Tag Archives: writing

The best of Beyond PR in 2011

Posted on December 29, 2011 by | 2 Comments

The top Beyond PR blog posts of 2011 represent a mix of topics, ranging from social media trends to writing tactics.   In retrospect, many of the conversations I have with our clients focus on the questions “How can I get better results?” and “How can I add social media tactics to my PR toolbox?”  These five posts answer those key questions, and (in descending order) they were the most widely read posts this year.

5. Storytelling Rules & Writing Better Press Releases

4. Tips for Creating & Using Infographics

3.  Multimedia Drives Better Press Release Results

2.  Using Facebook for Public Relations

1. Twitter, Social Media & PR: Stats & Tactics

Author Sarah Skerik is PR Newswire’s vice president of social media, and is the author of the free ebook Unlocking Social Media for PR.

Image courtesy of Flickr user terren in Virginia.

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Making it on Mashable – Calling Guest Writers with Great Ideas

Posted on October 4, 2011 by | 3 Comments

Voted one of the top ten blogs by Businessweek, Mashable has become the media darling – the top source for news and digital media.  According to CEO Pete Cashmore, who was quoted in the New York Times this week, the site had 17 million unique visitors in September.

That’s no surprise to San Francisco Bureau Chief Chris Taylor, who thought they might have been on track to top 20 million when he spoke to an audience just last week.  Taylor was part of a news roundtable hosted by Graffiti PR.  He joined  Aaron Pero, News Director for KRON 4 TV and Theresa Rodriguez, founder of sites TangoDiva.com and Jetset Extra to offer up thoughts and impressions “behind the news and stories”.

Mashable measures its own content’s success in part through the same channels it covers – social media.  A story has to have at least 1,000 shares on sites like Facebook, Twitter and Stumbleupon as a baseline benchmark for being a good read according to Taylor.   He says about a third of Mashable’s traffic comes from Facebook and Twitter, another third from Google, and a third from direct visitors to the site.

Whether it’s a story about artificial intelligence coming to the iPhone — or digital platforms poised to change the conversation in election year 2012, Mashable is on top of the trends.  And Taylor gets pitched — a lot.

“I receive an insane volume of pitches,” he revealed; even more than when he was Bureau Chief for Time Magazine.   He claims a ‘pitch a minute’ is no exaggeration.

Mashable is a 24-hour shop run by about 55 employees, and the door is open to guest writers.  Taylor says it’s not just for well-known names — they cast the net far and wide.  The bottom line is the ability to write concise and short.  If you can keep your copy to under 800 words, all the better, says Taylor.   He offered up this insight to budding Mashable contributors after the San Francisco forum:

Submissions can be sent to Josh Catone at joshcatone@mashable.com.  Pitches can be sent to news@mashable.com

Diane Harrigan Account Manager, PR Newswire SF and author of the video blog PostcardsFromSF.

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ProfNet Connect Blog Roundup: Social Media for Writers & Journalists, Classroom of the Future, National Costume Sweep Day

Posted on September 13, 2011 by | Leave a comment

ProfNet Connect, our free online community for journalists, bloggers, PR pros, experts and communicators of all stripes, features blog section where members can write and post as their hearts desire.  The site is chockablock with interesting people and content.  Here are some of the most popular posts from last week. Enjoy!

Upcoming #ConnectChat: Social Media for Writers and Journalists
Maria Perez, director of news operations at ProfNet will host our next #ConnectChat which will take place Tuesday, Sept. 13., and will focus on social media for writers and journalists. Join us as award-winning investigative reporter Dave Copeland explores how writers can use social media to develop story ideas, report more effectively, and promote their work to a wide cross-section of readers.
@profnet

Dear Gracie: How to Stand Out on a Panel
Each week, Dear Gracie (ProfNet editor Grace Lavigne) answers questions from ProfNet Connect readers with advice from our network of more than 44,000 ProfNet experts. This week she answers the question, “I’ve been invited to speak on a panel at a conference. It will be recorded and later shown on TV and to other industry professionals. Any tips for how to rock on a panel?”
@GNightGracie

Who Says This is the Classroom of the Future?
Alvaro Fernandez, CEO and co-founder of SharpBrains.com addresses the question, “What if we questioned the very premise behind naming some classrooms the “classrooms of the future” simply because they have been adding technology in literally mindless ways?
@AlvaroF

2nd annual National Costume Swap Day generates huge interest
Last year’s inaugural National Costume Swap Day was an incredible success with 77 swaps in 23 states and Canada and thousands of people saving money and avoiding throwing costumes into landfills. Lynn Colwell of The Green Year, LLC tells us about this fun and green way to celeberate Halloween!
@CelebrateGreen

Should journalists be licensed?
Should journalists be licensed? Should they have some sort of certification indicating that they’re legitimate and trained professionals? A recent article from GigaOm made ProfNet Connect’s community editor Evelyn Tipacti wonder if this is something that should be considered similar to what is done in other professions.
@editorev

Stay abreast of conversations, trends and opportunities by joining us on ProfNet Connect, a free online community for journalists, bloggers and communications professionals to meet, connect and share their expertise.   Creating a profile on ProfNet connect adds a search-engine friendly element to your digital resume, bolsters your online reputation and enables you to showcase your expertise to media and bloggers.   Did we already mention that membership is free?  http://profnetconnect.com

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Writing Lessons Learned From Social Media

Posted on August 29, 2011 by | 8 Comments

Like a good PR or elevator pitch, an effective tweet, Facebook status update or Google+ post is compelling, finely-crafted, tightly-edited and impossible to ignore.   Social networks are a great place to test messages and hone your writing to the sharpest of points.

I started to think about the relationship between the improvements in my writing – most noticeably, in my new found abilities to edit myself and tighten the screws on my own phrasing – and the corresponding growth and engagement of my audiences in social networks.   Simply put, if you pay attention to what you write, you’ll quickly learn what works – and what doesn’t – with your audience.   And there’s more to that equation than simply subject matter.  The structure of your missives – along with the language you select, will dictate the outcome.

Facebook:  Be interesting, and pithy

Among the friends and family I interact with on Facebook, descriptive posts that are slightly off-beat generate the most interest.   When I gabbled nonsensically on Facebook when our house was robbed recently, my rambling message received zero (!) responses.   Are my friends and family heartless?  No.  But like any other group, boring messages generate zero traction.

On PR Newswire’s Facebook page, the vibe is a little different.  The crowd there appreciates the content we curate for them, but before they will follow the links we suggest, they need to be sold on why doing so is worth their time.  I always take the time to give my take on why a link I’m suggesting to them is interesting or useful.   That said, brevity is important here, as well.   A rambling paragraph simply doesn’t work.

Twitter: Edit mercilessly. Less is definitely more.

On Twitter, my followers respond to short, crisp tweets.  Seventy characters or less seems to be the sweet spot, and those fifty characters have to sum up the value of the link I’m suggesting. When writing tweets, I challenge myself trim and tighten my messages, distilling the tweets as much as I can.  Here’s a look the most popular tweets (in terms of the number of time the link I attached was clicked) I’ve sent this summer.  As you can see, all are well under the 140 character/space limit:

  • With a single tweet, Lance Armstrong’s PR machine blunts ‘60 Minutes’ segment. (79 characters/spaces)  
  • Google shelves real-time, and my take on what it means for #PR (63 characters/spaces)
  • Fewer than a dozen companies rely on the web to meet disclosure. Here’s why: (77 characters/spaces)
  • Sharable content is the SEO king. (36 characters/spaces)
  • SEO is really public relations. (32 characters/spaces)

I’ve also found it’s helpful to allude to your own take on something you’re sharing, and that it’s entirely possible to do so with one word, or even simple punctuation.  Appending a word such as “Really?” is an easy way to convey skepticism or an element of personal disbelief.  Adding a simple exclamation point in brackets (!) mid-phrase is a brief way to express your surprise.

LinkedIn:  Give the people what they want, and be transparent

LinkedIn offers all sorts of opportunities for brands.  Some of the most valuable, in my experience representing PR Newswire, are found in the Answers and Groups sections, in which members pose and answer questions, and discuss industry issues.

It should go without saying that these discussions are not the place for the hard sell.  However, that doesn’t mean that someone representing a brand can’t interact with others while also positively promoting the brand.  The key is simple – give the people what they want, which most of the time is a straight answer.

I’ve found that directly answering a question – and being up front at the beginning that I work for PR Newswire – can be a great way to share information, start a dialogue, and even win business.    Often, company insiders are in the position to share unique insight or details about a service or industry that others following the conversation appreciate.  However, one must be careful to give the people what they want.  Listen to their questions, and give straight answers.  It’s about them, not you.

Applying the lessons learned:

I know my writing skills have improved since I became active on social networks and started tracking the results of our efforts in social networks on behalf of the PR Newswire brand.  In particular, I’ve noticed:

  • The language used in a post/tweet/update plays an important role in attracting audience attention (and response.)
  • The lessons in brevity, editing and interest learned in crafting effective social posts also translate to headline writing.
  • Relentless editing is an absolute requirement for effective writing. I’m now a merciless editor, with decreasing patience for extraneous language and superfluous ideas.
  • Format content for the wired reader: make it easy to scan and share. I make use of bullets and sub-heads to make content easy for readers to scan, and to highlight phrases that are easy to tweet.  Case in point: the phrase that started this bullet point is 71 characters, and would make a great tweet.  In fact, I think I’ll use it to promote this blog post later.
  • The more time you spend in social networks and the longer you observe what sort of content sparks conversation, the more finely tuned your own story-radar becomes.  It’s easier for me to spot interesting angles for blog posts and press releases now that I’ve spent so much time immersed in networks with my PR peers.

From a professional standpoint, involvement in social networks offers a bevy of opportunities, beyond improving one’s writing.   You can test messages and campaign concepts, floating messaging to your social audiences, and observing which reverberate, and which fall flat.   By listening to social conversations, you can start to zero in on not just the topics of interest to the group, but the very words that are more likely to attract and hold attention.   I would even argue that you can increase the stickiness and uptake of the messages you craft, as you start to spot – and highlight – tweetable ideas or concepts within the content you produce.

What have you learned from your experiences communicating in social networks?

Sarah Skerik is PR Newswire’s vice president of social media.

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Building Enthusiasm & SEO: A Worthy (and Measurable) Outcome for PR

Posted on August 16, 2011 by | 2 Comments

The hobbyist blog "Robbie's Kitchen" trumps big brands in search engine results.

Increasing buzz and positive sentiment around a product, concept or idea is nothing new to the field of public relations – at its core; PR is all about influencing opinions one way or another.  In today’s digital age, we’re able to more strongly tie influence to outcomes.  In the past, clip books measured the degree to which messages saturated media.  Sentiment analysis and the volumes of conversation in online channels take it a step further, indicating whether or not conversations with the desired tone are on the rise (or, conversely, dropping, depending upon the desired outcome.)  And we can take things a step further, by focusing on building and harnessing authentic enthusiasm.

From a search engine and social media standpoint, it feels to me that we’re finally coming full circle with respect to the power of user generated content and the interconnectedness of social networks.  In other words, building (and linking to) enthusiast content, and connecting that content with key audiences is fast becoming a very good idea.

There are a few reasons why this is the case, and I’ll start with search engines.  I’ve been musing on a series of blog posts appearing on SEOmoz earlier this month.  If you’re a frequent Googler, you’ve probably noticed the results you see “feel” different lately, as the big engine continues to tweak its algorithms. I’m not expert enough to quantify what I perceived as different on the SERPs (search engine results pages) my searches generate, but the folks over at SEOmoz are.    A recent blog post titled “A Theory About Google: Authenticity and Passion as Ranking Signals,” nailed it.

In the post, author and SEOmoz chief Rand Fishkin noted he’s “…been getting the sense that there’s something new in Google’s algorithm – a metric or set of metrics that looks for some form of authenticity in a site and passion in the content created on a page.”  Common traits of the sites he’s spotted in high in the SERPs that don’t seem to fit the profile of a traditionally optimized web site include:

  • The web site is often a small, personal or niche website and is a lengthier article or piece of prose, usually rich with images and well-formatted
  • There’s almost always a sense that the piece is less commercial and more personal than other results, particularly in commerce-focused queries
  • The result feels like it has no SEO whatsoever, often not even a focus on keyword targeting or on-page work. It almost seems to rank in spite of itself, or the lack of knowledge the author/creator has about the rankings process
  • It’s almost always interesting and enjoyable; like stumbling across a great independent shop in the midst of a big-brand retail district (emphasis mine.)

So, to boil this down, Fishkin is saying that Google is somehow managing to show honest and enthusiastic content that doesn’t tick the boxes on the usual criteria for high rank in search results.

This is good news for anyone who creates content, including public relations.

All around us are people who love, geek out on and are passionate about the topics our brands and organizations are promoting – even the most seemingly mundane.

To experiment, I searched a number of mundane terms that I don’t believe I’ve ever used.  I upped the ante by using my work, rather than home, computer, because I don’t do much non-work-related searching on that machine (important, because Google personalizes search results.) I also logged myself out of Google.

  • Search query:  “laundry tips stains”
  • Result: A link to “Robbie’s Kitchen,” a hobbyist blog, was ranked #4.
  • Search query: “vegan tips”
  • Result: The VeganHacker blog was number 6 in the results.
  • Search query: “hiring a CIO”
  • Result: A link to tech enthusiasts Scott Burkett’s blog was number 5 on the SERP.

These blogs all had strong competition from big brands and publishers. Yet all had managed to land “above the fold” placement in search results, ahead of some of the big names.   In my mind, this underscores the absolute requirement for brands to develop authentic voices – both in social networks, and in the content they produce.   All shared the characteristics Fishkin noted.

Ultimately, good content is appreciated by your audiences – it’s eagerly consumed and readily shared – facts which don’t go unnoticed by search engines.   And search engine rank – and the resulting qualified site traffic – are very measurable.

So, from a PR standpoint – and, let’s face it, from my standpoint as the person who’s coordinating a lot of public facing content for my own brand’s social presences – here’s what I’ve taken away as my imperatives:

  •  Enthusiasm is a key content requirement.
  • Redouble efforts to find the enthusiasts within my own company.  Good content needs a heavy dose of true love.
  • Continue to find and connect with passionate people outside the company.   Curating their content – along with my brand’s – and sharing that information with my audience provides value and creates goodwill.
  • Edit for interest.  This will be harder, because anyone who’s edited “corporate” messaging knows it can be horrifically dull and stilted.  I’m hereby holding my red pen to my heart and swearing I won’t approve boring stuff.

What tips would you add for amping up the enthusiasm factor in the content surrounding your brand?

Sarah Skerik is PR Newswire’s vice president of social media.

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Seven Tips for Better Writing

Posted on July 13, 2011 by | 10 Comments

Good writing is not just about substance – style is often just as important. You might be the most expert of all experts, but nothing will undermine your credibility more than an email/business plan/blog post riddled with errors and typos.

To put your best foot forward and get readers to focus on the substance of your communications, follow these simple tips for improving your writing:

Pick a style, any style. It doesn’t matter if it’s the AP Stylebook, Chicago Manual of Style or The Elements of Style, pick a style and be consistent with it. I promise it will help your writing.

Write Like You Talk. Or, in the words of Paula Abdul, make it your own. After you’re finished writing the article, press release, blog post – whatever – read it out loud. If it sounds stilted, make changes.

Less is More. If you can say something in 10 words instead of 20, do it. That is all.

Use short paragraphs. James Patterson once said his use of short chapters is one of the reasons his books are so successful. You can apply this to your writing with short paragraphs. Long paragraphs make readers think they don’t have enough time to read the entire post.

Use bullet points. For the same reason you should write in short paragraphs – posts with long paragraphs could be daunting for many readers – you should consider using bullet points whenever possible. Not only will it make it easier for you to write (especially if you’re writing for an online outlet, which often means multiple posts each day), but it’s also easier on the reader.

Spllchek. If you wnt pepole to take you serriusly, run a spellchek on whatevr documint you write, wethur a private email or sumthing for publik consumpshion.

Check, and double-check, your facts. If you say your company is the only one making thingamajigs, make sure it’s true – especially because things can go viral so quickly nowadays.

Do you agree/disagree with these tips? Any you would add?

Written by Maria Perez, director of news operations for ProfNet, a service that helps journalists connect with expert sources. To read more from Maria, visit her blog on ProfNet Connect at http://www.profnetconnect.com/profnetmaria/blog/

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Blog World New York Video Recap: TnT TV Episode 2

Posted on June 2, 2011 by | Leave a comment

In their Day 2 recap of Blog World New York, the Toms – Tom Miale and Thomas Hynes – discuss best practices for PR professionals dealing with bloggers, when it’s ok to pitch someone, tips for effective writing, traditional media vs. new media, blog platforms of tomorrow as well as the advent of social commerce.

Stay tuned for more TnT TV from the Toms, reporting live from Blog World New York!

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White Papers: What You Need to Know

Posted on May 17, 2011 by | 1 Comment

White papers are a form of corporate writing that falls somewhere between journalistic articles and marketing materials. At the recent American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA) annual conference in New York, three professional white-paper writers discussed the ins and outs of writing white papers, including what they are, what writers should be asking before taking the assignment, and tips for writing them.

Speakers:

  • Susan B. Weiner, CFA, writes and edits articles, white papers, investment commentary, Web pages, and other communications for leading investment and wealth management firms. Her credits include AdvisorPerspectives.com, Bottom Line/Personal, CFA Magazine, Financial Planning, Journal of Financial Planning and Louis Rukeyser’s Mutual Funds.
  • Randy B. Hecht is a bilingual (English/Spanish) reporter and editorial consultant whose clients include print and online media, corporations, NGOs and foundations in the U.S., Latin America, Europe, Africa and Asia. “Unconquered,” her book about contemporary indigenous people in Latin America, will be published in 2012. Her portfolio also includes magazine articles, multilingual Web portals, blog posts, annual reports, public policy studies and white papers.
  • Pamela Oldham is a 25-year veteran and award-winning marketing communications writer and reader advocate who has written dozens of white papers for Fortune 500 companies, leading nonprofits and government agencies. She specializes in translating technical and highly complex concepts into terms easily understood by non-technical audiences. Her marketing communications clients have included Verizon, Spring/Nextel, Merkle, AT&T, CognitiveDATA, US Navy, the EPA and many others. Her business, marketing and consumer credits include The Washington Post, Family Circle, Deliver Magazine, Direct Marketing News, MSN.com and others.

Following are highlights from the presentation.

WHITE PAPERS DEFINED

According to Oldham, white papers are the most frequently downloaded media type, the most utilized to evaluate new technology, and the most effective in delivering return on investment.

White papers are an attractive market for writers because they pay well, said Weiner. And because they are used by a variety of organizations — companies, nonprofits, government agencies, think tanks — there are a wide range of prospects.

There are three characteristics of a white paper:

  • Provides unbiased information and analysis
  • Presents a problem and a solution
  • Proposes and argues in favor of a solution to the problem, based on sound research.

The standard format is:

  • Opening summary
  • Introduction
  • Explanation of the problem
  • Suggested solution
  • Closing summary
  • Signature (author’s bio, company profile)
  • Contact information

White papers are typically 7-10 pages long (including graphics, so about 5 pages of text). Highly technical papers can be as long as 20 pages.

There are often several individuals involved in the white-paper process, including a project manager, subject-matter experts, the writer, an editor and proofreader, and an illustrator or designer.

Keep in mind that you will not get a byline on a white paper, as you are ghostwriting for the organization.

WRITING WHITE PAPERS

Before beginning the writing process, make sure to define the assignment. What is the objective? What is the topic? Who is the target reader? What is the problem that will be addressed? What is the proposed solution? Is there any primary research on the topic?

Oldham suggests compiling a statement of work (SOW) to help with the logistics of the project and avoid any misunderstandings on the scope of the project. Define what is expected:

  • How many pages, words
  • How many revisions, rounds of editing
  • How many interviews to be conducted
  • How many sidebars, call-outs, and where will they appear
  • Who will create graphics
  • Deadline (typical time frame is 30-45 days, minimum)

Once you’re ready to write the paper, you’ll want to follow these nine steps:

  • Assess needs
  • Have a kickoff meeting
  • Acquire information
  • Write
  • Integrate content and layout
  • Organize content
  • Illustrate
  • Review, revise and approve
  • Publish

WRITING TIPS

Oldham shared the following tips for writing white papers:

  • Write clearly and concisely. Avoid jargon, buzzwords and other “insider” language.
  • Write in the third person and mirror the client’s voice and personality. Make sure the white paper makes a compelling case for the reader. “Be a reader advocate!”
  • Address readers with the least knowledge about the subject. Use visuals (call-outs, sidebars) to keep readers interested.
  • Use good journalistic practices, including taking the steps necessary to fact-check your sources.
  • Stick with the facts and real-life examples. Avoid including opinions or editorializing, and resist attempts to include unsubstantiated claims. When possible, cite third-party information, which can bolster your credibility and demonstrates depth of knowledge.
  • If factual descriptions of a client’s products/services are included as part of the solution, present them in the last third of the white paper, to enhance credibility and keep the reader with you.
  • Resist the urge to write in a promotional voice. You want to convey information, not sales pitch.
  • Practice the craft of writing white papers, and stay up-to-date on techniques. Read other white papers.

MARKETING YOURSELF

If you are not already an experience white-paper writer, you will need to sell yourself as a writer in this specialized area.

Not all organizations will require previous experience writing white papers. Some will accept reports you’ve written or other writing assignments that required investigating a topic or helping readers understand a difficult topic.

Figure out what your best niche is and target those topics and industries in which you have high-level expertise, said Hecht. “Don’t position yourself as a writer who can cover any topic; generalists are a poor fit for white papers.”

Target those sectors that are most aligned with your area(s) of expertise. Market out to existing clients in those sectors, including agencies and custom publishers. Look beyond corporate clients to government agencies, NGOs, research institutes, hospitals, professional associations, etc.

Don’t be afraid to use your connections, advised Hecht. If you already have corporate clients, think of some areas for a white paper and see if they would benefit from it. When talking to editors, ask them if they have a corporate group you can contact to see if they have a need for white papers. If you write in a certain industry, contact a professional association in that industry.

You can also work through a marketing firm or PR agency that corporations contract for white papers.

It’s also important to network with people in the industry for which you want to write white papers. “Don’t just network with other writers,” said Hecht. “Get known as someone who knows the industry.”

Writer Maria Perez is director of news operations for ProfNet, a service that helps journalists connect with expert sources. To read more from Maria, including recaps from other ASJA panels, visit her blog on ProfNet Connect at http://www.profnetconnect.com/profnetmaria/blog/

White papers are the cornerstone of many content strategies.  Distribution and display of the content you’ve produced are also important.  PR Newswire’s ARC platform is dynamic and couples distribution with display to create a powerful, engaging and flexible communications channel for any content strategy.

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Saying It Short: A ‘Less Is More’ Guide to Effective Writing

Posted on April 12, 2011 by | 2 Comments

There’s an old quote by Mark Twain that says, “I didn’t have time to write you a short letter, so I wrote you this long one instead.”

Anyone who has ever tried their hand at writing knows this can be true. Spilling your guts is easy. Being concise takes time. Recently, Helen Klein Ross took to the microphone at SXSW Interactive – briefly, of course – to extol the virtues of “saying it short” and remind the audience that when it comes to effective writing, less really is more.

These days, Ross is best known for her blog, Ad Broad, and she tweets under the handle of Betty Draper, the wife and mother from the hit show Mad Men … somehow with AMC’s permission. (Very cool, AMC!) But before all of that, Ross made her name in advertising. It was there that she realized “the less you say, the more likely people are to remember.”

For example, an effective billboard is said to have six words or fewer. In a commercial, that number swells to sixty. For Ross, the same is true in social media. “You can’t say 10 things and have people remember what you say.”

Ross says having a limit can actually help creativity. After spending 20-plus years working within the constraints of the advertising industry, 140 characters felt spacious to her. But even Ross points out that “just because you have 140 characters, doesn’t mean you have to use them all.”

Social media, she says, isn’t about writing a paragraph of information. “It’s not about telling it all,” Ross says. “It’s about telling it right.”

Ross also cautioned against writing and, more importantly, publishing too quickly. She suggested taking a moment before hitting send.

“Before you tweet, breathe,” she said. For as she reminded the SXSW audience, “getting something off the internet is about as easy as getting urine out of a pool.” An unfortunate visual, but an evocative and effective one nonetheless. Much like the whole of Ross’s talk.

Of course, there’s more to say on the topic. But we’ll wrap it up before we lose your attention.

Author Tom Hynes is PR Newswire’s manager of blogger relations.

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A Day in the Life of a Freelancer

Posted on April 6, 2011 by | 6 Comments

Have you ever wondered what a typical day is like for freelance writers? Or how they get their assignments from publications? Or what their writing process is like?

On Tuesday, March 29, ProfNet hosted a Twitter-based chat featuring freelancer Gina Roberts-Grey.

Roberts-Grey is a prolific writer, covering health, consumer issues and finance for a variety of print and online markets. She has written for Glamour, Parents, Better Homes & Gardens, Self, Woman’s Day, EverydayHealth.com, MSN.com, AARP The Magazine and more. She also specializes in celebrity profiles and has interviewed actors, politicians, singers, athletes, reality TV stars and other celebs.

As if that weren’t enough, she also chairs the annual ASJA conference, the largest freelance writers conference in the country.

PR Pitches

Most of Roberts-Grey’s articles, about 70 percent, are assigned to her by editors at publications for which she has previously written; the rest are from story ideas she pitches to editors.  Many of those ideas come from pitches she receives from PR professionals.

Roberts-Grey said she receives about 150 PR pitches per day. Many of those are deleted pretty quickly. “If it doesn’t grab me the right way,” she said. “It’s outta here.”

She prefers to receive pitches via email. “Phone is an interruption,” she said. However, she is open to receiving pitches via Twitter. “Twitter pitches would be very cool. It hasn’t happened yet, but I’d love that!”

To get her attention, include a “great, snappy, grabbing lead,” she said. “The subject line should tell me why I should open the e-mail. What is the pitch about? The ones that read like a headline from the Enquirer often aren’t opened.”

Also, keep it short. “Two paragraphs is a nice size,” she said, “enough to whet the appetite, and I can ask for more info if needed.”

Whenever possible, include links to statistics and professional quotes. “Links in pitches are helpful to dig deeper and see if I can use it in a piece.” If you have a PDF of a study or research paper, include that in your pitch, as well.

Once you’ve sent a pitch, don’t follow up via phone unless you know the writer doesn’t mind phone follow-ups. And if a writer says, “I don’t know when this will run,” leave it at that. Don’t contact the writer every week to see if the article has run yet. Set up a Google Alert for your expert’s name, and you’ll know when the article (and any article mentioning your expert) has been published.

Finding Sources

Roberts-Grey said her typical workday averages 12 to 14 hours, with much of that time devoted to finding and interviewing sources. “Finding the right source definitely speeds things up,” she said, “and having a great working relationship with them to go to again helps.”

Roberts-Grey often uses ProfNet to find sources for her articles. When responding to one of her queries, make sure the answer is on-topic and precise. “Tell me what you can do to make my article the best, why you are the best,” she suggested.

Once she finds the sources she needs for an article, Roberts-Grey prefers to do as much of the interviewing as possible by email to help maximize her time. During the interview, get right to the point and answer questions as specifically as possible. She will follow-up by phone if she has any unanswered questions.

Building Relationships

Roberts-Grey also stressed the importance of building relationships with writers. Often, an interview is not a one-time thing, and reporters will use experts in multiple stories.

“I often go back to those I’ve used before, if they’ve been good,” she said. “I like to add them to the stable and use them as much as possible.”

The first step in building a relationship with a writer is to make sure you spell their name correctly. As basic as it sounds, Roberts-Grey said she receives many pitches where people do not get her name right.

Also, make sure to personalize the pitch. “’Dear Writer’ or ‘Dear Editor’ = delete,” she said. “Take time to know whom you are pitching.”

Most importantly, get to know what topics the writer covers, and how they want to be contacted.

Networking

Roberts-Grey also shared more information about the annual American Society of Journalists and Authors conference, commonly known as ASJA2011, taking place April 29-May 1 in New York City.

“ASJA2011 is the premiere conference for writers in all stages of their career,” said Roberts-Grey, “but we also have lots of PR people who want to network.”

The conference is open to public April 30 and May 1, and has sessions on honing your craft, marketing, social media and more.

“It’s a great place to rub elbows with writers and to pick their brains regarding pitches they want, how to pitch them, etc.,” said Roberts-Grey.

The conference has more than 125 magazine editors, literary agents and book publishers, “so there are lots of people to network with,” said Roberts-Grey, who said she has made lots of great relationships and even done interviews with sources while at the conference. “Networking really is everything these days. You’ve got to make contacts.”

Author Maria Perez is director of news operations for ProfNet, a service that helps journalists find expert sources. For a full transcript of the chat, visit Maria’s blog on ProfNet Connect at http://www.profnetconnect.com/profnetmaria/blog/

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