Tips for how to hire your first public relations professional

David Strom
David Stromfreelance IT writer and speaker, editorial and business consultant at David Strom Inc.
How to hire your first public
relations professional
STL Product Camp
3/2020
David Strom @dstrom david@strom.com
http://Strominator.com
Slides available: http://slideshare.net/davidstrom
Why am I here?
• Long time IT B2B trade press freelancer
• Write dozens of articles per month for a variety of publications
• Have interacted with thousands of PR pros over the years
• Started numerous print and Web pubs along with two computer
networking books
Tips for how to hire your first public relations professional
Role of PR
professional
Find three things that
really matter about your
product
Find three reporters that
can best tell your story
Connect the dots
Role of the
product
manager
• Build something that is
NEEDED
• Mange/mediate
expectations from the nerds
and CxOs
• Build relationships with the
press
• Understand your brand
The pre-trade show PR dance
• Don’t “Chicago” (badger) the reporter: one email
is fine, don’t spray and pray
• Respond to reporter quickly and precisely
• Have the most technical person as your interview
candidate, not CMO
• Beware of cc:’ing your entire press list
• Forge IRL relationships
• Offer demos
Common
mistakes
• Over promise, under deliver
• Frequent delays on product
announcements
• Don’t have a go-to-market
strategy or can’t explain a
credible one
• Manage pre-show event PR
properly’
• Don’t wait for your first crisis –
hire ahead and have a plan
ready
• Don’t be like Facebook
Don’t be like Facebook
• Non-empowered CMO who can’t Get S[tuff]
Done
• Separate truth from fiction and intent
• Don’t have your CEO do apology tours of world
capitals
• Embrace journalists who want to cover your
company
• Know how you use private/customer data and
keep it private
Warning signs
you made the
wrong PR hire
Pitching the press
Tips for how to hire your first public relations professional
Tips for how to hire your first public relations professional
For further help
• Eric Schwartzman’s On The Record podcast
• My podcast with Paul Gillin about B2B marketing
• Jason Calacanis: Fire your PR company and DIY. -- he suggests you “be
amazing, be everywhere, be real and true to your brand.”
Where you can find me
david@strom.com
Strominator.com (for clips and blog posts)
Twitter: @dstrom
LinkedIn.com/in/davidstrom
314 277 7832 if you must
Slideshare.net/davidstrom (for this deck)
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Tips for how to hire your first public relations professional

  • 1. How to hire your first public relations professional STL Product Camp 3/2020 David Strom @dstrom david@strom.com http://Strominator.com Slides available: http://slideshare.net/davidstrom
  • 2. Why am I here? • Long time IT B2B trade press freelancer • Write dozens of articles per month for a variety of publications • Have interacted with thousands of PR pros over the years • Started numerous print and Web pubs along with two computer networking books
  • 4. Role of PR professional Find three things that really matter about your product Find three reporters that can best tell your story Connect the dots
  • 5. Role of the product manager • Build something that is NEEDED • Mange/mediate expectations from the nerds and CxOs • Build relationships with the press • Understand your brand
  • 6. The pre-trade show PR dance • Don’t “Chicago” (badger) the reporter: one email is fine, don’t spray and pray • Respond to reporter quickly and precisely • Have the most technical person as your interview candidate, not CMO • Beware of cc:’ing your entire press list • Forge IRL relationships • Offer demos
  • 7. Common mistakes • Over promise, under deliver • Frequent delays on product announcements • Don’t have a go-to-market strategy or can’t explain a credible one • Manage pre-show event PR properly’ • Don’t wait for your first crisis – hire ahead and have a plan ready • Don’t be like Facebook
  • 8. Don’t be like Facebook • Non-empowered CMO who can’t Get S[tuff] Done • Separate truth from fiction and intent • Don’t have your CEO do apology tours of world capitals • Embrace journalists who want to cover your company • Know how you use private/customer data and keep it private
  • 9. Warning signs you made the wrong PR hire
  • 13. For further help • Eric Schwartzman’s On The Record podcast • My podcast with Paul Gillin about B2B marketing • Jason Calacanis: Fire your PR company and DIY. -- he suggests you “be amazing, be everywhere, be real and true to your brand.”
  • 14. Where you can find me david@strom.com Strominator.com (for clips and blog posts) Twitter: @dstrom LinkedIn.com/in/davidstrom 314 277 7832 if you must Slideshare.net/davidstrom (for this deck)

Editor's Notes

  1. 2/16 revisions
  2. See FIR B2B podcast #117
  3. You may think you can do PR on your own, but you are the worst choice for the job.
  4. https://krebsonsecurity.com/2019/03/facebook-stored-hundreds-of-millions-of-user-passwords-in-plain-text-for-years/
  5. Principal face time drops to zero after contract signing Staffers have no real work experience Social media is still news to them
  6. Short is sweet, but include all basic info including price Mention competitors – avoid “the first in the field” when you aren’t Use metaphors – they are like Wikipedia candy for me Cite the reporter’s clips And in a way that shows you actually read the clip Include sample Tweets to be shared No re-pitches Never call a reporter. Ever.
  7. No health benefits from joining a gym – follow your customers and understand what they are doing with your product https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/visual-storytelling-examples
  8. https://twitter.com/notrueindian/status/1227172778366779393
  9. Jason suggests picking up the check when you take a reporter to lunch, and if you aren’t an extrovert, learn how to be one . He also talks about others who have succeeded in garnering positive press for little dough.