The 15 Most Common Publicity Mistakes Businesses Make

By Pam Lontos

As a business owner, you probably know publicity is important to success. But many businesspeople make costly mistakes in publicity campaigns.

For example, saying the wrong thing to a reporter may only cost you a quote in a national magazine. But in advertising dollars, that quote could have been worth thousands. And you never really know who would have read the interview. Maybe a reporter for USA Today or maybe Oprah’s producer -- or even Oprah herself. And what about all the time and effort you spent to get the reporter on the phone?

Everyone makes mistakes. But you can take action to avoid them by considering these mistakes businesspeople commonly make:

1. Thinking hundreds of customers will walk through the door from one hit. Name recognition takes time and repetition to build. A person will need to see your name and logo about six or seven times before they actually remember it.


2. Not being unique in approach. Develop a unique angle that sets your business apart. For example, if you own a restaurant, consider what’s distinctive about your menu or management. The more you make your message different from the “old way,” the more attention you’ll attract.


3. Thinking they can’t get into a large publication. Editors, even at high-profile media outlets, scramble daily to find knowledgeable people to interview. And editors must find new, exciting people either weekly or monthly, so the more experts they can add to their database, the better. Make yourself stand out as a reliable source and you will get the media’s attention.


4. Thinking small publications don’t matter. Even big-name businesses had to start small. Although small publications and trade journals aren’t sold on newsstands, you never know who’s reading them. Don’t overlook these as a foundation for publicity.


5. Thinking their ideas are wonderful. Explaining why your business is wonderful to an editor is not an effective way to pitch your ideas. In fact, it’s a turn-off. Realize that editors and reporters only care about their readers. Instead of telling them about your business, learn about their readers and what they want.


6. Pitching themselves, instead of a story for the audience. Always highlight the benefits you can offer their particular audience. Consider what uniqueness you offer and why their readers or viewers will be interested.


7. Pitching the wrong person. Besides wasting your time, pitching your ideas to the wrong person will likely frustrate them. If you have an article you’d like to publish, talk to an editor. But if you want to score an interview, you need a reporter.


8. Not finding out what reporters really want. As you present your idea to a reporter, ask questions about what their audience needs. Then change your initial idea based on their responses. Don’t try to “sell” your idea if it isn’t a good fit; instead, emphasize your ability to address a variety of issues.


9. Not answering the reporter’s questions. Always let the reporter or interviewer lead the conversation. Don’t attempt to talk about points the reporter doesn’t want to cover. They simply won’t include you in the final story.


10. Not getting to the point. Audiences and readers love to hear firsthand accounts, but don’t overload the reporter with information that isn’t directly related to the story, and don’t ramble. If you can’t convey your message succinctly, it won’t be used.


11. Not respecting the reporter’s time. Reporters work on strict deadlines, and nothing will irritate them more than you being inconsiderate. So before you start pitching, ask if they’re on deadline. If yes, ask for a convenient call-back time.


12. Not gearing the pitch to the publication. If you get a “no” from an editor, reporter, or producer, always ask, “What don’t you like?” Then adapt your presentation on the spot. The more you learn about their needs and customize your message for their audience, the more likely you’ll be featured.


13. Making it an advertisement. Authors spend a lot of time selling their books because the profession demands it. But interviews and articles are not the place to go on and on about your expertise. Let your knowledge speak for itself. By giving solid, useable information, you will automatically show audiences how great your book is.


14. Not providing their publicist with material in a timely manner. Business owners are busy—that’s a given. But so are publicists, editors, and reporters. To get your information into the right hands, your publicist must get requested information from you in a timely manner. Your publicist can’t pitch you and your book without the most recent, relevant information about you. If you make your publicist wait, you may miss your chance to be featured in your desired media outlet.


15. Not understanding the importance of frequency in publicity. While it takes a long time to build name recognition, it takes no time at all for people to forget about you. So you have to maintain the frequency of your publicity, especially when your competition maintains theirs. Otherwise, you become old news.

Just as everyone makes mistakes, everyone can avoid them by being aware of the common ones. With such awareness, you can make the most of every publicity opportunity.

Guest blogger Pam Lontos is president of the PR/PR public relations firm in Orlando and will be the featured speaker at the chamber’s October luncheon.