The key to any good relationship is for the people in it to understand each other. It’s the same for PR professionals and journalists, who each rely on the other for certain aspects of their jobs. Reporters often need PR representatives to get information or ideas for stories, while media relations pros need reporters to secure favorable news coverage on their clients.
PR experts who are most successful at media relations are those who work hard to be helpful, versus annoying. They understand a reporter’s job and provide resources that make it easier.
In so doing, they earn journalists’ respect and more media coverage for their clients. The following best practices help PR pros build better relationships with journalists:
1. Target correctly.
There’s no faster way to train a reporter to ignore your emails than sending them irrelevant pitches. Make sure you research journalists before you add them to your distribution list. Read some of their work, and only send pitches that pertain to their beats and readers or viewers, which will illustrate you respect them and their time.
In a new report from Cision, 63% of journalists surveyed said the No. 1 thing PR pros can do to make their jobs easier is to “understand my target audience and what they find relevant.” Sending messages that have nothing to do with the topics they cover or the people who consume their content damages your credibility and your relationships.
But, suggesting a story that fits their beat and directly impacts their readers or viewers sets the stage for pitching success. In fact, one journalist told Cision that, “When I do get that rare pitch that shows me the PR pro has actually viewed my work, they’ve got my attention.”
2. Be responsive.
When reporters accept an offer you make to provide more information or arrange an interview, follow through in a timely manner. Always beat their deadlines.
Journalists work against the clock and value PR pros who can help them quickly and easily access the details or sources they need to get their jobs done.
3. Write well.
Make sure your pitches are concise. Get to the point quickly. Avoid promotional language, jargon and clichés. In short, write well. After all, you’re reaching out to professional writers who don’t have the time or patience for superfluous verbiage or disconnected thoughts.
The news release remains the best way to communicate the details of any story, but only if it briefly summarizes the main message in the lead and adheres to high journalistic standards.
Accuracy – including spelling and getting a reporter’s name exactly right, properly sourcing information and writing like a reporter are keys to earning respect and coverage.
As the Cision report describes, the best ways to win over journalists and influence earned media are:
- Make their jobs easier;
- Give them what they want; and
- Respect their needs.
It’s a repeatable formula for success, but it takes specialized expertise and thorough preparation.
The best media relations pros, like the ones at GYC Vegas, simultaneously make themselves indispensable to both journalists and their clients. Contact us today to learn how we can tip the pitching scales in your favor and garner the kind of earned media that can set your company apart.
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