There is arguably nothing more valuable than a favourable article about you and your business in a media outlet (newspaper, magazine, online, TV) that your target client group accesses.
Why is an article so much more valuable than an advertisement?
Simply because it is written objectively by a third party (and therefore more likely to be viewed as accurate and credible by your audience, than an advertisement, that is entirely subjective) and of course this space is free! Your most valuable tool when building your profile in the media will be your journalist database. If you have an up-to-date list of all the journalists that operate in your area/industry and for the relevant media outlets, this list will become gold for you.
So, when starting out, how do you build your list?
Firstly, do some research online for the media outlets that you feel are relevant to your business. For example, if you own a local clothing store, then your local media – radio/newspapers – would be most relevant. If your business is an online store of baby products, your target audience would be parenting publications (magazines, online publications, etc). Once you have gathered a list of the media outlets, you need to find out the contact details of the journalists. These are usually displayed in the publication itself, or alternatively on the publication’s corporate website. Alternatively, put in a phone call to reception and ask for the journalists’ name and contact details. Continue to add to this list as it outdates and work on building genuine relationships and rapport with the journalists on it.
Here are my golden rules to establishing a mutually-rewarding relationship with a journalist:
- Never send them junk. If you have no news, then rather wait until you do have something interesting to tell them.
- A well-written media release or email with some sentences plainly describing your news will go a long way. Follow up with a phone call and offer a photo.
- No need to follow up more than once or the journalist will feel hounded. If they don’t respond, they are not interested. Don’t be offended. Next time you might strike gold.
- Treat your list like gold! Be careful who you share it with.
