Why aren’t the media coming?
June 20th, 2007 posted by Ashley ReppertDay in and day out PR professionals spend time on the phone with the media. We ask them to publish an article, to list our products, to consider a case study topic, and to visit us at trade show booths and events. So, with all this correspondence and relationship-building, one might assume everything gets published and every event hosts tons of media. Unfortunately, this just isn’t true.
So when someone asks, “Why aren’t the media coming?” What’s the answer?
The best answer might come from first asking questions such as:
Is this story/event newsworthy?
Does the topic fit who we are pitching?
Am I talking to the right person at this media outlet?
Is there someone else at my agency that could give a fresh set of eyes to this problem?
The fact of the matter is - we can call and email until we are blue in the face. We can write the best articles, have amazing ideas, and very newsworthy events, and still not garner the results we hope and dream of. And, frankly, editors don’t owe us an explanation. Sometimes, that’s just PR.
I am not suggesting we throw up our hands and settle for mundane results. Keep pushing, keep trying. But, remember the importance of realistic expectations and not making promises you can’t keep. Again, sometimes that’s just PR.
June 21st, 2007 at 11:58 am
Something else to consider:
Part of setting realistic expectations is remembering that not everyone is lucky to have an “If you build it, they will come” type of event. So, as PR/marketing experts, it’s important to help educate our clients about why the media can be ambivalent.
Just because media can’t attend doesn’t mean they’re inherently uninterested. Often manpower issues and stories deemed more editorially important usurp your client’s news. (No client wants to hear this, of course, and it certainly doesn’t mean your client’s news isn’t important.) Find out from editors and reporters if they’d like to receive a press release and photo, or if they’d be interested in calling your client at a later date to arrange a post-event interview.
Clients should be aware they need to be available for questions both before, during and after an event for better coverage opportunities. This is especially important for monthly or weekly publications that aren’t on immediate deadline. They may want to follow-up at a later date if they’re busy at present but plan to put something in a future issue.