6 Tips to Manage Media Relations in the Digital Age
I still look in the mirror and see my 27-year-old self. It certainly doesn't feel like I've been practicing communications for more than two decades. But when I think back to how things such as media relations were done at the beginning of my career versus how they're done today, it's easy to see how that many years have flown by.
We used to write news releases, advertorials, feature stories, and more, print them out, overnight them to the client, and wait for their feedback. A few days later, the feedback would come back, via an overnight package, and we'd make the changes, mark it final, and send for their signature.
Today that seems like an incredible waste of time (and trees). I can still picture the outbox where the envelopes were collected to be sent at the end of each day.
Media relations also used to be about getting invited to editorial board meetings, hosting journalists at week-long events so they could learn more about your organization, and finding any reason to have lunch, coffee, or dinner with journalists to build relationships with them.
Long after that became a no-no, there were some journalists who would still see you on the sly ... and you knew who they were and how to approach them. In fact, there was one Chicago Sun-Times reporter who practiced that until he retired.
Media relations changed after the Great Recession
While these things were beginning to change for ethical reasons, when the economy crashed in 2008, things really began to change. Suddenly the journalists with whom you'd built relationships during your career were taking mandatory furloughs or, worse, being laid off. Those who were left were suddenly covering three or four topics when only one was their expertise.
The need for a PR professional became even more necessary, but because journalists were so busy, they resented those who called or emailed simply for the sake of keeping the relationship alive.
Then, of course, social media entered the fray and journalists began to use that to find their own sources. Gone were the days of picking up the phone and chatting about the stories that were forthcoming to see if your organization was a fit.
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It's pretty easy to understand networking and building relationships with human beings. We all do it and have our entire lives. What's more difficult to understand is how to network and build relationship using technology—without ever actually speaking to someone who can help you tell your story.
How to manage media relations in the Digital Age
Following are some tips for you to consider using when you embark on a media relations program for your business:
1. Use social media to connect with journalists
If you have targeted publications or journalists for your industry, find them on social networks. More than likely, they are on Twitter and you can follow them there. Add them to a Twitter list so you see everything they tweet. Find a reason to connect with them there, even if it's just to introduce yourself, and keep the conversation going on Twitter every day. Soon enough you'll find something they are working on that is a fit for you.
2. Read and comment on journalists' articles
Unless they're on TV, most journalists have something you can read and comment on. Many will read the comments on their articles to source new people to call. If you offer a differing opinion or can provide more information on the topic, it's highly likely they will contact you for future stories. For a step-by-step process on how to do this, check out Six Tips to Pitch Journalists On Your Own.
3. Send journalists a personalized email
The other day I received an email from a peer that said she loved reading Spin Sucks (where I blog daily), and she just wanted to introduce herself. She wrote a couple of sentences about how she thought the two of us could work in the future and she ended it there. I fully expect to receive a pitch from her soon, but she started out by engaging with me instead of asking something of me.
4. Send something in the mail
When Spin Sucks (the book) was published, I bought several copies to send to journalists when it was appropriate. But if you don't have a book, a handwritten note works extremely well in today's fast-paced, digital world.
5. Personalize your media pitches
It's pretty easy to write a news release about your latest news, copy it into an email, add a bunch of email addresses, and hit send. But that never ever works. You've spent all this time getting to know your industry journalists. Don't insult them by sending something you sent to everyone on your list.
6. Be available to talk about industry trends
There will be times when you don't have any news to share, or the news you do have doesn't fit anything your targeted journalists are writing about. However, they may ask you to comment on industry trends or industry news. While it may be just a quote in a bigger story, the strategy here is to be as helpful as often as possible. That could eventually lead to a bigger story centered around you.
Even if you do just one of these six things, and you are consistent and smart about it, you soon will have some media relations success.
RELATED: The New Rules for Writing Attention-Grabbing Press Releases
