• 3 Lessons in: Client Relations

    Welcome to Lessons in PR, an ongoing series of public relations tips and advice from the professionals at Matter Communications. Have your own tip to submit? Respond in the comments or email [email protected].

    Ever lost a client because you didn’t “gel”? Ever had a project slip through your fingers, and you know you could have done more to keep it? Yes – we’ve all been there.

    We spend a lot of time talking about how to improve our relationships with media, and even customers/end users. But our clients’ values, aspirations, products and initiatives are what really drive the work we do every day. Luckily, there are simple methods we can employ to make sure our client relationships are beacons of trust and communication:

    1. Get in Their Heads. “Read what your clients are reading. Relevance resonates, so it’s important to read-up on industry trends affecting your clients, and not just from media standpoint.” – Claire Papanastasiou, Director
    1. One Size Does NOT Fit All. “Get to know your individual client contacts. No two accounts are the same – nor do they want to communicate in the same way. While onboarding, pay attention to their preferences. You’ll see soon enough whether they like smiley faces or no-nonsense; phone calls or in-person meetings; lots of details or just the essentials, etc.” – Jackie Fraser, Account Executive
    1. Visit the Trenches. “Sit down with the sales team. Whether you and your PR team are just getting on board with a new company, or you’ve been working with them for years, you need to get everyone together: PR, marketing and, most importantly, sales. If outbound communication doesn’t line up with the language used by the sales team, there’s a dangerous gap. Sales personnel know the product and they know how to sell it. PR pros know how to put together and implement killer company messaging. Learn from them, educate them and get everybody on the same page.” – Jackie Fraser, Account Executive

    Vanessa Boynton

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  • 3 Lessons in: Becoming a Media Resource

    Welcome to Lessons in PR, an ongoing series of public relations tips and advice from the professionals at Matter Communications. Have your own tip to submit? Respond in the comments or email [email protected].

    Our daily tasks can end up working like blinders. While we plow through our tactics with dazzling aplomb, we can sometimes lose sight of the big picture – a big picture that demands that we fulfill a higher purpose than scatter-gunning pitches and ticking off to-do’s. As far as media contacts are concerned, it’s our job to cut out the guesswork, anticipate their needs and become a virtual extension of their editorial team. So what are some of the things we can do to show we have their back?

    1. Do the Reading. “It’s our job to make sure that we are pitching the right targets for our clients, but once you’ve narrowed down to the appropriate contacts, you still need a strategy to get their attention. I have found it always helps to reference a reporter’s recent work to demonstrate that A) You are paying attention and have done your research, and B) Your pitch is worth reading and more than likely a good fit.” – Samantha Bell, Senior Account Executive

    2. Follow Up. “About 75% of placements stem from following-up with a reporter. It reminds them that you’re still available to chat, and I even sometimes throw out different angles on the pitch to see if a different take is a better fit. Knowing the fine line between staying in touch and harassment is definitely key, but not following up and allowing that first email you sent to fall into oblivion is a surefire way to lose their interest and attention.” – Jenna Fogle, Account Executive

    3. Get Hands-On with Clients’ Products. “Request regular demonstrations or samples of your clients’ primary products so you have a chance to actually use the items before they’re presented to your media contacts. You’ll be in a better position to anticipate how “it” will appeal to their readers, and they’ll benefit greatly from being able to get a few more of their technical questions answered, right away, by you. What’s more, you’ll be showing them that you’re dedicated to understanding the world they work in every day.” – Vanessa Boynton, Senior Account Executive

    Vanessa Boynton

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  • 3 Lessons in: Staying Organized

    Welcome to Lessons in PR, an ongoing series of public relations tips and advice from the professionals at Matter Communications. Have your own tip to submit? Respond in the comments or email [email protected].

    One of the most enticing and exhausting aspects of the PR industry is: variety. Unless you work with an in-house team (and sometimes even then), you’ll be exposed to astounding assortment of perspectives, specialties, products, goals, trends, publications, and more. We learn more about more stuff than we ever dreamed we would, and almost all of it was due yesterday. As a result, simply maintaining a coherent to-do list is a challenge all its own. Here are some of the things that work in our favor for staying organized:

    1. Work the Primary Colors. “When juggling five clients across five different industries, it’s important to stay organized and on top of various deadlines, media opportunities, new coverage, etc. I find that color coded lists have become my holy grail – everything from to-do lists to pending coverage lists.” – Caitlin Snider, Assistant Account Executive

    2. Learn to Love Deadlines. “Don’t wait for the last minute to be proactive, but if you need the pressure of a deadline to kick it into gear, assign self-imposed deadlines so you don’t start falling behind. With so many daily tasks both big and small, you don’t want to show up to your next meeting empty-handed or unprepared.” – Tim Hamilton, Assistant Account Executive

    3. Remember What We Are When You ‘Assume’. “When working a media event, pitching a reporter, or communicating with a client, never assume – not even about the smallest detail. Over-communication and verifying understanding will prepare you for what’s coming and save you from embarrassing inaccuracies and mistakes.” – Kate McCary, Senior Account Executive

    Vanessa Boynton

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  • Like a German: 4 PR Lessons from a Summer in Berlin

    I spent the summer after college graduation working alongside branding and marketing wizards in the Silicon Valley of Europe: Berlin. Throughout the summer, I learned to speak, write, and even eat spaghetti with a fork and spoon like a German, but nothing prepared me more for my current role as an Account Coordinator at Matter Communications than learning to do PR like one.

    To be clear, there’s no such thing as “German PR,” but the cultural values my German colleagues held dear made them natural PR pros. My colleagues gently instilled in me these values over the course of the summer, and at summer’s end, lovingly referred to me as “the most German American they had ever met.” All bratwurst references aside, living in Germany made me a better PR professional before I ever decided to pursue PR, and here are the 4 PR lessons I carry with me still today:

    1. Be Direct

    My colleagues didn’t hesitate to say I looked “American” when I flashed a full smile for my company photo. In fact, they didn’t hesitate to point out or ask for most things, and lo and behold, they got a lot done. In terms of PR, directness is key when crafting a pitch. Subject lines should be brief, to the point and accurately describe the content of the pitch. The body of the pitch should only be a couple paragraphs, and contain just enough information to pique the reporter’s interest in the topic. Of course, directness is most important in formulating the call to action. There’s a big difference between “Any interest in this topic?” and “Let me know if you’re interested.” Reporters are busy people, and as my German colleagues would say, how can you get what you want if you don’t ask for it?

    2. Be Punctual

    Like the train that arrived in front of my apartment every morning at 8:07 to take me and the rest of my neighborhood to work, creating dependable relationships with clients and media requires punctuality. Whether answering an email, dialing into a conference call or arriving for an in-person client meeting, being punctual lets the target audience know you value their time. Moreover, sometimes the quickest response determines who a reporter turns to for a source. Those who are familiar with HARO and ProfNet services are well aware of this phenomenon. For those who aren’t, if the response deadline is tomorrow, always send your response today.

    3. Be Resourceful

    When globalization said, “the world will run on petroleum,” the Germans said, “what else is out there?” In fact, the summer I was in Berlin, the country was producing more energy from renewable resources than from petroleum. It was all over the news, and my colleagues were proud of what their country had accomplished by being resourceful. There are great benefits as well for resourceful PR professionals, who reach beyond traditional ways of doing business to more innovative tactics that get the media’s attention. Pitching on Twitter is a great example, and Matter’s Precision team of small scope accounts has seen particular success engaging with reporters on the platform. Long-form pitching may be the norm, but a pitch in 140 characters is a resourceful way to make use of a reporter’s limited, valuable time.

    4. Be Multilingual

    Most of my colleagues in Berlin spoke more than one language. This allowed them to travel fluidly between countries, while ensuring a great experience in each one. PR professionals need to speak multiple “languages” as well, particularly those who work in an agency setting with multiple clients, across multiple industries. Each industry has its own unique terminology; from data storage and retail technology, to specialty foods and consumer products, every industry “speaks” differently. As all language learners know, it’s easier to understand a language at first, than it is to speak or write it. The best way to become fluent in a language is by total immersion, and the same goes for PR professionals. Those who immerse themselves in recent industry news and trends, are those who ensure a great experience and optimal results for their clients.

    Matter

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  • 3 Lessons in: Media Relations

    Welcome to Lessons in PR, an ongoing series of public relations tips and advice from the professionals at Matter Communications. Have your own tip to submit? Respond in the comments or email [email protected].

    As media platforms evolve, public relations is tasked with a continuously growing list of promotional activity. What hasn’t changed, however, is our core responsibility: media relations. Regardless of our individual specialties, it is essential that we understand how to coordinate with media to produce targeted, meaningful coverage for our clients. So – how do we stand out amid the awful din of a journalist’s busy day?

    1. Focus on the Big Picture. “Ask what the reporter needs to file his story, and be a really good listener. A good PR pro will facilitate the entire article – not just the client mention.” – Jennifer Karin, Vice President

    2. Return the Call. “Always respond to a reporter, even if you have absolutely nothing to say, and especially during a crisis. Unreturned calls hurt relations – and ultimately the client. Explain to a cautious client that an off-the-record courtesy call to simply tell the reporter that we are unable to comment or help at this time helps preserve relations. It also serves as an opportunity to learn of where a reporter is going with the story, providing useful information that may lead to the client wanting to comment or at least prepare their staff for the story that will soon emerge.” – Claire Papanastasiou, Director

    3. Get Personal. “It’s not enough to just shoot off an email pitch, hoping the reporter on the other end bites. You need to make the effort to make a personal connection with members of the media – meeting them for coffee to discuss what stories they’re working on, getting to know their hobbies, likes and dislikes, introducing them to sources that would be helpful for their beat – even if it’s not your client specifically. All this will pay off in the long run.” – Emily Quirk, Account Manager

    Vanessa Boynton

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