If you’re in the field of public relations, by now you’ve surely read the rant by The New York Times’ The Haggler, “Swatting at a Swarm of Public Relations Spam.”
In response, I offer my own rant:
If you’re paying $1,500 a month for public relations, you may be buying a glorified telemarketing campaign. A consultant or firm will need more than 10 to 20 hours a month to help you position your news, identify relevant influencers and cultivate relationships on your behalf.
This is not a new argument. I’ve been in this business for 20 years and journalists have always complained about receiving thoughtless pitches. I’m sure they did it for many years before that. Of course, it’s much easier to spam these days since you no longer have to sift through the old Bacon’s books and build your database by hand.
I hope most journalists and bloggers don’t heed the advice of this “get-out-of-P.R.-spam kit.” There are many practitioners who work very hard to get to know what they cover and only send pitches we think they would actually consider – even if it is a self-chilling drinking glass.