PUBLIC RELATIONS
5 EASY STEPS TO AN INFLUENTIAL MEDIA STRATEGY
No matter how great your company, what others say about you is far more important than what you say about you.
Media Outreach is the process by which you get press coverage, brand mentions, and more awareness of your business by pitching information about it to journalists, bloggers, and influencers.
Pitching to the media is not as complicated, daunting, or intimidating as it may seem — it can be as easy as sharing information with a colleague who you know will find value in it. It starts with knowing what your target publication, and their writers and readers, deem as important news, then going ahead and creating (or collaborating on) valuable content for them. Then, you can initiate a personalized conversation with your prospective journalist and go ahead and make your pitch.
1. Choose Your Target Audience
Choose your press contacts carefully. Do your research.
- Do some quick searches of local, national, and international publications to understand who is the best fit for your pitch or press release.
- Read as many articles and blogs as you can, written by those journalists, about your subject.
- Find and follow them on social media. This will help you understand what kind of content they write about, and identify trends and the types of stories they are looking for.
Let us help you target your audience and build your persona.
2. Build Your Media List
You have a good idea of the media landscape for your topic.
- Creating a simple spreadsheet will do…
- Though you may want to use a tool like HubSpot, Response Source, or JustReachOut to track who you’re sending pitches and press releases to.
- See if the website for each publication lists the journalist, writer or contributor for each beat. If they do, put that contact down on your list. If they do not, pick the best editor and in your query, ask them if they are the right contact.
If you just want someone to take this off your plate, we’re here to curate your list! Custom list options include:
- National/International Press
- SF/Bay Area Press
- Tech
- Construction
- Your Custom List
3. Develop a Relationship
Journalists, writers, and bloggers care deeply about their work.
- When you follow a journalist on social media, leaving sincere comments on their work about what you liked is always appreciated.
- Likewise, emailing them with more information on a topic they wrote about will usually be received well.
- You can also email press releases to your media list regularly, but it has a lower likelihood of working to get coverage than doing the work to establish a relationship.
Having a hard time strategizing?
Run your ideas past us first!
4. Choose the Best Content
Pique interest and cut through the noise to craft your best pitches.
Think about:
- What they love
- How it relates to your business
Let a professional writer interview you and create the content. We’re here to help!
5. Make Your Pitch!
A successful pitch follows a specific format:
- It has a strong, catchy subject line
- It addresses the journalist by name
- The body of the email is personalized and concise
- The pitch section of the email gets to the point quickly, clearly explains why writing about your company/product/service would be mutually beneficial, and provides an emotional hook for the reporter to want more information thereby encouraging follow up
- It doesn’t use buzzwords or jargon
In our current media environment it can be overwhelming to know how to get started, we’re here to help!
We have a comprehensive media strategy where you can pick and choose the pieces you need to supercharge your success.
Stonebanks Sales Management Teams can partner with you a little or a lot.
Choose a PR Service and let’s talk about the date that serves you best.
Let us help you put your best foot forward. It’s easier than you think!
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Now, or after you review our process, questions are always welcome.
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