The Most Important PR Tip You’ll Ever Read
With a headline like that, I guess I’d better deliver eh?
But through my years of dealing with editors and reporters, I’ve come to the conclusion that if you do not follow this tip, most of your PR efforts will be futile.
So here it is. If you want to be successful in PR, you need to think like the press does.
That’s it?
Yup. But trust me, it is easier said than done.
That’s because we all suffer from “me-itis”. This is a syndrome where we love to drone on and on about how great our companies are, how wonderful our new products are, and how important our mission statement is.
The truth of the matter is, no one really cares, least of all the press.
After all, why should they? Their job isn’t advertising, it’s news. And in news, they have to find stories that are newsworthy.
Are you paying attention? That is the secret right there. Newsworthy.
Every time you contact an editor or reporter, ask yourself “is this newsworthy”? If I was an editor or reporter, would I care? How can this be positioned so it is of interest to the readers of the newspaper, magazine, web site or blog?
Again, this sounds easy, but in reality it is much harder than it seems. It requires a fundamental shift in how you think. A shift away from “me, me, me” towards “you, you, you”.
Next time you begin any PR efforts, remember: always think from the press’ point of view and ask yourself, “how is this newsworthy”? You’ll find this one tip alone will help you secure much more coverage.