Simple, genuine communication
Monday, April 21st, 2008
As a former IT magazine editor and journalist [before I found my true passion in PR] I was always amazed at how vague and convoluted some press releases could be that were sent to me.
Today, there are still many cases of completely irrelevant pitches being foisted upon editors, writers and bloggers.
Here’s a good example from my own personal experience.
In my spare time I write a blog about local Portland, Ore., history. Nothing too extravagant, mostly a scan of a kitschy postcard and then some brief commentary about said scan. It’s fun. I enjoy it. And I get to learn about my adopted city.
Recently, a PR firm pitched me that had no clue what the content of my blog covered. They didn’t even know my name. It was horribly written. And the pitch contained no more than six different fonts and typefaces [Times! Verdana! Arial! Italicized! Bold and Underlined!].
To me, this meant one of two things:
1. The sender was psychotic.
2. The sender was lazy, did one heck of a lousy cut-and-paste job and had no clue about what the message was and who should be getting the message.
I’d say the second was the case, but that’s just a guess.
This leads me to the point of the post’s title.
Just because there are newer technologies such as blogging, Social Media Releases (SMRs), and social networking tools that let us communicate easier, if the original message is convoluted, inaccurate, or just not a fit for the intended audience, it won’t matter how it’s delivered.
Whether you’re a PR professional working for a client, someone writing an email or someone writing a proposal, you need to keep your message simple, informative and relevant.
It’s definitely my own personal mantra when working for my clients at MoPR. Be genuine to their message…and let it work for you.
