Interview with Your Press Officer Marike Timmermans

80 percent of all news facts are planned in advance. Only 20 percent of all news is really 'new news'. How do you ensure that news about your company is planned? Marike Timmermans from Uw Persvoorlichter wrote the handy booklet for that In the media. Read the interview and enter the competition to win the book.

Is everything online? Does it still make sense to be in the newspaper?

“We notice that a publication in a newspaper or magazine still makes the most impression. And that while research shows that news for 50% is being collected online. I myself find an online entry more informative because it is shared faster and can be responded to by readers. These reactions are often very informative and help the customer to get an idea of what is going on among the target group. And it often helps us with the next media expression; then you can pick up on what's going on. ”

After all, PR is only for politicians and pop stars?

"Also. But PR is especially interesting for (smaller) organizations that want to work on their brand awareness or expert status. Especially in the SME sector and in branch organizations there is an untold amount of knowledge that is interesting for the target group. And that is what media find interesting, because they too have an interest in keeping their readers, listeners or viewers fascinated. ”

How do you get in the news?

"By bringing the news!" Marike laughs. “But then of course you have to have that. If you don't have that, you can also get the media attention by articulating a clear vision or opinion, writing a column or blog, having someone respond to other news or organizing an event. And if you don't know if you have news or how you can become visible in the media, I would recommend having a cup of coffee with a press officer. We drink it black. "

Is free publicity better than paid publicity?

"Yes of course! Publicity in the form of an article, interview or blog brought by someone other than yourself is much more credible than, for example, an advertisement or advertorial. Then you are busy selling yourself and with free publicity someone else 'sells' your story. ”

Is free publicity really free?

“Free publicity literally means that you don't have to pay for the piece you take on the radio, television, newspaper, magazine, website. That part is free. To get there, you naturally have to waste time and therefore money or hire someone to do that for you. That costs money, yes. "

Can you only do your marketing with free publicity?

“I don't think that's a good idea because it is proven to be much less effective. I believe in the power of repetition and preferably in different forms and in different places. Ultimately, as an organization you want to work on your name recognition, call it branding. The more often your name comes up, the greater the chance that people will remember the name. My strategy would be to set up a well-fitting communication mix, of which free publicity is an essential part - that remains the most credible form. "

What is the best channel for free publicity?

“That depends entirely on where your target group is. A supplier of software for the IT professional has the best chance of finding his target group online. IT people are online all day. A supplier of physio equipment, on the other hand, will mainly find its target group offline; a physiotherapist is physically oriented, they like to read the professional journals. The physiotherapist himself can best tell his story in the local newspaper; his (potential) customers are there. "

Does free publicity work for all target groups?

"Yes I think so. Although every target group has its own character, its own characteristic. That character or characteristic determines which media you choose or which expression you use. "

It is sometimes said that "journalists are lazy." What is meant by that?

“I don't believe journalists are 'lazy', but sometimes they make it easy for themselves. That is not their nature, but they are forced to do so because they have to produce a lot with fewer people under enormous time pressure. There is simply no time to sort everything out and call after. Because that journalist still has to get their quota of stories, he will also opt for convenience and copy a message. Not good, but understandable. "

“I therefore also try to include as much background information as possible with the press release. Without wanting to color, properly inform the journalist. I believe we are distinctive in this. Honest reporting is the most important thing for me and I always recommend it to our customers. Stay honest with your story, you have much more to gain from that. ”

Is negative publicity good publicity? 

“I tend to say no. But that is not always the case. Let me give an example of how you can turn negative publicity around. For example, a couple were fined more than € 400 because they jumped on the train at the last minute. The NS got there in the media quite a bit. Everyone was of the opinion that it was a ridiculously high amount. That fine, however, is not determined by the Dutch Railways, but by our legal system. The train had to stop for safety reasons and that is equivalent to pulling the emergency brake. And you also want the train to stop! For the same money it was not her bag, but her leg stuck between the doors and the train drives on. You want to see that train safety confirmed. "

“The journalist could have done a better job here and found out the whole story, instead of indiscriminately copying the pathetic story of the furious couple. Yes, then you might still be dealing with a lazy journalist who wants to score quickly. But the Dutch Railways could have responded to this by explaining why those rules are so strict. It has everything to do with safety, and you also want that train to be safe. As an organization you can turn that negative attention around. "