6 PR practices your agency should ditch and 3 to amp up in 2021, according to an HR journalist

New year, new you?

When it comes to breaking some poor PR habits, this might not be such a bad thing.

We spoke to Annie Makoff, a freelance member of our PR team but also a journalist, on pitching, interviewing and general PR practices to be avoided in 2021. Her unique position in both roles gives her the perfect perspective of PR habits that should and shouldn’t be practised next year.

PR practices to avoid in 2021

1. Not reading queries from journalists properly

Often journalists will send out requests in the hope that relevant PRs or brands can help provide information or put forward case studies. However, the keyword here is relevant. 

All too often, journalists receive responses from PRs who haven’t properly read the request and/or have made incorrect assumptions about what the journalist is asking for. Either way, they end up sending unhelpful or irrelevant information. For example, putting forward a client in a sector the journalist has already stated they are not wanting or needing to speak to.  

Annie says, “I’m always very specific in the media queries I send out to the PR world, making it clear the type of commentators I’d like to hear from and those I don’t. It’s not personal – it’s editorial. There’s a reason why journalists are excluding certain companies or experts – so there really is no point chancing it.” 

 Journalists want your help but only if the information is genuinely useful. If your brand or products aren’t exactly what the journalist is looking for then it’s best not to waste yours or the journalist’s time as it won’t win you any favours.

2. Responding to specific queries with something entirely different

Sometime brands (or their PRs) take this even further - by knowingly responding to requests with entirely off-topic information - just to get the journalist’s attention.

For Annie, the answer is simple: “This approach never works. Don’t do it”.

To get media attention, your story, angle, research and pitching approach must be interesting for a journalist and their readers. You shouldn’t have to resort to impractical communication methods just to get your foot in the door. Your approach should be about the quality of your ideas - not your means of striking up a conversation.

For the best tips on writing HR-newsworthy stories and pitches, check out our blog: What do journalists want? 3 steps for gaining media coverage.

3. Sending follow-up emails for news releases

Journalists have varying opinions on chaser emails - some we’ve spoken with in the past don’t mind a gentle reminder - but others don’t like them at all. 

According to Annie, “If a journalist doesn’t respond to a press release the first time around, they’re not interested”. 

However, whether you’re trying to get the attention of a journalist who does or doesn’t appreciate follow-ups, it’s essential not to sound as though you’re nagging. For Annie, “there are several PRs who send out 3-4 chaser emails after every press release” and this is a sure-fire way to lose respect for the client’s brand (and be ignored by the media).

4. Putting a client forward for an interview if you haven’t asked them first 

Annie says, “It’s surprising how often it happens. A PR will contact me in relation to a query I’ve sent out, suggesting a spokesperson who is a perfect fit. We make arrangements, and then shortly after they’ll email again to say the person they put forward is suddenly unavailable. The past few times this has happened, it’s usually because they haven’t asked their client before pitching them.”

 Whether you’re managing your own PR or work with a marketing team or an agency, the key is collaboration. Working together will get the best results for everyone and if you’re adding a journalist into the mix, you certainly need to be on the same page. 

You don’t want to let a journalist down - it serves you both better to deliver on your promises. Aim to be a reliable source so journalists are more likely to come back for information in the future, so always work together and don’t break the trust.

5. Sending template emails

If you want to improve your relations with the media, you need to show attention to detail and personalisation - in other words, you need to tailor your pitches and articles according to a journalist’s and publication’s needs.

Template emails (though they may be easy for you) aren’t helpful for others. Sending out generic information about a brand will rarely provide specific and genuinely useful information for a story.

PR is a two way relationship. Journalists are time-pressed and deadline focused. They will welcome support but if a brand doesn’t care enough to put in the time, why should they include it when others can and will work to their specific needs?

6. Emailing straight away about interviews and articles

Practising patience is also an essential part of any PR-journalist relationship.

We can all feel impatient but Annie says a regular occurrence is for PRs to email straight after an interview with their client to find out how it went, or contact her a day after providing information to learn if the article has been published. 

It’s important to allow journalists time to form their pieces. Indeed, often, especially for freelance journalists, they will send their work into an editor and may not know or have any control of when the article will be published.

Annie says, “please wait at least two weeks if you want to ask about whether an article has been published. It will rarely be on the same day as the interview”. Our suggestion? Don’t contact the journalist at all if an article has been published. Search the publication in print or online and let the journalist work on their next piece of content.

PR habits that should continue in 2021

1. Keeping journalists updated on progress where possible

PR teams and their clients have goals and deadlines, of course, but  journalists do too. It’s incredibly useful for journalists if you can keep them updated on the progress you’re making when organising availability, interviews, comments etc. 

For Annie, “It makes my life so much easier to be given periodic updates on progress - even if it’s a ‘we’re still waiting to hear back from them’. Sometimes, journalists just need to know that the press team is on it, instead of having radio silence”.

2. Delivering ahead of time

Another way to help with a journalist’s timeline is to provide your written answers earlier than the agreed deadline.

We know that this isn’t always feasible as everyone is juggling their own workloads. But where possible, supporting them in this way will definitely put you in a journalist’s good books.

3. Being responsive

It doesn’t always require heaps of effort to help a journalist out. Sometimes it’s the small things that are really appreciated - like being responsive when a journalist emails a request.

Even if you don’t have any information to give for their story, simply letting them know you can’t help on this occasion can be really beneficial. 

According to Annie, “it’s just wonderful when you email a PR directly with a tight deadline and you receive an email back within minutes. Even if the answer is ‘no’, it’s so appreciated because you can then find alternatives. I have 4 or 5 go-to PRs because they are just brilliant: they’re responsive, always deliver on time and always do what they say they’ll do. Even on the occasion they can’t help, they email to let me know”.

Want us to review your PR approach? Sign up for our free PR audit or get in touch for a chat - we’re always happy to help.