it is for anyone, at any level, who may be placed in front of the press. During this phase, you should talk everyone through these 21 tips that, if followed, can optimize your media opportunity or, if ignored, can ruin it. I itemize and explain these points below. The second session, in this order, should be the asking and answering - and follow-up - of the world’s wickedest questions that a really smart or aggressive media person might ask about your news. Perhaps in a subsequent post, a little guidance on how to identify these questions and how to role play without getting fired will be offered.

But let’s move on to the list of Do’s and Don’ts.

1. Beware the ‘Empty Air’ Media Technique

The French have an expression, un ange passe, that literally translated means ‘an angel is passing.’ It is used to describe that awkward silence that sometimes occurs, for example, at a dinner party when by coincidence everyone stops talking at once. What’s relevant about this is that experienced media people know that CEOs and other corporate spokespeople abhor a vacuum. So a clever reporter will ask a question, get the answer, and then say nothing for what seems like a long, long time. It’s usually just a few seconds, but it seems eternal. Too often when this happens, your spokesperson starts talking again, adding more to the previous answer, or changing it, and sometimes divulging way more than is appropriate. Advise your spokespeople to answer the question and resist the temptation to fill dead air.

2. Lesser Media Figures Often Grow Up to Be Big Time Media Figures

Inevitably you will get a call from a newly-minted or novice reporter, often representing an outlet that is not in your tier one. You can blow it off, but you probably shouldn’t. Here’s a real life example why: Years ago in Texas a lowly reporter for a daily newspaper started poking around a major semiconductor company asking some hard questions and writing some articles the company found objectionable. Determining that the reporter was from a local paper with a limited reach, as the story goes, they decided the best thing to do would be to just ignore the guy: take no more questions; grant no more interviews. However, that reporter went on to cover the technology beat for The New York Times. Ouch, right? Lesson to be learned here: be nice to newbies.

3. Don’t Ask When Your Story Will be Published

Most traditional reporters don’t have control over when, or even if, a story will be published. They can’t answer the question, but the issue is more complicated than that. To ask ‘when’ is to assume you’ve met the bar for attractive news content. An analogy may help explain this better. An interview is like a date. Asking when your news will be published is like asking at the end of a first date, “When can I expect you’ll be spending the night.”

4. Eye Contact and Frequent Use of the Writer’s First Name

Obviously, the eye contact rule is for face-to-face meetings. This is a hard one, by the way. It’s not that it is so difficult to understand the importance of eye contact, but it can be very awkward having to tell a spokesperson, especially a superior, that they need to do this. Let’s face it… people with eye contact problems can have other issues, yes? But in fact, no one has ever fired me for saying it when it needed to be said, but it can be awkward. Easier to convey is that spokespeople should use the writer’s first name more often than what seems normal. Media types won’t love me for saying this, but it is true for them as with all people, that hearing our own name somehow snaps us back into more conversational alertness. No, I can’t explain how that works, but it works.

5. Tell Your Spokespeople to Make Sure They Understand the Question

Everyone’s had that experience from time to time that they don’t really know what someone is asking them. In press interviews, if this feeling comes over you or your spokesperson, it is far better to say, “I’m not sure what you are asking me. Could you rephrase that?” Here’s a good example to help you remember this rule. I’ve used this story in front of CEOs and it has helped them. Johnny, a young boy, asks his father, “Dad, where did I come from?” That’s bad grammar but Johnny’s Daddy got the question, he thought, and launched into a long talk about male and female intimacy, the miracle of life, and the natural biological order of things. At the end, a perplexed Johnny said, “Dad, I don’t know what you’re talking about. My friend Eddie says he is from New Hampshire. Am I from New Hampshire, too?”

6. Beware the Hidden Sequence of Questions

Few really good reporters are going to come right out and ask you a question they know you won’t answer. For example, “What will your revenues be next year?” or “What are your growth projections for the coming fiscal year?” No one in their right mind at either a private or public company is going to answer those straight up. To get around this some experienced writers will get to the bottom of this through a series of questions they ask in between a bunch of unrelated questions. They might ask, for example, about your distribution systems and supply chain partners and want to know how many you have. A little later, after several unrelated questions, they may ask about field quotas for the various regions. More time passes and they may ask something like this, “I suppose like most companies, you impose huge quota increases year over year?” Few CEOs will let that go because how do you keep the sales reps you have, and get new ones, if the word on the street is that quotas go through the roof every year. Anyway, you see where this is going, right? With enough data points, a good writer can connect the dots and get to some fairly reasonable estimates… and will have your spokesperson’s own words in support of the estimates.

7. Give the Overwhelmed Reporter a Gracious Way to Admit to Utter Confusion

At anytime, but especially if a reporter’s eyes start to glaze over, train your spokespeople to say something like, “Am I making any sense here?” or “Have I been clear on this point?” You do this because in my experience reporters, especially new ones, are reluctant to admit they don’t know what in the world you’re saying. By asking if you have been clear, you put the responsibility for the confusion back on you rather than them. It is much easier for a reporter to say you haven’t been clear than to say he or she isn’t getting it.

8. Take a Few Minutes Getting to Know the Reporter and Gauge What They Know

First of all, as much as you’re trying to sell a news story to a reporter, you’re trying to form a relationship on some level that may prove useful in the future. Plus, people like it when others show an interest in who they are as people. You may not always think so, but reporters are people, too. So spending a couple of minutes up front in conversation unrelated to your news is useful. Ask how they got in to the business. Ask them if they like it. Ask them where they trained. Ask them any appropriate question that helps you know them better. Then, at the very start of the Q&A with them, you should have the first Q and it should be: How familiar are you with our company/product/service, etc. Their answer will help you keep from talking down to them or talking way over their heads. One last tip in this regard: you should read anything you can get your hands on of recent vintage from the reporter. Reading what they’ve written will illuminate their style, depth, intelligence, and sometimes even some biases they may have. Yes, reporters have biases. It is just that some show them and some don’t. It is best to know that in advance.

9. Take Notes

Here’s a low-tech suggestion with a high-value return. During media interviews, someone should be in the room with your spokesperson whether they are meeting a reporter face-to-face or over the phone. The reasons for this is different in each case. Reporters won’t like me saying this, but in face-to-face meetings, if someone else is taking notes like they are, it has been my experience the reporter takes better, more careful notes, too. Well, I can’t actually know that because you shouldn’t really try reading a reporter’s notes. I guess I’m saying that interview outcomes have been better in general when I’ve taken notes during an interview with my spokespeople. I’ve never had a reporter object to this practice. Even if you’re hearing your spokesperson saying the same thing over and over in repetitive interviews, take notes. For phone calls, the reason you take notes is because the actual spokesperson probably won’t and it is very hard after the fact to remember every question and answer. Your spokesperson is also typically so focused on saying the right thing, he or she won’t always be sure how the interview went. With good notes, even if you only heard one side of the conversation, you can review the answers and fine tune them.

10. Know Who You’re Talking To and Who Their Audience Is

This may seem obvious but it is in here because it happens too often. Your spokesperson needs to know, and use, the correct name of the writer and should be aware of that writer’s chief audience. You can’t change your basic news story from interview to interview, of course, but you can lead with a different emphasis in each interview. For example, if you’re talking to a reporter from a consumer magazine, lead with the consumer implications of your news. If it is a business daily, lead with the business implications. It is even OK to say something such as, “Given your audience of consumers, your chief interest in this news will probably be that…” This takes some practice and some advance thinking. Too many spokespeople want to know what the one pitch is and they want to give it the same way, with the same emphasis, to everyone. You’ll get better results if you tailor your delivery a bit to reflect the reporter’s interest in his or her primary audience.

11. The Sound of Keyclicks in the Background is a Good Thing

These days many reporters take notes on their computer while talking to a source by phone. Most of the time you can hear their typing going on in the background. It is a little distracting, but it is a good thing. Reporters don’t take a lot of notes for stories they don’t plan to write. But listen to the keystroke pace and if the clicks continue long after you’ve finished a sentence, slow down. The writer is having trouble keeping up.

12. Almost Always There’s No Such Thing as ‘Off-the-Record”

Unless you have exceptional contacts that you know from long experience you can trust to keep things off the record, say nothing that you wouldn’t want to see in print. I’ve had experiences during which the spokesperson has said, “This is off the record, but…” The writer often nods in some way that seems to imply an agreement on that point, only to find the off-the-record stuff in the newspaper the next day.

13. Don’t Bite When a Writer Says That a Third Party Said Something Awful About You

This doesn’t happen that often, but you should be aware of it. Here’s how it goes: The writer says, “Joe Jones at Hit and Run, Inc. says you’re new product doesn’t actually work yet.” Here’s the rule: if you or your spokesperson didn’t actually hear this directly or are not 100% confident this ever actually happened, you’re not doing yourself any favors by responding to it. Not to mention, why spend any time using your PR dime to elevate Hit and Run, Inc. in your news.

14. Develop an Ear for Loaded Questions

The most famous loaded question, of course, is ‘When did you stop beating your wife?” The questions assumes something and if you answer it without noting it carries an assumption that isn’t true, you have in a way validated the presumption. Clearly, not all reporters are this heavy-handed. Their loaded questions are more subtle, but dangerous nevertheless. They come in forms like this: “Since you are facing a difficult year ahead and the market for this product is immature, what is your plan to compete effectively, gain share, and earn a good margin on this device?” If you launch immediately into competitive differentiation, market share, and pricing, you’re validating the assertions that you’re facing a terrible year ahead and your market is nascent.

15. Businesses with Any Class Don’t Mix News Talk and Advertising Talk with Writers

Maybe the blogosphere has changed this a bit, but with traditional media, especially, and with the best reporters, an attempt to grease your news with suggestions of ad dollars is offensive. A less credible publication and a less credible writer may go for this sort of thing but no one takes their publication seriously anyway.

16. Writers Compete, Too, So Don’t Rub It in Their Face

Let’s say you’re talking to a writer from The Regional News who hasn’t always given you the best coverage. But the writer at a competing publication called The Real Area News consistently does a good job. The one thing you can do to make sure The Regional News contact never comes around is to coo in his or her presence over the great stories you get from The Real Area News. Not to wear out the dating analogy, but to do this is like telling your Friday night date how great your Thursday night date was with another person.

17. You Can Ask Them Questions, Too, and You Should

Good reporters get around. They talk to a lot of people. In my opinion, I think reporters are actually flattered when you ask them what they’ve been hearing lately; who is hot; who’s not, and what’s the next big thing coming along.

18. A Follow-Up Call or Email is a Good Idea

This is suggested for several reasons. First, you may have promised more information after the interview. If you make this promise, you have to deliver. Two, the reporter may have hit a snag and needs a clarification or more information. Sometimes for a busy reporter a little snag can stall or sidetrack a story. Third, this is a subtle way of keeping a writer tuned in to your story. In other words, the follow up is a reminder that a story was planned.

19. You Don’t Have to Answer Every Question

Sometimes a reporter will ask a question he or she knows most sources will never answer. But they ask anyway. Sometimes they get lucky. Years ago, a common example of this was, “When are you going public?” But there’s an answer to every question. In this case it was usually something such as, “We’re on plan; we’re meeting our own internal milestones; we’re happy with the pace of our business and will take next steps as they are appropriate,” etc etc. The wrong answer is. “How is that any of your business?” or any variation of that hostile theme. It is even better to say, “I give you a lot of credit for asking that, but I’m quite sure you don’t really expect a specific answer.”

20. Thank Them for Their Time and Interest

This is a simply courtesy but you’d be surprised how often it is overlooked. And yet, watch the mainstream media shows on television. Every analyst or other source interviewed by anchors is thanked for coming on and all of the guests say, “Thanks for having me.” Reporting and writing are difficult jobs. A lot of reporters and writers sometimes feel they are held in disdain by corporate people. Most reporters and writers aren’t famous and they don’t make a lot of money. A simple and sincere expression of your appreciation for their time and interest goes a long way and can do much in forming a good ongoing relationship.

21. If You Visit the Media Where They Work…

I was visiting a big media conglomerate on 7^th Avenue in New York with a client in tow once. On the way up to the 21^st floor, in a jam packed elevator, my client turned to me and asked, “What’s the name of the next jerk we’re meeting?” Nice, huh? The jerk’s colleague was on the same lift. On the way in to, and out of, a media building be quiet. When meeting with the reporter, don’t try to read things on his or her desk upside down. If you’re left alone, don’t snoop. Don’t bring gifts, expensive or otherwise. Most reporters have desk drawers filled up with junk already and most can’t accept gifts of any real value. At a major metropolitan daily I visited, I was not allowed to buy the reporter a cup of coffee from the cafeteria vending machine.

This article, written by Sterling Hager, originally appeared in PR Fuel (http://www.ereleases.com/prfuel), a free weekly newsletter from eReleases (http://www.ereleases.com), the online leader in affordable press release distribution. To subscribe to PR Fuel, visit: http://www.ereleases.com/prfuel/subscribe/.