Mastering Media Relations: Tips To Increase Media Coverage
In today’s competitive marketplace, capturing media coverage is more crucial than ever for driving business success. We understand the unique challenges faced by major real estate developers, architecture and design firms, higher education institutions, hospitality, travel, consumer lifestyle organizations and more. Our expertise in public relations ensures that your brand not only garners the attention it deserves but also maintains a strong, credible presence in the industry. With our strategic approach, we help you navigate the complexities of media engagement, enhancing your visibility and fostering sustained growth.
If your business struggles with gaining media coverage and visibility, we are here to help.
You can turn around your situation by mastering media relations. This article shares expert media relations tips to help you master media relations and boost your business’s coverage.
5 Tips To Boost Media Coverage
1. Have a Press or News Page
A press or news page, often called a “Press Room” or “Media Center,” is a dedicated section on your business’s website. It serves as a central hub for news-related content, such as press releases.
This page provides journalists, bloggers, and other media professionals easy access to your company’s key information.
Creating this page and placing it in an easy-to-spot place on your website lets media professionals quickly see your press releases and other newsworthy content.
That said, here are some important tips to consider before your press/news page goes live:
- Formatting: Always upload press releases in Word format (and never as PDFs) to make them easy for journalists to copy.
- Provide resources: Offers ready-to-use resources like high-resolution logos, images, and company facts. Doing so makes it simpler for the media to cover your stories accurately. Also, make it easy for journalists to request additional story resources.
- Downloadable visual elements: Include downloadable logos, videos, headshots, and other important images. Poor-resolution visual elements can sway journalists not to cover your business.
2. Have a Consistent Social Media Presence
The likelihood that your audience is on social media is extremely high. There are approximately 5.07 billion social media users globally, equating to about 62.6% of the world’s population. This significant percentage highlights the vast reach of social media platforms and underscores the importance of having a social media presence.
Social media lets you disseminate news and updates to a much larger audience, increasing the chances of journalists seeing them. Also, the viral potential of a well-crafted press release or media statement on social media is quite high, which, again, increases the chances of coverage by the media.
Ensure you follow any journalists you’d like to cover your brand, but only approach them when necessary. If your brand gets any media coverage, share it on social media and other owned media to attract the attention of other media personalities.
3. Pitch to Journalists Rather than Publications
Imagine your company is launching a new eco-friendly product to reduce household plastic waste. You want to get media coverage to build awareness and drive sales.
You send a general press release to a large publication’s editorial email. The release gets lost in the flood of other submissions, and no specific journalist is advocating for your story. The publication may not prioritize your news and might never get published.
On the other hand, your competitor identifies a specific journalist who writes extensively about sustainability and eco-friendly innovations for the same publication. They craft a personalized pitch highlighting why their product aligns with her interests and previous articles.
They mention how their product addresses a gap she has noted in her coverage and offer an exclusive interview with their CEO. Outcome? The journalist is intrigued by the targeted pitch and decides to cover your competitor’s product because it is relevant and resonates with her audience.
This is exactly how pitching to journalists rather than publications works. Pitching to a journalist works better because your story gains attention and journalistic advocacy.
4. Be Prepared for Your Pitch
Preparing for your pitch is pivotal to ensuring a positive response and maximizing your chances of media coverage. Identify and research a specific journalist to understand their beat and audience. This will help you tailor your pitch to the journalist’s interests, making it more relevant and compelling.
Then, craft a concise and clear message, highlighting the newsworthy aspects of your story and why it matters to their audience. Add supporting materials such as high-resolution images, data, and quotes to make your pitch stronger and easier for the journalist to use.
Finally, rehearse your pitch to ensure you can deliver it confidently and clearly, whether it’s through email, phone, or in-person meetings.
5. List a Clear Media Contact
Include a contact that the press can reach if they have questions. This contact should not be a bot but someone on your PR or marketing team who can answer questions promptly and factually.
While bots might know exactly what to say when asked straightforward questions, most lack contextual understanding, which might lead to inappropriate or off-topic responses. Also, they might experience malfunctions and not escalate journalists’ queries on time, which is detrimental during a crisis.
On the other hand, real people have the personal touch bots lack. Therefore, they can easily build personal relationships with journalists and handle sensitive information expertly, increasing your brand’s trust and credibility.
Final Thoughts
Increasing media coverage for your business enhances visibility, credibility, and customer engagement. It also provides a competitive edge and positions your brand as a leader in the industry. The tips discussed above will help you improve media relations and increase coverage for your business.
Founder and President at The Hoyt Organization
With over 25 years of experience, Leeza’s campaigns have garnered over 150 awards from top public relations organizations nationwide. Additionally, THO serves as the Los Angeles area partner of the Public Relations Global Network, granting clients access to over 50 global markets. The agency was also named to one of the top 200 firms in the country by Forbes magazine in 2021, and she has been named by Globest.com as a Woman of Influence and a Woman to Watch, among other designations.
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