Transcript -
JOHNA BURKE: Hello, this is Johna Burke with BurrellesLuce, and we’re here at 2010 Bulldog Media Relations Summit. I’m here with Michael.
Michael, will you please introduce yourself?
MICHAEL SMART: Thanks, Johna. I’m Michael Smart with Michael Smart PR, and I teach people how to pitch to the media.
BURKE: Michael, can you please share, for our PR practitioners and communications professionals, some of your top pitching tips?
SMART: Sure. One of them is to begin a pitch by referencing your target journalist’s earlier work. And this principle that I’ve been sharing in my pitching workshops was echoed for me today when I sat next to Carl Lavin, managing editor of Forbes, at one of these great roundtables, where he said he likes it when PR people actually point out that we’ve posted his story or his reporter’s story to Twitter or on our Facebook feed so he can see that we’re helping drive traffic. And then we can get into our pitch.
BURKE: Excellent. I love it that social media continues to play a growing role there. Where can people find you in social media or learn more about your pitching tips, Michael?
SMART: The best way would be to go to michaelsmartpr.com and sign up for my weekly pitching tips emails.
BURKE: Great. Thank you so much.
SMART: Thank you.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Denise G. and Lauren Shapiro, BurrellesLuce. BurrellesLuce said: Pitching Tips from @michaelsmartpr interview w/ @gojohnab @burrellesluce http://budurl.com/v98n #mrs10 [...]
I had the opportunity to have Michael Smart as a PR professor at Brigham Young University. He’s a great teacher, and I recommend his seminars.
Two great PR tips I learned from him:
1) Really research your pitch. Pitch the right story to the right person at the right time and know what you’re talking about.
2) Have a walk-away fund. PR has occasional ethical dilemmas. Save some money so you don’t find yourself in a position where you can’t afford to listen to your conscience.