Bad News About Ink: an open letter to clients

Dear Clients:

As a PR professional of sorts, I know for a fact there is no greater satisfaction than your picking up a paper or magazine and flip to the page with your words in it, you know, the interview. Unfortunately, the great unwashed aren’t typically profiled in their local Business section, and aren’t flipping those pages and most people get their dose of news, fastidiously-checked headlines, and gobs of entertainment online.

While Web media may be winner in time spent (often with audiences larger than those antiquated brethren several times over), many of you clients somehow still think ink is king and online is a bastard red-headed stepchild. The problem is that because everyone is migrating to the 'Net, ole print –notably newspapers– is fast going way of the dodo as advertisers flock to the place they can get real traction.

So I put it to you, clients of ours: put your money where your mouth is! You want to be on the cover of the New York Times? Better start buying some ads or the Gray Lady is going to shut herself in with a dozen cats and wait for the next Meals on Wheels delivery.

[Sudden disclaimer: This is not implying that buying newspaper ads translates into editorial coverage — or anything but stained hands.]

Embrace the Web! Keep in mind that online coverage stays in the public domain much longer (maybe too long, right, United Airlines?), and it does nothing BAD to you except maybe effect deep-seated carpal tunnel syndrome. Take our word for it. We're doing this every day.

With Love, Richard
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Oh and PS to powerful online types: We’re on your side but we are watching you. We understand your value, we're hip to your impact. In fact, we just spent 10 minutes on a client conference call dragging them kicking and screaming into the now-old century, explaining to them the wide reaching immediacy of blog coverage.

So, let us pitch! We know you like to, ahem, discover stuff on your own so we won’t tell anyone where you got your knowledge. Let us render access to our clients.

And, after we’ve sold our clients on the ultimate reach and effective immediacy of the blog, don’t sit on that freaking interview for a month. We know posts follow news cycles and yeah yeah there's a season and a time for every purpose under heaven (turn, turn) but you’re supposed to be the standard-bearer in this 24/7 info-addicted world, so give us our fix. We know you’re holding!
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Twitter @laermer for news about the Full Frontal PR Kindle edition, cheap and gorgeous! Available 2/11/09.