Public relations* is often associated with strumpetting (sorry couldn’t completely resist the linkbait opportunity) and can have a negative connotation.

There are several reasons I suppose for PR’s own poor image, including:

  1. The low cost of barrier for the profession. Anyone can set up shop with a low price laptop. Hey, you can write, right? Yes, but not everyone can really write.
  2. The fact that PR professionals are paid to communicate with others and the inherent potential for conflict of interest. While I don’t fully agree with Wikipedia’s COI policies, I can understand some of the rationale behind them. So, there’s a perception — born in reality by the crappy work of a few — that we’re not always the most trustworthy
  3. As part of the pay for services, PR pros are tempted to focus on short-term results at the risk of most everything else — like long-term relationships and burning bridges, and the potential harm on their reputation and the industry’s rep.

So, inspired by @MonroeOnABudget’s Paula Wethington’s tweets about recent communication with a PR rep, let me offer some basic PR 101 tips that ALL. PR. PROS. SHOULD. KNOW. AND. FOLLOW.

  • Write in the style that your audience writes — that’s typically traditional media. So, know and use AP Style.
  • Develop a sense of news judgment so that you don’t always say yes to a story your employer or client suggests. You may still have to write and distribute the story, but then set expectations so when it bombs, you won’t get bombed out of a job. Yes, I am bias, but I am a firm believer that PR pros with journalism backgrounds do the best job. (I was a reporter or editor for three newspapers during my first four years out of college and I still freelance to keep my journo skills fresh.)
  • Before you send a news release, photo opportunity alert, pitch or whatever, please research and know the best person at the media outlet — traditional or blog — who should receive it. AND SEND ONLY ONE ITEM PER MEDIA OUTLET.
  • Similar to the point above, make sure your news is relevant to the media outlet’s audience. (See Paula’s tweets for a prime example of what NOT to do.)
  • If you receive media requests or other contacts, respond quickly — even if it’s to say that you have to check on a question they ask or something similar. Your success depends as much on them as it does on your own skills.

And finally, remember, you are not “placing” a story, you’re not trying to get a “hit.” IF you are doing your job right, you are serving as a liason between your employer/client and the media — using your news judgment, writing skills and know-how of how to work with people.

Public relations really is more about relations than getting information in the public.

So, above are some basic PR work as I see them. What valuable advice can you add?
-Mike

*Again, I’ve given into the belief that when people talk about PR, they really mean media relations. PR is much more than obtaining editorial coverage. But, rather than continue the public effort to educate, I’ll just go with PR and you know what I mean.

And, if you’re still reading and you want some assistance in public relations, contact me via email or click on the Call Me in that Google Voice box there in the right sidebar.