7 Ways To Reach Out To Media Representatives
There are a number of ways to reach out to media representatives in order to get people to pay attention to your press releases and make sure you get pickups in relation to the right target audience you are aiming for.
There are a number of ways to get the attention of the press. There will be journalists interested in general stories, and those who specialize in particular niches, like music or electronics. There are bloggers who specialize as well, running what are termed ëauthority sitesí, that is, a blog which is considered to be a ëgo-toí site for the most important information related to the niche.
Make a list of the top journalists and bloggers in your niche
This is the best way to focus your efforts in the hope of getting the best results. Sure, you could write to every journalist on the planet, but not everyone would be a good fit. If you rush and donít give a personalized pitch, they will also know it and delete your email along with all of the other spammy ones they get in their boxes each day.
See if you can connect with them via LinkedIn and follow them on Twitter and Facebook. In this way, you can build a relationship with them over time, and not just seem like a pushy sales person trying to get them to run what is basically an ad for your company.
Check your favorite sites
List all of the main sites related to your niche or industry that you visit on a regular basis. Then look up the contact information at the site. Who are the main writers? Do they accept guest blogging or columns or press releases directly?
Become familiar with what each person writes
This can help you pitch your story to just the right people. It can also ensure more media pickups because you will answer the question ìWhatís in it for me?î not just for the journalist or blogger you are reaching out to, but their readership as well.
Use their hashtags on Twitter
This is a great way to reach out and ensure your tweets are relevant, not just spam.
Interact helpfully on social media
Journalists and bloggers will often ask questions of their contacts, so if you are able to offer sensible answers, you can position yourself as an expert in your niche and someone worth paying attention to.
Offer a range of content
High-quality images are always in demand. A press release and/or a media page with rich content and permission to use it provided that they give you credit and a link back can make their lives easier and give you more pickups.
Other handy content would include fact sheets, FAQs, infographics and other free handouts of use to them and their readers.
Be sure your item really is news
Donít try to dress up a sales letter as a press release. If you are launching a new product, that is news, but say why it is ground-breaking, how it can help people, and more. Always aim for the human interest angle, not the sales angle.
If you havenít been doing very much media outreach, now is the time to pencil it into your marketing calendar, especially if you are planning a new product launch or seasonal specials.
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