Monday, January 7, 2008

Smart, honest PR advice from B.L. Ochman

B.L. Ochman's What’s Next Blog is a consistently good source of PR advice, and her pitch/press release quiz is one of the most concise, brutally honest, and useful reality-checks I've seen. The questions:

1. Has the print, online or broadcast reporter you are pitching ever covered this topic?

2. Would this pitch or release elicit a response from people who read it?


3. Is this pitch or release bullshit?


4. Would anyone pass along a story on this topic to a friend or colleague?

5. Have you Googled the reporters and bloggers on your list so you know if they've covered your competitor?


6. Have you read your competitors' press releases?


7. Have you checked to see if any blogs specifically cover this topic?


8. Can you make the copy shorter?
The right answers are obvious, but the goal isn't to make you think while you're taking the quiz--it's to get you thinking before you send a news release or make a pitch.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

thanks for publishing this list and for the kind words!

you are right, it's meant to be read even before you write the release!
BL