Follow-Up Calls
Has any of you made follow up calls to the media? Did you enjoy it? Let’s exchange some ideas then.
Frankly speaking, I don’t like the idea of calling up people. I always prefer texting or emailing people which I know it would not be effective in following up the media. But I was asked to do follow up calls on the fifth day of my internship after faxing media releases on the previous day.
It was my first time to do follow up calls and I made more than 30 phone calls to media outlets around Perth. At first I could imagine I might be interrupting the busy journalists. I had no idea how to do follow up calls even though I might have learned it in PR 250 (I can’t remember it though). The only question I could come up with was whether or not they had received our media release.
Mix responses were received. One local newspaper said that they would publish the article but were not sure when it would be published. Some responded that they wanted stories with a local angle.
Most phone calls to local paper were received by the receptionist, and some of them offered to ring me back since the reporters were busy at that time. Those phone calls that were received by the editor or reporters are quite a few.
I learned that I got to be quick when I talked with the journalist. Some of them might just politely hang up the phone even though I haven’t finished asking them. Those unexpected responses made me think if there is any guideline to make a follow up call. I usually introduced my name and the organisation, asked if they had received the media release and what they thought about it. Lastly I asked if they needed more detailed information or photos.
I am not sure if that’s the right thing to make a follow up call.
I guess following up calls wouldn’t be easy at first, but it does require practises. As for me, I don’t want to follow up for the sake of following up. I hope I can build a good relationship with the journalists through those phone calls.
In the next hour on that day, I was busy checking some blogs and trying to get practical insight into following up media release. I came across a useful website and gained some tips from it.
I haven’t been asked again to do follow up calls since then. But I am more prepared now to do so. Some practical tips from me
1. Know well your target media and the journalist
Knowing your target media helps you understand their expectation. It is easier to pitch your story when you understand their expectation of a news story.
2. Prepare script to pitch your story
Preparing a short script is useful. Anticipating any kind of responses you might get would make you more prepared to reply back quickly.
3. Be patient, you’re working with the busy journalists
Last but not least, be patient! You might find them rude, but remember they might be on deadline. If they can’t find valuable story in your media release, they can’t be bothered discussing any further.
Annice
11 comments:
Hi Annice,
I've been through the same process at a previous job. I find it uncomfortable making phone calls because it feels like everyone in the office is listening to what you say and how you say it.
I think as you become more confident in your workplace and get more experience following-up media releases you'll find the task less daunting.
I think your tips are valuable and it is important to ensure you are contacting the right person. I found it useful to call the media outlet before I sent media releases to identify the appropriate person to speak to (this is also useful for developing a database of media contacts) and then find out if it was a story they were interested in. That way you begin to build a relationship (with the right person) and can follow-up to see if they require more information or photographs once you know they are keen to run the story. I found you can better tailor the release to the publication that way and you have more success getting media releases printed.
Good luck with the rest of your prac and future follow-up calls!
Marie-Claire
I’m totally with you guys on this. Follow up calls are the worst! My placement has had me making them as well.
My strategy, as lame as it may sound, is to find some quiet corner or unused office to make the calls. If noone is listening it immediately takes half the pressure off. I always have a set of questions prepared just in case the conversation falls flat on its face, and find that if you’re super friendly, it’s rare that whoever you’re speaking to won’t reciprocate.
But still, it’s not the most fun task to be assigned…
Follow up calls can be a daunting process. I think the tips you found where spot on. It does help having a script to follow. Its easy to be put off when the person on the other end is not the most polite person, or even getting answering machines.
When I'm making calls and follow up calls I try and have a little script in my head before I begin, or note down a few dot points of the main things I need to ask or get across. That way if someone says something that puts you off you don't forget what you need to say.
I'm sure alot of people are going to write this to you but I agree as well!
I was not assigned the task of following up but I had to update the media contact list at Princess Margaret Hospital. Which meant I had an excel sheet filled with news organizations, journalists and editors or chiefs of staff, which I had to individualy call and find out if they were still working there, whether their numbers and emails were still current and what their new ones were if they weren't.
Again, I agree completely with what everyone so far has said; its so awquard and unnerving to do. I wish I'd had those hints and tips when I first had to do it.
The PR department at PMH is tiny and consists of 3 officers sitting in a small space so it felt like everyone was listening to me making those phone calls, and there were many to make!
I'm so glad I wasn't the only one who was a nervous wreck at being placed on the spot like that.
I just put on a professional voice and after a few phone calls it started to get less nerve racking, most of the calls were answered by receptionists which made it easier, but sometimes harder cause some weren't too friendly especially when I lost my way down the list and called them a second time only to be told impatiently that I had already called or found out that some community papers were all under the same company.
On the up side though, I did manage to familiarise myself with many of the Australian news organisations and got to keep a copy of names of journalists and editors that may benefit me in the future.
Hi Annice,
Dana's comment was completely spot on!
I would bring my handphone out of the office to start calling because the first try is always so awkward!
My strategy is to also start with some friendly journalists too so that they act as a 'warm up' for me. I always save what we term as 'first-tier' journalists for last, once my voice and thoughts have been through a run.
Have also realised one thing - it actually helps to speak a bit louder. You'll sound more authoritative which will in turn make you sound more knowledgeable.
Yvette
Wow, I didn’t expect this entry would get so many replies. It seems like most of us faced same problems with follow up calls. Thanks all for the insight.
I had to do another follow up calls the other day. But this time round I have done it much better than before. I finally got 2 local papers that wanted to run our stories and asked for the photo opportunities. I think it’s simply because I tried to pitch the story that might interest them.
I could not agree more with Marie-Claire. Obviously we have to identify the right journalist or editor before we ring them up. I think another thing we can do before making a call is to check their next publication or deadline (if it is available on website). This might be useful especially for community newspapers which are published weekly or even monthly. I was once assigned to write a media release on an event that was going to be held in a few days time, and I found out that there was no chance the media release was going to be published since the next publication was after the event.
I thought I was the only one feeling uncomfortable when people were surrounding me and perhaps listening to how I do the follow up calls. I don’t use my mobile phone to call but I use the organisation’s phone, which left me no choice but to stay inside the office and do the follow up calls =)
Hi Annice,
I have somewhat the same experience that you have experienced. Last month, I was required to draft around 30 releases with each targeting a local community newspaper. The bad thing was, I was only given 2 weeks time to finish (and the fact that I only work once a week).
As my releases were targeting local comm. Newspaper, all my releases had to be localised. It shows that though these media outlets are always desperate for news, it does not mean that they will accept anything given. If the news is not newsworthy, no one will publish it.
I had the same feeling as you about doing follow up calls. Some of the most common answers that I got back were “It depends” or “We’ll see”. I think this is how media outlet works. As they are accepting a number of press releases daily, it is always hard for them to decide which should be published. But one of the best ways, in my opinion, was to always ask ‘what we could do more for you (Journalist) to have the news published’.
Anyway, maybe you could try that..have fun with your internship
Hin
Hi Hin,
Thanks for your comment.
Wow, 30 media releases in 2 weeks? that's a lot.
My organisation, on the other hand, created one media release targeted to all local newspapers and major newspaper like the West and Sunday Times. But I find it very ineffective. I prefer to write a few media releases to different targets.
Hi Annice,
I agree with you on follow up calls. On the case where media releases are involved,it is definitely insufficient to just send the media releases, follow up calls are important to make sure your targeted media knows what they're reading. Because at some times, you can make a mistake by contacting the wrong person in the media and there goes the media releases in the bin. I experienced it once when I was doing my internship, it's definitely a negative feedback on me.
Regards,
Dina Junaidi
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