TROY – With more than 30 years in the PR field, I have seen a multitude of technology and techniques come and go. With new waves of technology, old tactics are being pushed aside for something flashy, immediate and far reaching.
When I started in PR, it was easier to build meaningful relationships with journalists than it is today. I could simply go down to the newsroom to hand-deliver the media release to the journalist. As you read this, you are probably thinking, what a waste of time!
Now, you simply click your mouse a couple of times and whoosh, just like that, 50 different journalists have your press release delivered into their e-mail in-box. The speed is incredible as well as the reach, but there is something missing. Your face is not seen, no relationship is being built by a mass e-mail and the journalist probably has 50 other PR professionals sending them media releases about their favorite client.
The worst part about it is that you haven?t built any trust or credibility in your relationship. Your release is pushed into a pile of other releases that they feel are newsworthy.
Hand-delivering media releases was not wasting time; it proved beneficial as many successful relationships were made from that one-on-one interaction.
While I am definitely not downplaying the importance or speed of e-mail, it is much harder to create relationships with media now than it was when I started. There is light at the end of the tunnel, however. Meeting media at client events, product launches, conferences and seminars is a great launching pad for building a successful relationship and, you can easily stay in touch by e-mail.
John Bailey is Founder and CEO of John Bailey & Associates in Troy. This column came from Bailey?s blog. To read his other blog entries, click on BaileyBlog.Com
