Ever wonder why some people get media coverage for their business and some don’t?
Kick off your own media relationship development strategy: Use social media and communities to build real connections with reporters and bloggers.
Why do somepeople always seem to get media coverage for their business and some don’t?
What if you could get featured in the top sites and publications? Just think of what that would do for your business and your personal brand!
The secret: People who are getting the buzz are the ones taking the time to proactively build personal connections with bloggers and reporters.
By taking a people-centric approach, over time you can build an engaged group of writers and influencers who trust you, understand your company’s unique value, and are rooting for your success.
Tokick off your own media relationship strategy, you will need the right blend of contact management AND relationship development.
Groups: Create a group(s) like “Tech Writers” or “Food Bloggers” and add respective contacts. This simple step will save you a ton of time down the road, as you can quickly pull your current media list for efficient outreach
Notes: What makes this person unique? Capture and store important information such as: a link to one of writer’s most popular articles; link to personal site/blog; interesting hobbies/passions; where you met; etc.
Connect: Connect across as many mediums as possible. Follow writers on Twitter, friend/subscribe on Facebook, and if appropriate, send invite on LinkedIn.Don’t forget about: Instagram, G+, Foursquare, YouTube, Pinterest, and subscribing to their blog.
Keep in touch reminders: Like any relationship, it will take ongoing outreach to get on the radar and stay top of mind with writers. I’d suggest setting a weekly reminder for those with whom you are trying to establish an initial connection, and a two week reminder for those reporters already in your court. (Note: Reminders reflect the maximum amount of time you want to allow between outreach points. Mingly monitors you interactions, so if you happen to reach out before a reminder is due, say with an email or tweet, the reminder just resets itself.)
Put aside your agenda and focus on helping those you admire be even more successful.
Reply to and reshare Tweets and Facebook posts, Pins, photos, etc.
Twitter lists are a great way to get a bird’s eye view of what a group of people are posting and discussing. And by following other people’s lists, you will discover more great people and content.
Regularly leave well thought out comments at the end of articles you genuinely enjoyed
Join in the conversations journalists are starting or following on online communities like Quora, LinkedIn Groups, and Focus.com. It’s a great way to not only find answers to your own questions, but weigh in and establish yourself as an expert in your field.
Meet in real life. Pay attention to events they will be attending, and introduce yourself/ schedule 15 minutes to chat.
Write a blog post that highlights a story of theirs, then e-mail/ tweet them the link.Offer suggestions you think would make great follow-up stories, especially ones that don’t have anything to do with your business. (Most stories are part of a long-running issue, so additional story follow-up ideas are always needed.)
Offer to connect them to experts you know. This helps them and other people in your network.
Maximize your travel plans: Sort your media group(s) by city, and invite them to meet up for a coffee/ drinks while you’re in town.
Congratulate them on birthdays, new gigs, and other personal news.
First focus on building personal relationships with those in the media. When you are genuinely interested and understand them, your eventual pitch will be ten times better. You will be able to relate to them personally and they will know who you are and have a sense of your expertise. So when the time comes to share your news, they will be much more likely to open your email or take your call.
First focus on building personal relationships with those in the media. When you are genuinely interested and understand them, your eventual pitch will be ten times better. You will be able to relate to them personally and they will know who you are and have a sense of your expertise. So when the time comes to share your news, they will be much more likely to open your email or take your call.