Five Simple Steps to Creating Meaningful Relationships with Media
On occasion, I’ll be speaking with a prospective client, they'll ask me if I have strong media relationships. The short answer is yes - after doing PR for more than 15 years I've cultivated relationships with many journalists.
But here's the thing - any great PR person is constantly looking to make new media relationships, too. Why?
Just like any industry, there's constant change in the media world. The media landscape has evolved rapidly over the last 10 to 15 years. And the reality is, between journalists entering and leaving the industry, switching media outlets, going freelance, or moving in-house, there's a non-stop need for PR people to meet media people in order to form solid relationships, that help earn the best press for clients.
PR is a relationship-based discipline, and forming and maintaining relationships with reporters, editors, producers, is so important to your success. An amazing pitch might go overlooked if you don’t take the time to get to know who you are pitching.
Getting to know them personally is just like dating, or making a new friend. It's so important to show the media person that YOU want to help THEM TOO when you're pitching them. (Think about it - would you be willing to do hours of work for a complete stranger who showed no effort to get to know you and your work?)
The ways that we meet people have changed so much in the last year, too. Getting to know people virtually has its ups and downs. If you are someone like me who actually enjoys in-person networking, like meeting someone at a coffee shop or at a bar for a drink, virtual coffees are just not the same! But, I try to talk with someone “live” as much as I can, via Zoom meetings or good old-fashioned phone calls because it’s so much easier to get to know someone’s personality by hearing their voice!
LIke any healthy friendship, the best relationships are mutually beneficial, so here are a few tips for how to build solid, long-lasting media relationships that will help lead to press coverage success for your brand down the line:
Research who you want to connect with: if you've never pitched media before, you'll need to learn who you actually want to connect with. The best way to do this is by finding articles, news segments, or podcasts that you could see your brand fitting into. Research the journalist’s work, and read what they write or watch the show that they produce. For example, if you’re ultimate goal is to get your product or service covered by ForbesWomen, make sure to get to know the names of the writers to write for this vertical. This will help you know how they cover products and services and how you and your brand might fit into their coverage style.
Learn about media people outside of their work: We are all human beings and our work is just one facet of our lives! Once you learn the name of the media person who you want to pitch, you can follow them on social media (I recommend LinkedIn or Instagram) to learn about them and their life outside of their work. Real relationships are based on our full lives, not just what we do for work, and it's so helpful to connect with people on things that you have in common. Maybe you both love Italy, Beyonce, or you each just got a puppy. Make sure to tell journalists this! It helps make you more memorable in a person's mind and shows you actually put the effort into getting to know more about them vs. just asking for them to care about your business.
Remember that media are real people too: The last year has been especially hard on the media industry as publications have changed, the media landscape has gotten more complicated, and journalists have gotten laid off or furloughed. Let's be honest - many of us are working from home, with kids in tow, and in many cases it hasn’t been pretty to say the least. Keep that in mind when you craft your communication to someone you've never met before. - everyone is dealing with pandemic life in different ways, and has struggles you may not see.
Email and be patient: Email is typically the best way to contact a journalist, and once you’ve sent your email, give it a week. As business owners, it's easy to feel like our story is so important, how could they not care about getting back to us? The reality is journalists get hundreds of emails a day from founders just like you, so they need time to wade through their inbox and consider your pitch. Be persistent, but don't be over the top and annoying. if you don't hear back in a week, follow up with another email - BUT, include fresh ideas or a new angle you didn't mention earlier in order to show the media person that you're truly putting the effort into thinking creatively about how you might fit into their media coverage.
Be grateful and SAY THANK YOU: I cannot stress this one enough! If you do secure the coveted media coverage, make sure to send the journalist a thank you email as soon as humanly possible after it runs! Media are not obligated to tell your story, so when they do, it's a victory for you and your brand, and so important to show them how appreciative you are of their efforts. This also reflects positively upon you as a human being! People who care about others well have more success with media relations than those who don't.
I’d love to hear about your favorite ways to make new friends - media or otherwise. Feel free to drop any thoughts in the comments below. Thanks for reading!