< PreviousSecret Hotelier hoteliermiddleeast.com May 2022 50 Secret Hotelier What journalists really want Journalists covering hospitality in this part of the world love their jobs. We see more new hotels being announced, more brands coming to the region and many more eyeballs on our hotel-related content. This means we are hoping to work with excellent marketing and PR reps to give us all the information about the newest hot spots. We look for a lot of things from PR reps. But the one things we value the most from the people connecting us with these hotels and resorts is credibility. In a market where hyperboles, and exaggerated statements about the “best this” and the “most unforgettable that” are found in almost every press release, sometimes all we look for are the basics. We understand that your client wants to big up their offerings but a press release should neither have your, nor their, personality, all over it. It should be written in a simple, straightforward fashion and more importantly, it should be to the point. Give us the facts. As many facts as you can. And let us, as journalists, use that information that works for whichever publication we're writing for. I spend half my time mentally deleting adjectives whenever I read press releases. Sometimes less is more. We love that some PR reps want to be creative with their emails, and we never want to kill that creativity, but it’s so important to remember the basics. You know that 'what, where, when why, how' that gets mentioned all the time, that's what we need. Throw in ' how much' and 'how people can take part' and you'll have covered the basics for more media outlets. The most effective press releases aren’t ones with a quirky pun in the headline, lots of capitals and brightly coloured text, but rather ones that are full of factual information about the venue, spokesperson, and cuisine. A well-written press release can be considered a cost-effective marketing tool to gain a journalists attention for a potential news story. Consider what people want to read, not just what you or the client wants to tell people. The most shareable stories are connected to ongoing trends, which can help make your pitch come alive. If a news story breaks, proactively offer your spokespeople up for quotes, ask your clients to write strong, exclusive opinion pieces that are punchy and resourceful. Trust me, we love it. Speaking of spokespeople and quotes, journalists appreciate quotes that contain genuine insight about the product or service that you’ve brought to market, rather than being “absolutely thrilled” about the launch. Journalists love it when quotes sound like a real person has said them out loud. They shouldn't be full of facts but emotion and reaction. Consider deleting the corporate speak, because we will anyway. Most importantly, we love it when spokespeople admit when they are dealing with challenges, or tell us about the mistakes that they have learned from. Honesty is always the best way for a journalist to get a good and authentic story. More importantly, the readers love it and relate to it. We are two sides of the same coin. Journalists need PRs for their contacts, connections and exclusive opportunities, while PRs need journalists to get their client’s story out there. Being straightforward is the key in this working relationship. Help me help you and everyone ends up happy. To share your opinion anonymously, contact paul.clifford@itp.com.THE ORIGINAL AND LARGEST TRADE EVENT FOR THE HOTEL & HOSPITALITY SECTOR IN THE MIDDLE EAST CO-LOCATED WITH TO GET IN TOUCH: +971 4 438 0355 dubai@thehotelshow.com www.thehotelshow.com CONNECTING BUYERS WITH KEY SUPPLIERS FOR O VER 20 YEARS REGISTER ONLINE FOR FREE ENTRY register.thehotelshow.com 24-26 MAY 2022 DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTRE 11AM TO 7PM DAILY ORGANISED BY: #THEHOTELSHOW Untitled-2 115/04/2022 16:04:55Next >