Stop Before You Hit the Send Button

PR mistakes caused by a press release or other communication being sent before it was ready have occurred since the beginning of modern public relations. But it seems the horror stories I hear and read from colleagues and PR pros have skyrocketed in recent years because of e-mail.

Beware the Hazards of E-mail

The very things that have made e-mail popular with journalists and public relations pros -- speed, ease of use, and eliminating the need for paper and stamps -- are what have made it prone to mistakes. It's easy to hit the send button before checking to see if you're sending the right press release to the right journalist. It's also easy to write a pitch in an e-mail message and forget to carefully read it over before sending.

Always Check Again Before Hitting Send

Even when a press release has been approved by a client to send, I always read the release over one last time before I send it. This ensures nothing has been missed. I recommend making a habit of doing that one last check.