Media outreach is critical for meaningful brand exposure in the target markets of your business. However, it can be overwhelming in terms of where to start, who to reach out to, and how to capture their attention. With the wide media landscape, it is important to narrow down your outreach and find both the right media and contacts that will help your business grow. Here are 5 steps for improving your media outreach.
Find Your Audience
Before taking on any kind of media outreach, you need to establish who your target audience is. Consider many factors, including but not limited to, interests, location, different publication mediums, etc. From there, do some in-depth research and create a selective media list of leading editors, journalists, influencers, and bloggers.
Prepare Your Materials
In any situation, it’s important to be prepared. When launching media relations efforts, press kits (also known as media kits) are a great asset for explaining the core facts of your company to press contacts. A press kit can include various elements such as your company story and mission, branded marketing assets, media mentions, press releases, and samples of feature articles. Have this kit attached to your pitch and ready to share with the media.
Write Your Pitch
When crafting your pitch, you want to get straight to the point while also personalizing the messaging as best as possible. Keep in mind that journalists get hundreds of pitches a day, so you want to capture their attention, starting at the subject line. Ask yourself, “What is the main reason for this pitch and what makes my product/company interesting?” Is the pitch about a new product launch, a change in management, new funding, a new partnership, or an upcoming event? Start with the main point, answering the 5 Ws (who, what, when, where, why) then mention the details later.
Be Sure to Follow-Up
Didn’t get a response from your initial PR pitch? That’s normal! It’s important to remember that press contacts are people too, and will need some time to get back to emails. You may be surprised at how many responses you will get thanking you for following up and bumping your email up in their inbox. Continue to go after the media interest that you want, and never give up on making your business known.
Plan Ahead
Lastly, timing is everything. If your pitch is time sensitive, such as an event, make sure you give journalists enough time to do their job. When it comes to ongoing editorial calendar opportunities and timely story angles, stay on top of outreach to make sure you have a chance for your brand to be heard.
Is your business struggling to capture media attention? Contact us today to improve your media outreach.