Over the last several years, it seems marketing departments are taking on added responsibilities – in many cases, this includes a company’s public relations efforts.
For those who are not experienced writers, this can be a little daunting. Novice writers tend to sit at the keyboard in total frustration for hours –or days or weeks– until something lucid comes to mind. It’s often a difficult process for the less experienced.
My primary role here at Wells Publishing is to work with marketing departments and advertising agencies to come up with brainy ideas for paid print and online advertising campaigns. Sometimes, I serve as unofficial interface between the would-be marketer and our entire publishing operation. That means fielding questions like, “how do I get this press piece about our new product into print by tomorrow?” and assisting people in their efforts to contact our editorial department.
Experienced public relations professionals understand the relationship between themselves and the media. But those new to the field often have trouble navigating the line that normally separates editorial departments from the advertising side of the business. It’s a boundary often referred to in publishing circles as the divide between “church and state.” It’s a line that is best not crossed, meaning that editors treat advertisers the same as those that do not advertise.
Our editors and writers do their best to politely remind me of the boundaries separating “church and state” when these inquiries come in from clients. (It’s often a short conversation: “Have a good day, Dave! <click>”)
A well-written press release is a great tool, and should be part of any effective marketing plan. So is a keen understanding of this “church and state” dividing line. So for those who want to get the word more effectively about their business, here are a few tips that tend to work well.
- Make it easy for the editor. Press material that is unclear, jargonish or needs a lot of rewriting often fall by the wayside. Have a co-worker read the piece before you send it.
- Think of how a reader is going to react to your release. Because we eat, drink, and sleep our products, we think that everyone else feels the same way as we do about them. Put down the pom-poms and give just the real facts and the real benefits.
- Treat the reader as if he or she has a brain. They do.
- Reminding the editor that you are an advertiser and that you help to pay his or her salary is a poor tactic. Instead, try to build a rapport with the editors.
Good PR isn’t just about making an editor’s life easier either. Aren’t you a little weary of the magazine that sells editorial content as value-added? Readers do notice when the full page advertisement for Brand X is the same company in the article next door on the left-hand page. If a magazine is selling its editorial, it is selling its integrity with the reader. Once a reader loses trust in a source, they generally seek other sources.
The power of the pen is mighty. Wield it well.
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