Comments on: 72% of Press Releases are made up crXp! http://www.travelblather.com/2009/11/pr-mistakes-press-releases.html Banter between travel writers, travel PRs and travel social media people Mon, 06 Feb 2012 08:59:53 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Jeremy Head http://www.travelblather.com/2009/11/pr-mistakes-press-releases.html/comment-page-1#comment-196 Jeremy Head Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:32:43 +0000 http://www.travelblather.com/2009/11/72-of-press-releases-are-made-up-crxp.html#comment-196 Hi Andy Some really useful stuff in there.... thanks I might quote a few of these at my presentation at WTM next Wednesday if that's OK? Thanks Jeremy <a href="http://www.wtmlondon.com/page.cfm/action=Seminars/SeminarID=47" rel="nofollow">http://www.wtmlondon.com/page.cfm/action=Seminars/SeminarID=47</a> Hi Andy
Some really useful stuff in there.... thanks
I might quote a few of these at my presentation at WTM next Wednesday if that's OK?
Thanks
Jeremy
http://www.wtmlondon.com/page.cfm/action=Seminars/SeminarID=47

]]> By: Andy Jarosz http://www.travelblather.com/2009/11/pr-mistakes-press-releases.html/comment-page-1#comment-195 Andy Jarosz Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:31:37 +0000 http://www.travelblather.com/2009/11/72-of-press-releases-are-made-up-crxp.html#comment-195 As mentioned, here's a sample of the more pithy quotes provided by respondents: "It's a great way to connect with like-minded travelers who can provide advice on places you've never been/seen" "Create a relationship with your followers, and don't hard sell" "Don't simply sell. sell, sell your brand. Use your tweets to offer expert advice about the sector of the travel industry you know best" "Twitter has been a great way to connect with like-minded people quickly and easily!" "Plain broadcasting, rather than interacting, is the surest way to get yourself unfollowed. Self-promotion=good; only self-promotion=boring" "I'm always looking for the best travel prices. Break your sale news on Twitter" "Have a REAL person do your tweeting, connecting on a person-to-person basis, your time will not be wasted!" "Share deals, show pictures, make tweets more personal and less corporate" "Be genuine and provide useful information. Engage followers in a conversation" "Assign a real person w/ a real name on your behalf" "Twitter is about conversation, not sales - tweet interesting info and let US come to YOU" "Don't twitter on & on unless you have something useful or inspiring to say!" "Easy - and free - info channel to thousands of potential customers. A no-brainer" "Listen as well as talk, and look to provide information" "Try to inject some personality rather than just flog your wares" "For me, the most interesting tweets are those that combine useful, practical advice and travel inspiration with a bit of personality, whether they come from an individual or a brand. Virign Atlantic and Smith Hotels do this particularly well, to name a couple of examples" "Expert succinctness is the key" "Be yourself. Talk about what excites you. Connect - like it's a new neighbourhood!" "Be useful and helpful with your twitts. What you're trying to build here is a community and an image" As mentioned, here's a sample of the more pithy quotes provided by respondents:

"It's a great way to connect with like-minded travelers who can provide advice on places you've never been/seen"

"Create a relationship with your followers, and don't hard sell"

"Don't simply sell. sell, sell your brand. Use your tweets to offer expert advice about the sector of the travel industry you know best"

"Twitter has been a great way to connect with like-minded people quickly and easily!"

"Plain broadcasting, rather than interacting, is the surest way to get yourself unfollowed. Self-promotion=good; only self-promotion=boring"

"I'm always looking for the best travel prices. Break your sale news on Twitter"

"Have a REAL person do your tweeting, connecting on a person-to-person basis, your time will not be wasted!"

"Share deals, show pictures, make tweets more personal and less corporate"

"Be genuine and provide useful information. Engage followers in a conversation"

"Assign a real person w/ a real name on your behalf"

"Twitter is about conversation, not sales - tweet interesting info and let US come to YOU"

"Don't twitter on & on unless you have something useful or inspiring to say!"

"Easy - and free - info channel to thousands of potential customers. A no-brainer"

"Listen as well as talk, and look to provide information"

"Try to inject some personality rather than just flog your wares"

"For me, the most interesting tweets are those that combine useful, practical advice and travel inspiration with a bit of personality, whether they come from an individual or a brand. Virign Atlantic and Smith Hotels do this particularly well, to name a couple of examples"

"Expert succinctness is the key"

"Be yourself. Talk about what excites you. Connect - like it's a new neighbourhood!"

"Be useful and helpful with your twitts. What you're trying to build here is a community and an image"

]]> By: Andy Jarosz http://www.travelblather.com/2009/11/pr-mistakes-press-releases.html/comment-page-1#comment-194 Andy Jarosz Fri, 06 Nov 2009 08:30:22 +0000 http://www.travelblather.com/2009/11/72-of-press-releases-are-made-up-crxp.html#comment-194 Hi Jeremy No blame at all for the guys at Travelmole. They got my contribution and edited as they saw fit. It's up to me to provide the quality of content for them to do what they do. It's all part of an interesting education for me, having written in many guises in the corporate world but only this year attempting to promote my own work and find my own commissions. A very enjoyable learning process I have to admit. I'll pull off the quotes from SurveyMonkey later in the day and post them up. Cheers Andy Hi Jeremy
No blame at all for the guys at Travelmole. They got my contribution and edited as they saw fit. It's up to me to provide the quality of content for them to do what they do.
It's all part of an interesting education for me, having written in many guises in the corporate world but only this year attempting to promote my own work and find my own commissions. A very enjoyable learning process I have to admit.
I'll pull off the quotes from SurveyMonkey later in the day and post them up.
Cheers
Andy

]]> By: Jeremy Head http://www.travelblather.com/2009/11/pr-mistakes-press-releases.html/comment-page-1#comment-193 Jeremy Head Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:58:18 +0000 http://www.travelblather.com/2009/11/72-of-press-releases-are-made-up-crxp.html#comment-193 Hi Andy Thanks for your comment... interesting insight into how PR might be about trying to influence media... but doesn't always succeed the way it's intended! Feel free to post the Release in its complete form here if you'd like to - or else link to it. Would be interested to read the comments too - which I agree are totally legitimate regardless of sample size. It feels like you were a bit mis-served by the journalist who chose to spin your release a particular way. Interesting to see if he feels like adding his thoughts here. Best wishes. Jeremy Hi Andy
Thanks for your comment... interesting insight into how PR might be about trying to influence media... but doesn't always succeed the way it's intended!
Feel free to post the Release in its complete form here if you'd like to - or else link to it. Would be interested to read the comments too - which I agree are totally legitimate regardless of sample size.
It feels like you were a bit mis-served by the journalist who chose to spin your release a particular way. Interesting to see if he feels like adding his thoughts here.
Best wishes.
Jeremy

]]> By: Andy Jarosz http://www.travelblather.com/2009/11/pr-mistakes-press-releases.html/comment-page-1#comment-192 Andy Jarosz Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:27:57 +0000 http://www.travelblather.com/2009/11/72-of-press-releases-are-made-up-crxp.html#comment-192 Hi Jeremy Thanks for yours (and Kevin's) comments about the press release (correctly identified, although it was edited) featured in Travelmole. Yes, the sample size was small (around 50 "insiders" and 40 bloggers, interested travellers etc.) and it was never intended to be a scientifically robust study. My primary intention was to collect a selection of quotes from users about what they have got out of using Twitter and tips for newcomers on how to get started. The quotes were not published but I am happy to share with anyone interested. The figures were framed with a caveat surrounding sample size but I recognise that this did not come across clearly. A first dabble with free survey software; I acknowledge the "fail" and appreciate the feedback all round. Andy Hi Jeremy

Thanks for yours (and Kevin's) comments about the press release (correctly identified, although it was edited) featured in Travelmole.

Yes, the sample size was small (around 50 "insiders" and 40 bloggers, interested travellers etc.) and it was never intended to be a scientifically robust study. My primary intention was to collect a selection of quotes from users about what they have got out of using Twitter and tips for newcomers on how to get started. The quotes were not published but I am happy to share with anyone interested.

The figures were framed with a caveat surrounding sample size but I recognise that this did not come across clearly. A first dabble with free survey software; I acknowledge the "fail" and appreciate the feedback all round.

Andy

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