I admit it: I recently listened to a Bulldog Reporter webinar on engaging journalists on social media hoping that I’d find that one secret to unlock all doors: “If you do X on social media, 25 percent more journalists will say ‘yes’ to your story pitches.” Sigh. That didn’t turn out to be one of the slides. In dieting and in media pitching, there’s no magic pill. However, the webinar did confirm a lot of our own practices at THP as far as dos and…
Editor. Industry analyst. Blogger. These are people PR folks routinely identify as influencers – those who get the distinct honor of getting bombarded with our pitches, introductory call requests and emails with “quick question…” as the subject line in the hopes they’ll mention our organization in an article. The problem though is that reporters are an endangered species, and more organizations are bypassing the middleman and producing their own content. But as content marketing continues to rise, and more studies like this highlight the disconnect…
One of the first things we do here at Hodges during our onboarding process with a new client is to sit down with them to learn their story — usually a personal narrative that naturally progresses into and reflects the brand’s story. For those of us in media relations, storytelling is essential to what we do. After all, once you get the attention of the media, what’s next? It’s telling the story — one that is compelling enough for the media to share with their…
Last Monday afternoon we were thrilled to host Greg Gilligan of The Richmond Times-Dispatch for lunch. If you don’t know the long-time business reporter, creator of the Biz Buzz column and now business editor at the T-D, then you’re really missing out. Here are four insights Greg shared with us over Bottoms Up pizza: Research reporters before you pitch them. A perennial plea from journalists of all kinds, Greg emphasized this PR 101 tip because it’s so very, very important. If you’ve ever heard Greg talk…
Pitching the media is hard, and getting harder, but we PR people aren’t doing anything to help make it any easier. Below is my approach to crafting a pitch, but first a couple words of caution for would-be pitchers. Stop it! Hey everyone, pay attention! Especially all you start-ups out there. Stop sending useless emails to the media, you are ruining it for those of us who try really hard at sending useful pitches. To find out what constitutes a bad pitch, Google “bad media…
“Incessant follow up is annoying.” Or, even harsher: “Following up is not a good idea. All of the time, a follow up is not necessary.” Those points were made repeatedly by several journalists at a FORBES “Inside the Media” event I attended in NYC this month. And even a few weeks later, I’m still having trouble accepting the fact that even one follow-up is a mark against myself and my fellow PR professionals. Not to say I don’t understand the journalist side of things: Online…
The past few years, our recommendation to clients about company blogs has shifted from them being a “nice-to-have” to “no-you-really-need-one.” Public relations is becoming more about content creation, and as that happens, blogs are emerging as companies’ best way to showcase their thought leadership with well-produced content in a way that other channels like Facebook or LinkedIn don’t allow. But coming up with good content can take a lot of time, so once you hit “Publish” on that blog post, all the hard work is…
A good opinion is a terrible thing to waste — after all, where else can you claim prime media real estate with 750 or so well-chosen words? Finding a home for your prose, however, isn’t always easy. Space often is tight. Your subject matter might be popular among other aspirants. And news breaks, often making your masterpiece a little less masterful. Here are a few guidelines to consider when trying to place an opinion piece. Do Your Homework/Be Realistic Regular readers of THP’s “The Gong Blog”…
President Obama made headlines the other week by appearing on Zach Galifianakis’ Between Two Ferns, a satirical Internet talk show on FunnyOrDie.com where Galifianakis poses aggressive questions and non-sequiturs to his guests — not the typical media appearance for a sitting president. While it appeared random and mocking at first, the President used the segment to pitch Healthcare.gov. Immediately following, many questioned the President for agreeing to go on the show. Something so irreverent undoubtedly diminishes the Office of the President’s reputation, right? Not really. Ultimately,…
Last week, CVS made a bold move in deciding to no longer sell cigarettes in its 7,600 stores nationwide. The decision garnered CVS beaucoup earned media, including much praise and perhaps a little criticism. But some of that praise, including from CVS vendor and global PR powerhouse Edelman, blew right past hyperbolic, calling the decision courageous. In a guest column this week on The Future Buzz, our own Caroline Platt explains why this is a smart business move, not a courageous act of civil disobedience….
We’re big news buffs at The Hodges Partnership and we’re particularly fond of public radio. Our curiosity was officially piqued when the Community Idea Stations started promoting its new Virginia Currents radio program on WCVE-FM a few weeks ago. For years, the television version of Virginia Currents has been broadcasting intelligent, compelling stories about Virginia and its citizens, so we were thrilled to hear a radio version was in the works. We caught up with Catherine Komp, the producer of the new radio series to…
For good or for bad, lots of media relations is done by email. We need journalists and producers to open and respond to our email out of the hundreds that they receive each day – and beyond straight pitches, we’re competing against real life – stories they’re actively working on, demands from the boss, even emails from the spouse about home stuff. It’s tough to be seen among such volume, and so we media relations folks examine (read: obsess about) everything: What’s the best time…
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