Planning to telephone a reporter? Here are 5 opening lines to avoid (unless your plan is to be like a pit bull from the beginning!):
1. It must’ve been a slow news day! This one really raises the hairs on any reporter’s neck. There are very few “slow” news days. Most reporters or editors put potential stories through a vigorous analysis before they are tackled. If anything, dramatic staff cutbacks are seriously impacting how much a newsroom can cover on any one day.
It started out as a great idea by cellphone company Fido. Hold a contest to select a dog to appear in its advertisements. But weeks after the contest began, Fido found itself literally buried in complaints one morning by barking entrants. And we don’t mean the dogs.
With less than a week before the contest deadline, Fido disqualified hundreds and hundreds of dogs without notice. “It was blatantly the case that some people were voting multiple times for the same dog” in violation of the contest rules which limits daily voting, a spokesperson told the Montreal Gazette.
Here are 10 of the greatest bits of wisdom I’ve learned over the years. Some are quite possibly rooted in similar words expressed by others, the origin of which are long forgotten (with apologies).
1. Creating a picture in your head is the best canvas for moving forward.
2. You need to remember one word for messaging that connects. You. You got it!
When you’re in the media, you get access to many, many letters that people write seeking help or action. They often share these letters with media in hopes of expanding publicity. Many letters are well done. But there are always a bunch filled with so much venom they’re almost toxic.
Over a long media career, I’ve seen many duds that are nothing more than people shouting via a letter.
The worst letters are the personal attack letters. Rarely do these ever accomplish anything. Well, except earn dollars for lawyers. Here are three simple questions to ask yourself the next time you need to write a letter to get the attention of a government official, politician, media, organization, etc:
We’ve all been there: having to endure an excruciatingly bad speech or a talk that leaves us scratching our heads. You can see the pain in three-minute congratulatory speeches, politicians delivering words of welcome at events, and speakers at conferences.
Here are five big reasons that your speech will suck:
Those darn email scams just keep coming in our inboxes. Day after day. Yes, they are annoying.
Sadly, some people do fall victim. However, from a strictly communications standpoint, these pitch ‘letters’ are fascinating. They are also horrendously bad. And that’s why they are worth dissecting.
Let’s take a look at a current email scam ‘letter’ now making the rounds. My comments are in italics:
Storytelling can be done across many different formats (writing, podcasting, advertising copy, etc). There are no shortage of excellent examples for doing storytelling in videos. Here’s one pulled from the vault. It’s a video for the song What About Now by the American rock band Daughtry. Watch it and see for yourself. It’s a powerful example of storytelling that merges video and words. Enjoy.
Daughtry – What About Now from OPTiONS TV on Vimeo.
I’ve seen a roadside sign many, many times that advertises ‘Special Sale Today’. It’s a sign that’s placed curbside every single day. I cringe every time I see it. The reality is there are no ‘special sales’ particular to a certain day. This sign reminds me of being on vacation. You know, the vacations where you are the tourist. Shop vendors stand outside the doorway and try to woo you into their businesses with verbal pitches like “almost free today, c’mon in!”
Social media gives you and your organization a huge advantage for marketing and advertising today. Gone are those days when you relied on one medium to connect with audiences. Traditional media (radio and newspapers) is no longer your ONLY option.
Social media like Twitter and Facebook allows you to cut out the middleman, or at least, reduce your dependence on it. Radio stations and newspapers have traditionally played the sole middleman role for years. They have built their sales pitch as being your only conduit to reach the masses. Social media changes that. And it does it in a big way. Now, you can be in control.
When is the best time to reach a reporter? Many ‘experts’ will suggest that you can reach a reporter at any time during a day, simply because they carry smartphones or Blackberries and are always reachable. Others will suggest social media presents an instant connection tool. (BTW, before you think the latter method may work, you’d better check the journalist’s Twitter account to see if they ever bother engaging with anyone.)
Here’s the scoop on most theories suggested by ‘experts’: they’re bunk. At best, they’re crapshoot methods. Most journalists are knee-deep in assignments or have deadlines looming throughout the heart of the day. Your email will get a passing glance, if you’re lucky. There are simply too many other priorities.
