Media Relations

A. Media relations is a subset of public relations that is a strategic communications process to build relationships between members of the media and organizations or people. Typically, a company will hire a public relations firm to help them get more exposure across media channels using the firm’s connections.

But relationships are only part of the story, and arguably not the biggest part of media relations. In fact, stories are at the heart of a media relations campaign. Media relations is about understanding what makes a strong, compelling story across a variety of media channels, knowing who to reach to tell that story, and how to best place a client or organization within that narrative.

A. The most effective media relations campaigns put the story—and the needs of the media—first. Clients and organizations who understand this and create content around this reap the most benefits from media relations campaigns. Having strong relationships will not guarantee a member of the media will interview you or write about you—but it makes it much easier to get in front of them when you have a strong story and hook. That’s what makes relationships critical and that’s what PR professionals do day in and day out—they develop relationships with members of the media they can leverage—when they have a strong story—on behalf of you as a client.

A. The best way to build relationships is to fully understand and respect journalists, reporters, and the guidelines for a publication. This can look like 1. researching the topics a journalist writes about before reaching out with a pitch, 2. paying attention to editorial calendars or 3. following the news and industry trends to be as relevant as possible. Of course, there’s much more to building relationships–the whole “relationship” part is key. But these tips are a good place to start.

A. One way organizations can enhance their media presence is to start getting exposure. A free way to begin to look at stories reporters want to tell is to sign up for a free account for a service called HARO (Help a Reporter Out). Another way to enhance your presence is to start following reporters in your industry and then selectively reach out to them when you think you may be able to provide valuable information they otherwise wouldn’t be able to get from another source.

Many organizations want to be able to enhance their media presence very quickly. Unfortunately, this is extremely difficult to do. Media relationships—just like any good, lasting relationship—take time to develop. They take patience, empathy, and a commitment to meet the other person (in this case, a member of the media or an influencer) where they are.

A. Working with a public relations agency allows an organization to heighten their PR awareness more quickly and efficiently than they likely would be able to on their own. PR professionals spend their days (and often their evenings too) cultivating relationships with media and studying the ins and outs of how various media channels function. They are equal parts researcher and matchmaker, knowing who and when to reach out to maximize media attention for their clients.

Working with an agency allows an organization to be more strategic about their PR efforts and to have a gameplan for outreach built on years of experience and knowing what will and won’t work.

Take it from our clients who’ve worked with us: An effective PR campaign can pay dividends. Read more about how we’ve helped clients in our case studies section.