The Art Of Inbound PR
October 28, 2011 
Author 
In 
As both a blogger and digital marketing professional I sit on both sides of the fence when it comes to PR. One example of this?
Companies send me pitches and try to encourage me to talk about their brand. Concurrently, I help brands create strategies to connect with audiences (although we don’t “pitch” the way most reporters are pitched) from media to the web at large.
I’d highly recommend that any marketing and PR pro put themselves in the same position, as you’ll gain invaluable perspective from both sides of the table. Going through the process is powerful.
Sure, one of the simple and tactically useful things you’ll learn by becoming media is how to pitch, because if you’re even a little successful you’ll start to be pitched yourself. And there’s no better way to learn what works than being on the receiving end of a bad pitch.
This is a deceptively simple skill, in that you’d think everyone would have it down by now. That’s of course not the case: as any media professional will tell you the amount of bad pitches they receive far outweighs the good ones. It’s why strong media relations is an extremely valuable skill to have, it is (shockingly) still not widely distributed.
But what is even more important than learning how to pitch is by becoming media you’ll go through the same information discovery process modern media go through to craft stories. You’ll use search engines and learn the advanced operators (as well as how to effectively monitor your category on the web). You’ll use social channels to ping your networks for quotes, opinions and information. You’ll come across story ideas through pure serendipity of using stream-based platforms. You’ll build a community from scratch.
Through this, you’ll start to gain a clearer perspective of how ideas spread online. And only then can you understand the art of inbound PR (or pull PR, as we’ve called it before).
Not to completely discount media relations, but I think for the sophisticated brand an inbound approach – where media, users and other companies react to your brand’s content, ideas and leadership in an unsolicited fashion, or find and then pitch you on a story – is a far more strategic play. I’ve implemented enough programs and seen success replicated enough times I’ve become sold that inbound success is what you should aspire to.
It requires analytical and research skills, deep domain expertise and a commitment to succeed, in essence weeding out those with less passion. You have to consistently show up. You take risks and experiment. You basically need to to iterate your ideas forever. And that’s a huge reason it’s so effective: so few actually commit to the notion of becoming media themselves (a requisite of inbound).
The longer I’ve concurrently been a publisher and online marketing / PR practitioner, the more I view an inbound program as the most elegant approach to communications you can take. You gain an executive perspective on content, are in a position to flesh out narratives over the long term, make data-driven decisions and approach communications as an equity-building activity vs. a reactive approach which always relies on other people’s platforms to gain a fleeting voice.
Let’s not kill outbound PR, but let’s use it as a tactic within a larger strategic framework which focuses on building a community through your own unique brand of media.
What do you think?
image credit: Shutterstock
Jonathan JDOGG Lederman replied | Oct 28, 2011 (1 comment)
I like the idea of becoming the person being pitched to. I would like to connect so we can help eachother.
Maureen McFadden replied | Oct 28, 2011 (3 comments)
Absolutely agree on this Adam. When I was on staff @ Hollywood Reporter I learned more about how to and how NOT to pitch. I was pitched by the best and the worst and those lessons have stayed with me. Often compared this experience to being a buyer of news, the consumer… while those who pitch are the sales person, the provider. Happy Halloween !
Sarah Lemelin replied | Oct 28, 2011 (3 comments)
I love how you mention that pitching is a “deceptively simple skill.” It really comes down to a few simple steps that should be followed time and time again. I go over these steps and a few other tips in our most recent blog: A Starter’s Guide to Public Relations. I would love to hear your thoughts. http://news.iceworldwide.com/articles/1242728/a-starters-guide-to-public-relations/
Samantha replied | Nov 1, 2011 (15 comments)
Great post! It is disheartening though how few PR pro’s and bloggers use the tactics described. As one of the few who works at building a relationship and only sending highly relevant pitches, I often hear how refreshing it is. Honestly, learning to put yourself in the shoes of those you are targeting is a highly useful skill. Even in times when I am marketing or even selling, being able to think that your prospects gives you a completely different perspective and an added advantage, yet so few do this!
Sami Katzenberg replied | Nov 2, 2011 (9 comments)
Valuable advice for people getting started in the PR world. Too often we are so focused on our own goals that we forget to look at the other side of things. Pitching is an art and it’s important to consider every aspect before sending off your ideas. This is an important lesson for every job. To get what you want, you have to think about what the person on the receiving end wants to hear. PR in everyday life!
Jessica Bjorgaard replied | Nov 5, 2011 (3 comments)
I can see how this is a great way to get insight into the other side of the media world, but don’t you think it is a give and take? Surely, it is a great experience to have people come to you to pitch ideas for your company’s website, or other publication medium, but if the writing and research all come from the source, where is the credibility. The third-party endorsement. We need others to write about and endorse us, our clients and our services to demonstrate that we’re not “full of it.”