Yes, social media is a noisy environment. And simply adding more posts to the ocean is an immediate fail by the agency or by an entrepreneur. So is spending inordinate money to “buy followers” or to get people with massive followings to share or re-tweet. But the ability to get meaningful stories amplified through social media in the places your customers visit is a powerful PR maneuver. Particularly when the message is micro-targeted through Facebook, tagged to a particular topic on Instagram or Twitter, or shared through a special interest group, social media weilds massive power beyond the original audience who sees an article when it comes up in the press.
Not only are entrepreneurs well poised to succeed at public relations, I have encountered at least several who have been so successful it has changed the trajectory of their companies or even careers. But, like Wynne and others, I am not a fan of founders who go blindly after the press without getting a little training on the nuances of PR in advance.
Poor Writing.
Much of the poorest writing I’ve witnessed in pitches has come from PR practitioners; not from entrepreneurs. Yes, there are good and bad ways to pitch. But the right approach can be learned by reading a couple of columns to learn what works and what doesn’t. Furthermore, the reporter isn’t asking a pitcher to be an excellent writer. They are simply looking for the pertinent facts — the who, what, when, where, why and who cares of a story — through the lens of interest and value for the readers they serve. The writer will address the semantics of telling the story themselves.
Social Media Fails.