Comments on: To call or not to call? That is the follow-up question.

By: Links: The 10 Commandments 2009 Edition | Meryl.net

Links: The 10 Commandments 2009 Edition | Meryl.net — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 15:11:50 +0000

[...] To call or not to call? Should you follow up with an editor after sending PR? Mixed bag. [...]

By: jongreer

jongreer — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 18:09:41 +0000

I just had an example yesterday where I got a story placed that wouldn’t have happened because the editor had briefly seen my email and then forgotten about it. i took 5 minutes of his time, explained my pitch again, and he then retrieved the email and got the story going. i would add that i wouldn’t have done this if i didn’t think this was a legit story for his outlet.

By: Larry Edwards

Larry Edwards — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 17:51:38 +0000

The problem is that not all email is seen or read — it can go in a spam folder, the reporter is on deadline and ignores it, or simply deletes without even reading the subject line. I have had many reporters thank me for following up with them when the topic is timely and relevant to their beats, but for some reason they did not see my pitch.

By: Kathleen Hanover

Kathleen Hanover — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 16:47:18 +0000

I have found follow-up calls to be a waste of my time, the editors’ time, and my clients’ time. If my news release/pitch wasn’t good enough, or the “news” wasn’t newsy enough, no amount of calling is going to get coverage. And as someone who works a ton of hours and gets 200+ emails a day, I actually do get pretty peeved if people demand my time by following up repeatedly. So I assume editors would feel the same way. As far as I can tell, this has never impacted my ability to get legitimate news covered. But your mileage may vary.

By: Jeannette Bitz

Jeannette Bitz — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 00:37:34 +0000

Great write up and topic, Jon. I believe it comes down the relationship that you have with the reporter. If you know the reporter and understand what interests him/her and he/she does not return your email, make the call. In my experience in tech PR, many times reporters have appreciated the follow-up call. The key is to understand and respect their time and deadlines.
Jeanette Bitz
Engage PR