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PR Leads Publicity Articles
How to Boost Your PR LEADS/ProfNet Hit Rate
By Dan Janal
Your Fearless PR Leader
PR Leads
www.prleads.com
PR LEADS conducted a phone seminar recently on 'How to Boost Your ProfNet Hit Rate,' with Shel Horowitz, a PR consultant, marketing copywriter, speaker and author of 'Grassroots Marketing: Getting Noticed in a Noisy World.' In 2001, Shel was an interview source for 27 articles that came from ProfNet, including CNNMoney.com, Fortune Small Business, Women's Day Entrepreneur, Working Woman and Fox TV.
Here are highlights from the session, as reported by Dan Janal, president and founder of PR LEADS.
'I think ProfNet is an excellent service. I think it is so much better to respond to a reporter looking for sources on a story than to pitch them cold. I can't say that strongly enough. This gives you such a leg up on other people pitching cold because you have tapped into the vein, you know this reporter is working on a story that you are perfect for. You don't have to beat them on the head. You are in the position of giving them what they said they need. It doesn't get any better than this.'
One of the most important things you can do is to respond quickly when you receive a lead, as reporters want to write the story quickly and move on to their next task, he said.
You can also increase your response rates if you include the reporter's headline as the subject line in your e-mail, as that message will stand out from the spam and unsolicited press releases they receive.
You should always include your URL in each pitch letter, he says.
'Reporters will often go to your website before they talk to you. I have many times talked to reporters who said, "I spent half an hour on your website and you are the person I want to speak to."'
Size matters.
Send a pitch letter that fits in one or two screens. 'You don't want to send them a 30K e-mail,' he said. 'Tell them what else you can send them or refer them to your website. Make it clear you can provide information if they need it.'
'If you have an article that is relevant, give them the exact URL so they don't have to go hunting for it,' he said. 'And that they can quote from it with attribution.'
The seminar also covered such topics as:
- How to create a media-friendly web site
- How to pitch reporters on the phone without being a pest
- How to deal with reporters who interview you but don't quote you
- What to do if you are misquoted
The one-hour seminar is available on CD or cassette for $29.
This article can be reprinted if the following information is printed:
By Daniel Janal, dan@prleads.com, http://www.prleads.com
PR Leads founder Daniel Janal is the author of numerous books, including "Dan Janal’s Guide to Marketing on the Internet.”
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