PR Lesson – Use Common Sense

Brian Pelletier’s amusing article “Dear Editor, Please Write About My Company , gives helpful reminders of what not to do when pitching a story to the press.
Pelletier’s lessons, including Be polite, but not chummy, and Understand the magazine and what it covers before pitching it, are all common sense, but the author believes that many PR professionals are learning the hard way. He uses the example of receiving 165 mostly unreadable email pitches, invitations and news releases from media professionals for an event he was attending and few “caught his attention for anything other than being great examples of what not to do.”

Media relations is simple enough to understand, but needs serious strategy to make it effective. Several of the 165 pitches I received were well written and�considerate, and put real effort into convincing me that visiting the company would be worth my while. No doubt that the rest of the companies are wondering why so few editors responded.