The 5 Deadly Sins of Publicity

Publicity can explode your business unlike anything else. Not advertising, not social media, not word of mouth. Think about how things would change if you were featured in Forbes or on the cover of Inc. or if you were on the Today Show? Suddenly, thousands, even millions of people know who you are, what you do and where to find you. More clients than you could perhaps keep up with- wouldn’t that be the bees knees?

This isn’t some pie in the sky dream but reality and it happens every day. The media is like a teenage football player with an appetite that must be continually fed 24-7. Someone is reaping the rewards of being featured, why shouldn’t or couldn’t it be YOU? We all have something valuable to share and the media needs to hear from you. But before you go running off to become overnight famous, there are a few do’s and don’ts when working with the media. One false step and you could inevitably blackball yourself (yikes!).

I give you, then, my 5 Deadly Sins of Publicity, gleaned from my years as a journalist and working in publicity. Keep these in mind and I promise you’ll never go astray with a journalist.

1. Pitching the same story angle to EVERYONE -each story you pitch should be tailored to that particular journalist's audience, like a bespoke pair of shoes. Would you pitch the same story idea to Forbes as you would to Oprah or GQ?

2. Pestering the journalist - there's follow up, and then there's being an annoying PITA. Journalists' inboxes are in a constant state of filled to the brim. If they're interested, they'll get back to you. Leaving voicemail messages and sending numerous emails is the quickest way to get on their Naughty list.

3. Not answering a response from a journalist in a timely manner - if a journalist is asking for information from you, drop what you're doing and answer! They're always on deadline and while you may not be, answering promptly could make the difference between you being included or being passed over for the next person. Also, journalists have elephant memories and will never forget who the unreliable sources are.

4. Making it salesy - publicity isn't paid advertisements. Your story has to be newsworthy. If you read your story in the paper, would you think it's an ad or an interesting feature?

5. Not thanking the journalist - yes, they're just doing their job but they're people and saying thanks goes a long way, as does sharing the story on your social media (*be sure to tag the journalist as well!). Creating a solid relationship with a journalist is gold, as they'll reach out to you directly as a source for their stories.

There you have it, the five sins of publicity so you know what not to do. What “pr sins” can you think of?