Securing media attention doesn’t happen by accident. It’s why we call it ‘earned.’ Companies seeking coverage to advance credibility in the marketplace must utilize PR strategy to build genuine trusted relationships with reporters. And that feat takes time with these respected healthy skeptics.
Strong connections with the right journalists amplify your leadership to be included in their stories which more often than not helps attract investors, partners and customers to you. Bottom line: media relations when done well creates momentum with these reporters for years. Here’s how.
Know the audience
Reporters cover macro-level trends in specific industries. Knowing who to target your message to counts the most. The message is only as good as the medium. Companies that align with your “beat” require doing homework. Often before being hired, we hear “I sent our release to info@wallstreetjournal.com and can’t understand why we didn’t hear back.” Well, we understand why.
Before reaching out to any news outlet, research who writes about your space, what interests them and how your story fits into their planned pieces. Read their work, engage thoughtfully on social media and understand their style.
You can ask for an editorial briefing with them where they get to know you and your company without pitching any story. We call this step “don’t only ask when you want something.” It’s up to you to find out what they care about and what they are working on in the next few months. In these ‘offline’ conversations you may be able to offer another source than yourself for one of their stories or learn about something they are working on ahead of the game and tailor a pitch to that later. They have a job to do too. These tactics build the mutual trust that we talked about earlier.
Offer real value
Journalists need insights, not promotions. Instead of pushing a product, position yourself as an expert source that can be used time again. Share market trends and provide fact-based commentary through unique statistics even if your company did the survey to be cited for the statistic. The best relationships form when as a leader you help journalists do their jobs better too.
Perfect the timing
News cycles move fast. Align pitches with industry shifts, breaking news or larger conversations already happening that your product, solution or service nicely ties into. A well-timed pitch with a relevant current event grabs more impact than a generic introduction.
Make every interaction count
Personalization matters. A reporter can spot mass emails from a mile away and yours may get blacklisted with repeated attempts that frankly aren’t compelling. Address them by name, reference past work and tailor messages to their focus. Being thoughtful and concise shows respect for their time. We’ve found that often reporters like to be pitched in two or three sentences now. How’s that for concise? A journalism professor in the mass communications program at the University of South Florida where our founder earned her master’s degree noted, “Anyone can write. The best writer must write in concise ways.”
One tip on what constitutes news: you are launching a new website? Hate to break it to you but this is not news to the outside world but it is big news to your company so keep the announcement internal and not through the official news media.
Play the long game
Unless you have breaking news that everyone needs to hear, successful media relationships take months or longer to form. Regular check-ins, valuable insights and authentic engagement build trust. Even if a pitch doesn’t land a story with your company involved, maintaining rapport opens future opportunities. When your pitch lands flat, ask a simple question: “What would make it compelling to you?” Often asking gives you great advice on what’s meaningful moving forward with this journalist and others.
Early-stage companies that invest in media relationships gain more than coverage—they establish credibility, influence and trust.
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