4 Pet Peeves of Publicists

Let’s get real. You hire a publicist because you are not a publicist! So, why then do you bug your publicist? This is a major complaint of anyone within public relations field – the know it all clients.  We are often now allowed to meet our capabilities as PR professions because we are so busy taking phone calls, reading emails and reviewing edits from clients. The truth is, the most a client stays out of our way, the better promoted he or she will be!

I took a poll among my peers for tonight’s blog. So, without further delay, here are four ways to annoy your publicist. If you can refrain from committing any or all of these four ‘pet peeves’ then you will have a happier publicist and a better chance for media coverage.

1.     Put me on Oprah and do it tomorrow. LOL, OK – and can I charge you more for this order?  If you're just starting a public relations campaign, don't expect to end up on the front page of the Times--or any major news outlet--by Friday. Media campaigns take time and you need to be aware of publication cycles. Just because you think you’re newsworthy doesn’t make it so. Give your PR team 6 months to a year to build up your brand.

2.     “When am I going to get an interview?” This is a common question for those new to the PR field. Again, things take time and sometimes breaking news happens or you are interviewed and the story is cut by an editor- or even the reporter. Stop calling your publicist on a daily, hourly or second-by-second basis asking when the interviews will start rolling in or why they were cut. You will receive a PR report. It will be accurate. Your PR team wants to be resigned based on their ability, but again – you have to get off email and phone attempts to pressure them so they can be on email and the phones with the press.

3.     Demanding. Oh, most PR people hate this. Don’t demand anything from your PR team unless you want to be put at the bottom of the ‘to do’ list re: your account.  You get a lot more with honey then you do with vinegar. Demanding reports early, copies of pitch reports early, or just being demanding in general gets under the skin of many PR agents because their job is already demanding enough.

4.     Expect results in 30 days or less. Again, PR is a process. According to one of my peers, “If a PR firm promises you dramatic results at the end of the month, they're not being honest. PR is a long game where relationships and brand awareness build over time.  Public relations is a valuable tool in any company's toolbox. It's important, however, to have realistic expectations about what public relations is and what it can do for your company. And you have to work with the PR team. If you are not following their recommendations and tips, you’re hurting your own brand and setting the PR team up for failure.”

Remember these points and help your publicist out!

Until next time,

Coco the CEO