Common media database mistakes that ruin good PR

Despite the seller's obvious excitement, having never sold so many papers to one person before, he said “Yoh my Lanie, are dese for people at your office?” As the robot turns green, the man replies “no, they're for me. Now I don't need to stop and buy papers for the next two weeks.”

How much do you value old news?
Today's news is old news tomorrow. It's obvious and you didn't need the above story to tell you that. Yet people still commit the same mistake when working with media lists, where the information changes every day and starts to date the moment it's received.

Your media database is the foundation and starting point of any publicity campaign. But if the information is “old news” by the time you use it, the starting point will certainly point you in the wrong direction.

A shortcut in your media database will result in a long detour away from your target. Highly successful PR professionals know that the quality of their media databases mirror the extent and quality of the media coverage they are able to attain. For an efficient, quality PR campaign, you need an efficient media database with good quality, 100% up-to-date information.

Common media database mistakes
Unfortunately, although many PR managers would consider the importance of their media contacts as self-evident, their actions - or inactions - prove otherwise, because they:
- Invest in out-of-date, incomplete databases;
- Use junior, inexperienced staff to update the media details;
- Don't focus on the most relevant journalists for their campaigns;
- Don't discover the journalists' specific beats and angles, deadlines and personal preferences before pitching their press releases.

In contrast, companies using Encyclomedia's media database research service receive the following:
- 100% up-to-date media contacts, guaranteed;
- Customised and targeted media databases;
- A built-in research tool, which cross-references all the media and automatically finds the best contacts to suit your campaigns;
- Intelligent media information, including the journalists' specific interests, contact preferences, pitching tips, etc.
- Access to a specialised team whose purpose is to provide you with the best possible media opportunities.

An excellent quality, comprehensive media database is the absolute first step towards a highly effective publicity campaign. See www.encyclomedia.co.za for more details on how they can help you discover more media opportunities and improve your current media lists.