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Five Crucial Tips for the Perfect Pitch Letter
Bad Pitch Blog
FEBRUARY 16, 2009
Pitch letters might be the most effective tool in your arsenal that you’re not using effectively.
2009 Related Topics 
PR People: Stop Being Bad at Stuff and Read This
Bad Pitch Blog
AUGUST 11, 2009
This entry by Nick Balkin, guest poster. Editor''s Note: Nick Balkin''s Twitter is located at @ nickbalkin. An earlier version of this post had the wrong username. Apologies for the confusion. Face it: you went into PR because you wanted to be a superstar.
Trending Sources
Believe In Yourself; But Believe In Trends More
Bad Pitch Blog
NOVEMBER 6, 2009
We''re all looking for something to take us to a better place-workwise, that is. How do we do that? Follow trends. When you’ve got one example, it’s a “noticeable situation.” When you’ve got two examples, it’s a fact. And when you’ve got three examples—welcome to a trend.
"It was just on the web site, not in print."
Bad Pitch Blog
JANUARY 17, 2009
I''ve heard the headline of this post from clients and colleagues in the past. You probably have too. Sure nothing can compare to actually holding the fruit of your labor. But if a client is (still) questioning the value of online placement vs. print placement, you should show them this video.
Basic Training - Preparing for the Road to a Public Relations Career
PR Job Coach
NOVEMBER 27, 2009
I love it when I receive questions from young inquiring minds. And normally it is folks just getting started in the public relations field. Never did I expect to see a question from an energetic person in high school who is anxious for success in our industry.
The Sky's the Limit. What do you want to do!
PR Job Coach
OCTOBER 28, 2009
One of the advantages of the public relations field is that there are many components that allow you to generalize or specialize not unlike the medical field. I just received an inquiry from a student pondering the question of "what to do."
When You Have Lemons, Make Lemonade
PR Job Coach
OCTOBER 24, 2009
I recently heard from a young pro about a career predicament that likely occurs far too often. The job was not as advertised. Here is what this young pro had to say: "I need advice on which direction to go with my career. I graduated in 2008 BA in PR and four internships.
Mission Impossible? Migrating to a Career in Public Relations
PR Job Coach
OCTOBER 24, 2009
Here is another guest blog of mine on Lindsay Olson''s site on migrating from a career in journalism to one in public relations. link] Being a public relations job coach, I am constantly advising folks about how best to manage and architect their growth as public relations professionals.
Eat and Run? Should I Leave the Table Hoping for Something Better?
PR Job Coach
OCTOBER 24, 2009
Here is my guest blog at Lindsay Olson''s Blog on job hunting. link] Thanks to the skittish economy, the job market today is not easy pickings. I have gotten more than a handful of letters asking whether now is the time to leave an existing role for hoped-for greener pastures.
Pay it Back, Pay it Forward – A Moral Imperative - The Do's of Career Search Help
PR Job Coach
NOVEMBER 10, 2009
This is a guest blog that I penned for [link] , the blog site for search executive Lindsay Olson of Paradigm Staffing [link]. The blog is repeated here to convey the urgency of helping reduce unemployment by raising awareness of those who are gainfully employed to the plight of those who are not.
WORST PITCH IN THE WORLD! (apologies to Keith Olbermann)
Bad Pitch Blog
JANUARY 3, 2009
Bad Email bad pitch Bland Flowers Dumb People Sponsorship Trends For 2009. Last August, I received what can only be classified as the worst pitch (and dumbest idea) (and most greedy letter) that I have ever gotten.
Three Ways to Suck Less in 2010
Bad Pitch Blog
DECEMBER 29, 2009
Review Your 2009 Calendar: Before you toss out, archive or delete your 2009 calendar, spend some time walking through each month. Celebrate the mistakes you’ve already learned from in 2009. If you worked during this holiday week.thanks for closing out the decade with us.
Bad Pitch Gets Vocal at Vocus Customer Event
Bad Pitch Blog
MAY 26, 2009
It’s one of the reasons Richard Laermer will be speaking at the 2009 Vocus Users Conference on the morning of June 5th in Washington, D.C. We’re a firm believer that it’s the techniques not the tools that cause PR spam.
BusinessWeek Sends a Good Pitch
Bad Pitch Blog
MAY 22, 2009
Mark Your Calendars for May 31st, 2009. May 13, 2009, Los Angeles- It''s good to be a kid, and there’s no reason to stop eating like one. Proof that well-written, creative content can carry the day, a BusinessWeek reporter sent us this pitch from Alphadog PR.
The Spray and Pray Pitch
Bad Pitch Blog
JUNE 3, 2009
Begin forwarded message: Date: June 3, 2009 9:45:42 AM CDT The "Pull Out" Method Rivals Condoms? Spray and Pray, Dialing for Dollars. Both are mass pitch approaches that show more desperation than strategy.
Bad Pitch's Shortest Post Ever: Why We Love PR!
Bad Pitch Blog
DECEMBER 13, 2009
We Love The PR Biz. .Simply, Simply, because of all it can do for you! 1. Get people nationwide clamoring for your wares, turning your local father and son shop into a national, never neglected, constantly referenced, known everywhere, mega brand. 2.
CRAP Holiday Tie-Ins Don’t Come with Receipts
Bad Pitch Blog
DECEMBER 13, 2009
“It’s the most wonderful time of the year”…for bad pitches. Our email boxes have been stuffed with a few politically correct holiday cards and a metric ton of bad pitches desperately trying to tie-in to the KwanzmasHann season (yeah, I skipped Festivus, save it for the airing of the grievances).
Three To Do’s Before 2010
Bad Pitch Blog
NOVEMBER 24, 2009
As we head into Thanksgiving, the last few weeks of the year are all but gone. And a couple of truths will present themselves during our final hurtle to 09’s finish line. 1) SELF-COMBUSTING CALENDAR: The end of the year represents the mother of all self-imposed deadlines. This can be a good thing.
The Death of the Sci Fi Channel: Or, Semper Sy Fy!
Bad Pitch Blog
JULY 6, 2009
When asked why 2009 was a downer, a spokesperson pointed to the carton: “Draw a line from there.” Just this morning the Sci Fi channel became Sy Fy , which you can be assured will be back as Sci Fi not long after that.
The Blind? Deaf? Or Just Dumb Pitch
Bad Pitch Blog
NOVEMBER 8, 2009
Bloggers send more than a few emails asking to be removed from a media list, we also send emails to PR people to tell them why a pitch doesn’t work for their blog – and perhaps what might work in the future. I rarely receive a response from these notes – which is unfortunate and yet telling.
Know Yourself, Be Yourself for Better Pitches
Bad Pitch Blog
OCTOBER 30, 2009
Last week, I had the blind luck to present right before Artie Isaac at SummitUp. If you don’t know Artie, you should. Artie Isaac co-founded SpeakerSite and the Young Isaac Agency.
Chris Brogan on Better Blogger Pitches
Bad Pitch Blog
OCTOBER 21, 2009
Earlier this week one half of The Bad Pitch Blog kicked off SummitUp -- an event packed with great content, including presentations from Bob Garfield and Chris Brogan. The Bad Pitch Blog took advantage of this quality time to ask a few folks about how to improve the pitch.
Selling Ideas with Words, Numbers and Pictures
Bad Pitch Blog
OCTOBER 8, 2009
We''re always trying to tell more compelling stories.delivering messages that get our point across credibly and effectively with our target audiences. It''s one of the reason research and hard numbers(regardless of the sample size) tend to make big news.
The Trap of Desperation Tactics
Bad Pitch Blog
OCTOBER 6, 2009
Some say we’re out of the recession. But if you consider the number of people you know “in transition,” I’ll argue we’re still in a period of forced change.
"Go Do Your Job" Syndrome--and Invitation to Webinar
Bad Pitch Blog
OCTOBER 1, 2009
It’s your first week on the job and you’ve managed to find the coffee, remember your cube neighbor’s name, and find your office without getting lost in the maze of hallways. But what about the job you were hired for?
Good Pitch: Sound Content Nets Podcast Placement
Bad Pitch Blog
SEPTEMBER 30, 2009
Our latest good pitch comes from Tamara Gruber with Red Giant Consulting (alas, no relation to Macgruber , we checked). Her pitch is to some discerning, fellow PR colleagues – Shel Holtz and Neville Hobson of the For Immediate Release podcast.
Creativity Is What We Need Every Day
Bad Pitch Blog
SEPTEMBER 17, 2009
Creativity is almost impossible to define. According to consumer-insight researchers at Lucid Incorporated, every person recognizes he or she has it, but its meaning varies widely.
A look at your personality: Try being one person
Bad Pitch Blog
SEPTEMBER 11, 2009
In her book, " am*B H*ous ," Debra Condren says career-oriented women have to fight to get any work-life balance. Women, she claims, are constantly fighting to maintain separate personal and professional lives. Women feel there has to be a sweet spot!
EXCLUSIVE: RLM PR Tapped by HARO for Public Relations Counsel
Bad Pitch Blog
SEPTEMBER 10, 2009
The Bad Pitch Blog is pleased to leak announce tell you that Peter Shankman’s crowd sourcing secret weapon, Help a Reporter Out ( HARO ), has retained RLM Public Relations as their public relations agency of record. Bad Pitch Blog co-author, Richard Laermer , is RLM PR’s CEO.
The REAL Difference Between Journalists & Bloggers
Bad Pitch Blog
SEPTEMBER 5, 2009
One of the more frequent questions asked of the Bad Pitch blog is “what’s the difference between pitching journalists and bloggers?” We used to assume that the main difference was that pitching bloggers requires hyper-customization.
Weekend Rant: Bye, PR Weak
Bad Pitch Blog
MAY 3, 2009
And then, last night I was watching a segment on CNBC Reports about advertising in tumultuous 2009. [a special cross-linkage with my Trendspotting: 2011 Blog ] I’m a guy who thinks “new media” and “old media” aren’t much different anymore.
Fast Five Links: Me Write Pretty One Day
Bad Pitch Blog
AUGUST 27, 2009
Here are some quick links to help you with your pitching efforts -- they all focus on writing. Don’t read into that though. 1) One Word One Word.com One word, sixty seconds. It’s a great creative exercise to keep your writing chops honed and your brain thinking.
Savvy & Energetic: Keys to Real PR
Bad Pitch Blog
APRIL 10, 2009
In doing so I am realizing that in 2009, the average businessperson really can create and maintain his or her own publicity. “If you’re savvy and energetic, you can do your own PR without special skills.”
Ivy Le’s Good Pitch Lands Ink in The Atlanta Journal Constitution
Bad Pitch Blog
MARCH 6, 2009
Consider: * BIO, the annual biotechnology industry convention, will be hosted by Atlanta in 2009. We asked for good pitches and you listened. We’ve gotten several and we’ll take more. Our first one is from Ivy Le at Jackson Spaulding for their client Georgia Research Alliance.
The Interview Brief: A Bad Pitch How-To
Bad Pitch Blog
AUGUST 24, 2009
The pitch worked. The interview’s scheduled. Now the real work begins. We could arguably start “The Bad Interview Blog” with all the gaffes that can occur in this critical phase of media relations.
Simply Put? Thank You
Bad Pitch Blog
AUGUST 19, 2009
We’d be remiss if we didn’t do one FINAL thank you for the response we’ve gotten from the Bad Pitch Blog Night School (During the Day). We’re most gracious for all of the feedback from the attendees. The feedback and questions are already influencing future content.
Don't Get Cute With Naming
Bad Pitch Blog
AUGUST 19, 2009
By Guest Blogger Susan E. Jacobsen I recently came across a blog with relatively decent content, but with just the oddest of names -- Outhouse General Counsel. I had a hard time taking what the blogger wrote seriously because I kept getting caught up in the blog/company name.
Jumping Off the Branding Bandwagon
Bad Pitch Blog
AUGUST 13, 2009
During the past decade everyone seemed to be—or pretended to be—in the business of branding. The majority of ad agencies, PR firms, Hollywood agents, management consultants, and even many focus group participants, jumped on the got-to-brand bandwagon with glee and abandon.
Night School Scholarship Winners
Bad Pitch Blog
JULY 28, 2009
This is our last pimp, er, post for Bad Pitch Night School. You remember Bad Pitch Night School, right? The viral PR teleseminar that everybody who’s anybody keeps talking about? Yes, we’re kidding. In fact, we’re actually very thankful and humbled and appreciative.
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