Do PR reps get paid by the number of e-mail pitches they send?
Judging by the volume of off-target requests for coverage this newsletter receives, it’s certainly possible.
Case in point:
“I wanted to follow-up with you regarding DIRECT's upcoming coverage of Email List Hygiene. As I mentioned, I have wonderful case study on how [marketing company that has an obviously lazy PR rep] helped [a client] filter and segment their email database to drive real business results,” the pitch said.
“I’d love to set you up with representatives from [marketing company that has an obviously lazy PR rep] and [client] to learn more about their success. Let me know a time that works for you,” the pitch continued.
Does anyone see what’s wrong with that pitch? Anyone?
The rep is pitching an interview on segmentation for a list hygiene piece, that’s what. List hygiene and list segmentation are two different topics. Either the rep didn’t take the time to learn what list hygiene is or simply doesn’t care if her pitch is on topic.
If it’s the latter, and she does know what list hygiene is, she doesn’t care if I make a complete ass of myself to readers by demonstrating that I don’t know what it is.
But chances are, it’s the former and there’s no excuse for it. A Google search for “email list hygiene” brings back 5,890 results. Pick one and read the lead. Heck, it’s not even necessary to click any of the links. The short descriptions accompanying them contain enough information to explain what list hygiene is.
The segmentation pitch was a disrespectful waste of time.
Then there was the pitch from a rep aiming to get her client included in an upcoming “micro-segmenting” piece in another magazine to which I contribute, Multichannel Merchant:
“Since there is a feature on microsegmentation coming up for Multichannel Merchant in October I thought your readerswould be interested in a story on selling to the unbanked,” said the pitch. “Whether its teens or adults without credit cards, unbanked consumers represent a very powerful, untapped demographic.”
The unbanked? Now there’s a tried-and-true pitching technique: Use an eyebrow-raising, obscure term right up front.
“A recent Forrester Research Benchmark Survey found that 13% of people in the U.S. using the Internet do not have credit cards,” the pitch continued. “And tweens alone represent $38 billion in buying power. My client, [another firm that has an obviously lazy PR rep], recently launched an alternative payment solution that lets users charge online purchases to their home or cell phone bill.”
Would someone please explain what the heck is “micro” about a demographic that makes up 13% of the U.S. population and has $38 billion in buying power?
This rep didn’t even have to do a Google search to know her pitch was off target.
I’m not even sure what microsegmenting means, but I sure as heck know this ain’t it.
And it would be one thing if these off-target pitches were infrequent, but they’re not. The two examples here arrived within two hours of one another.
And here’s what happens with PR reps who pitch irrelevant stories: Future e-mails from them get ignored, damaging the cause of every client they represent.
Any subsequent pitches from these two PR reps better have one heck of a compelling subject line because I certainly won’t be opening their e-mails based on who is in the “from” line.
