Building Media Relationships

July 21, 2006

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I met two editors today for lunch. They work for the same publisher, but different magazines - both of which are target trade publications for my company. As we were finishing up our meals, I explained that I may be presenting to PR students next school year about the industry and wondered what advice they would give students about pitching the media. Without hesitation, one of the editors said “I’d tell them to build relationships.” He explained that too many PR folks make canned pitches and don’t think about building long term relationships with reporters and editors.

Friendly lunches, phone calls and, most importantly, custom (and meaningful) pitches can all help build those relationships.  Unfortunately, all the lunches in the world won’t mean a thing if you don’t know the editors and reporters (and their publications)! What news and/or trends are they interested in? How do they like to be contacted? When do they like to be contacted? Who are their readers? What is the organizational structure of the publication and how do they fit into the chart? Do they prefer someone in-house cover your story idea or do they want a byline instead? What is their publishing cycle or how far out do they work? Do they run news briefs or only focus on evergreen pieces?

In PR, media contacts and relationships are the second most important thing you can have. The first most important thing you can have is the ability to build media relationships. And most of that ability is based on knowing the answers to the above-mentioned questions and using the answers to customize a thoughtful pitch. The more you know about an editor and his/her publication, the more s/he’ll want to know about you, your company or client.

As any PR expert will tell you, there is a lot more that goes into effective media relations; however, I’m sure they’ll all agree that building relationships is essential… how can you not when it also comes from the mouth of a veteran magazine editor.

Filed Under Public Relations 

Comments

One Response to “Building Media Relationships”

  1. shelter chiweshe on October 30th, 2007 9:00 am

    Hello,

    At this point I’m literally writing to anyone…(as desperate people often do.)

    I have inherited a small television, film & music production house in Zimbabwe and I have come to the point where I can no longer manage alone. I am deserately seeking advice and information on mergers / co-operation agreements or alliances I can form with companies in the international arena.

    Help!?!

    Shelter

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