Seven things to expect from journalists
The world of PR can seem like a minefield, it is a discipline that requires good communication skills, patience, discipline and persistence. It also requires a strategic plan to deliver it effectively. One area of PR business owners sometimes gets flustered by are journalists. Many business owners see journalists as aloof or set apart from everyday society. However, journalists are part of an eco-system which if more people understood, would benefit greatly.
Here are seven things to expect from journalists:
1. Your timetable is not their timetable. There will be times when a Journalist will contact you to feature you in a piece. After you have rushed to send them the information they need, it may be possible that you will not hear from them for a while. The reason for the lack of communication can be ten-fold, however, a couple of gentle reminders, every fortnight can be permitted; after that point, leave it and move one. Ironically, journalists are not always the best communicators. (In my opinion, there is an irony in the fact that journalists will not always tell you that an article is published). That said, do not take it personally.
2. Set up Google Alerts for notifications about when people mention your company name in articles.
3. Regularly check when a new issue of the publication is coming out or goes live.
4. Follow the journalist on Twitter
5. Journalists have two bosses. The editor and the reader - The editor does precisely that edit the publication. Therefore, a journalist's job is to write and pitch an article for their editor. In turn, the editor signs it off for print.
6. The journalist is writing for their readers. Always keep in mind that a journalist’s primary focus should be their reader. Therefore, when the journalist is interviewing you, their focus should be: “Is this of interest to my readers?”
7. Journalism is a job. As with most occupations, you have good and bad practitioners. Your job is to understand that you are working with individuals, with their own lives, experiences, and perspectives.
Those are seven tips, which hopefully will take the edge of your anxiety when you are working with the media.
The next time you are working with a journalist, keep these tips in mind, and hopefully, you will find the process a lot less stressful. Let us know your experiences with local or national press?
Do you know that there are resources to help you increase your businesses visibility and connect with more journalists and content creators?
