Free PR Tips

1. The Right Moment – always think about when’s best to ring a media contact. Try to use informed knowledge of how a particular contact works. Yes, your approach needs to be that tailored as if they were a client. For example, be aware of a journalist’s deadlines and conference meetings, understand and acknowledge their personality in working with them, make their life easy!
2. The Right Release – think like a journalist. You can still get the salient messages across that your company is pressing you to do. Just try and avoid a page of ‘corporate waffle’ in doing so. To help you get the information the media want, be upfront with your client/boss on what the journalist wants and will use as opposed to what your boss wants.
3. Remember, ‘you can tell a journalist but you can’t tell ‘em much’ (!) so the less you tell them, the more you’ll get out of it! Better to always leave them wanting more than going into PR overload. They’ll love you for the former and loathe you for the latter.
4. The Right Place – there is a place for everything, meaning that what you say verbally to a journalist is crucial. For example, dont think that if you invite a journalist to an 'off the record' informal lunch in a relaxed setting that he/she won't go and reel off what you've said. They most probably will!
5. The Right Time …it’s also about when you say it – e.g. give the media the chance to maximise your story. Don’t ring them with a time sensitive scoop when’s it’s too late. Find out in advance when it won’t be too late.
6. In conducting media relations, if you are required to give a quote to a journalist, always put it in writing. Even media relations’ experts do this because experience is not a substitute for always getting it right. Considered written quotes get more attention and avoid confusion, upset and libel!
7. Finally for now, never think that shmoozing a journalist, treating them to endless lunches/freebies and showering them with gifts will get you what you want. It won't! It will actually be seen as patronising, i.e. you think you can buy them! You can't! Don't even try! Just give good quality, exclusive stories on a consistent basis and you'll become a good contact and will work well together. If you choose to buy a journalist chocolates or regularly invite them to frivolous events, do it because you enjoy their company, want to be generous and nothing else.

If you would like more detail about some or all of these tips plus other dos and don’ts, please contact us and we will try and help you further.

Ubiquity PR are a Liverpool based PR Agency working throughout the Northwest.