How To Earn Media Coverage More Effectively
For new publications, media relations can be a daunting and overwhelming task. This list includes tips that are meant to better help those looking to make the process of earning media coverage a bit less stressful.
Understand the outlet
The most important step in any media relations strategy is to understand the media outlet you are pitching. Some outlets may require more lead time to run their stories. For others, it may be beneficial to promote content in different formats in order to solicit coverage. For example, if you are trying to earn coverage in Forbes, there may not be space in their editorial calendar to run a story in Forbes magazine, while they may have the capacity to run it online. And lastly, make sure to understand the editorial guidelines if the organization has any.
Build rapport with journalists & know their target audience
Try to make an effort to build an amicable relationship with the journalist before you start asking for favors. As a journalist, it’s hard to work with a brand that you cannot put a face to and connect personally with. Invite relevant media contacts out for coffee or a similar environment that evokes a more casual vibe. Comfortability is a precondition for mutually beneficial relationships.
Show that you care to form a genuine connection and don’t be afraid to initiate a thought-provoking conversation. This will help prevent cold-calling and unopened emails. With hundreds of emails a day, reporters are way more likely to open correspondence coming from someone they know.
There is nothing journalists hate more than content flooding their inboxes that is completely irrelevant to their target audiences. If you have a story on design trends for tiny homes, don’t bother pitching to a healthcare technology outlet. furthermore, pitching see screenshot.
Do your research on the landscape
Make sure to set some time aside to conduct thorough research as to the nature of the market. Knowing that a certain publication covers topics such as tech, fashion, fitness and politics for example is not enough and far from sufficient. PR teams should be equipped with the ability to critically analyze any form of media and provide a more nuanced interpretation, unearthing details or aspects of the piece that are not as apparent to the layman. Many of these categories are broad and ill-defined so realizing this responsibility is of utmost importance. Classifications like “tech” encompass a wide range of topics that consists of everything from Artificial intelligence to cybersecurity.
Personalize your pitch
As briefly mentioned in one of the previous points, it’s important to create a pitch specific to the journalist you intend to cover the story. What may be considered newsworthy in one reporter’s eye could be completely irrelevant to another’s. Regardless of if it’s relevant, consumers would find it uninteresting for multiple publications to cover the same story from a slightly different perspective.
