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The
reason manufacturers place bass and treble controls on
radios is because every person likes to hear music a
certain way. We are individuals, after all, and we
each have our unique preferences. It is important
to recognize this when corresponding with the media.
Every
journalist and editor has a preference for how he or she
receives information from companies. Some prefer a
fax, some like snail mail, more and more are turning to
e-mail. When a company relies on only one medium,
it is limiting the scope of its target audience.
The
problem comes when a company sends out a press release
using only one method. It may be over a news
service or through in-house efforts. You can rely
on a media guide that will provide general information
and may tell you how journalists prefer to receive
information, but in many cases there are mistakes,
missing or outdated information, or simply blank spaces.
What
you don’t want to do is take a “shotgun” approach
and e-mail, mail, fax and telephone a reporter!
This is overload and the kiss of death. Just like
music, your news sounds sweeter when it is presented in
the most appealing way – tailored to each listener.
One
of the benefits of being full-time public relation
professionals is that we have the time and the resources
to build relationships with media members. We can
ask them how they prefer to hear from us and tailor our
correspondence accordingly. We also begin to
understand the tone and balance that each journalist
likes to hear in a news story.
Yes,
it takes more time and effort to tune a story to
individual preferences, but the results can be worth the
price. As the Mastercard saying goes, sending a
press release out may cost $299, but having your story
published…priceless.
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