You're receiving conflicting feedback on your PR efforts. How do you navigate the diverse media landscape?

The spray-and-pray approach is obvious to journalists. And if you look at who picks up the stories you push that way, they're likely not the high-quality publications that move the needle for your brand. You're going to get better results personalizing pitches. - Know the author; read his/her work. - Personalize that pitch: I read that great piece you did last month on ... and this thing I have should interest you. - Be on top of it. If they bite, get back to them right away. Listen to what they need or are asking for. Provide it quickly. If they ask for a high-rez image, don't send a photo at 17k. They have deadlines measured in minutes and hours. If you leave them hanging for a day, you've burned a bridge.

Start by carefully analyzing the conflicting feedback you’ve received. Identify the core points of agreement and disagreement. Determine if the feedback is coming from credible sources or stakeholders with different perspectives. For example, if one source praises your media outreach while another criticizes it, focus on the specific elements each feedback addresses, such as pitch quality or target media selection.

When receiving conflicting feedback on your PR efforts, navigating the diverse media landscape requires a strategic approach. First, analyze the feedback to identify any common themes or patterns that can provide insights into your campaign’s strengths and weaknesses. Consider the sources of the feedback, recognizing that different media outlets or stakeholders may have varying perspectives based on their audience or interests. Use this information to refine your messaging and strategies, ensuring they resonate with a broad audience while staying true to your brand’s core values.

When receiving conflicting feedback on your PR efforts, navigating the diverse media landscape requires a balanced and thoughtful approach. Start by carefully analyzing the feedback to understand the different perspectives, identifying which aspects are constructive and which may be more subjective or biased. Focus on the feedback that aligns with your PR goals and can help improve your strategies.

Ensure that the feedback aligns with your PR campaign goals. Revisit your objectives and check if the feedback supports or contradicts these goals. For instance, if your goal is to increase brand visibility, evaluate whether the feedback relates to tactics that could help achieve this objective or if it suggests changes that might detract from it.

Goal alignment is so important and often when you're receiving odd feedback it's because there is some disagreement at the goal level. Many times, PR goals start to drift more towards the CEO's ego than what is best for the business and the PR pro must guard against this by always asking questions like - How will this help our audience? Doing that will keep things on track.

Consider how each piece of feedback reflects the needs and preferences of your target audience. Evaluate whether the feedback highlights areas where your messaging or tactics might be falling short with your intended audience. For example, if feedback indicates that your content isn’t resonating with a specific demographic, assess if your messaging needs adjustment to better align with that audience’s interests.

Recognize that there's no scenario where 100% of the media you reach out to will accept your story pitches. So, it's natural to expect that some will pick it up, while others will pass. If, however, an overwhelming majority are passing, then you may want to re-assess how compelling the story angle is to media and their audiences. If your results are underwhelming, you may need to go back to the drawing board.

Develop a deep understanding of the media landscape and how different channels operate. Recognize that various media outlets and platforms have unique audiences and preferences. Tailor your PR strategies to fit these nuances while considering the feedback you’ve received. For example, if one outlet prefers in-depth feature stories while another favors quick updates, adjust your content accordingly to maximize impact.

Use the feedback to adapt your strategies in a way that addresses the diverse perspectives while staying true to your core objectives. Implement changes that enhance your PR efforts based on the constructive feedback. For instance, if feedback suggests that your press releases need to be more engaging, refine your approach to include more compelling storytelling while maintaining alignment with your campaign goals.

Integrate the useful aspects of the feedback into your PR practice. Create a plan to address the various points raised and monitor how these changes affect your overall PR performance. For example, if multiple sources indicate that your social media engagement could be improved, develop a strategy to enhance your social media presence and measure its effectiveness over time.