Dan Kahn is the president and CEO of Kahn Media.
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To say that positive earned media can boost a company’s brand recognition and revenue is an understatement. News coverage that paints a company in a positive light can help it reach more customers, drive more sales and remain top of mind among its core audience.
Many companies rely on public relations firms and professionals to secure news coverage. But the media is becoming less centralized, with a 26% decrease in newsroom employment in the United States between 2008 and 2020 according to data from the Pew Research Center. With more news outlets relying on freelancers instead of full-time, in-house staff, PR professionals have to alter their media strategies accordingly.
What worked a decade or several years ago isn’t as effective today. For instance, in the past, PR professionals could quickly find an editor’s contact information, pitch a press release, and feel fairly confident that if it was the right content for the right outlet, it had a high chance of getting featured. But now, freelance journalists and reporters aren’t necessarily getting as much top-down strategic guidance from editors. Often paid per story or word, many freelance journalists and reporters run on a supply and demand model: The more they publish, the more they earn.
To successfully navigate this new media landscape, PR professionals should return to old-school PR techniques and emphasize building strong, authentic relationships with freelance members of the press using these three baseline strategies.
Relationship-Building Tip 1: Pitch Savvily And Conduct Thorough Research
Pitching journalists story ideas is par for the course in public relations, but it can be mired in frustration for both sides.
According to Muck Rack’s study, “The State of PR 2022,” the most significant challenge PR professionals cited was “getting responses from journalists” (52%). When you examine what journalists experience on the other side, it’s understandable to see why that’s the case. Muck Rack’s “The State of Journalism 2022” study found that “50% of journalists receive 1-5 pitches per day, or 5-25 per week.” Additionally, 24% noted that they “reject pitches due to bad timing” and 22% indicated they will “reject irrelevant pitches.”
It’s crucial that PR professionals carefully study the coverage areas of the journalists they pitch—and avoid sending pitches unrelated to their beat. For example, if a journalist mainly covers technology startups, don’t send them a pitch about a construction company. PR professionals should also avoid blasting a press release to multiple press contacts for this very reason, as there’s a risk they could email a journalist who does not cover that topic (plus, these types of press release blasts aren’t usually customized, which is a disadvantage). Instead, they should send carefully crafted, targeted pitches to select journalists with specific beats.
Additionally, journalists have their own pitching preferences. For instance, some might appreciate only one follow-up, and some might be okay with more than one. Some might prefer shorter pitches, while others might be okay with longer ones. As PR professionals develop one-on-one relationships with individual journalists, they can adjust various elements of their pitching approaches accordingly, using their best judgment.
PR professionals should also remember that any given beat only has a finite number of journalists covering it. They should carefully study their segments of interest and learn who the key players are, as well as what the standard news cycles are, among other crucial details. Cultivating a strong understanding of the ins and outs of particular beats will help PR professionals develop the right PR action plans.
Relationship-Building Tip 2: Try To Connect With Journalists Beyond Email
At my firm, whenever employees have an opportunity to connect with journalists beyond email, I encourage them to do so. Attending trade shows and social events or even just asking a journalist to grab coffee are great ways to build and maintain relationships. If in-person meetings aren’t possible due to distance, picking up the phone or arranging a video meeting are good alternatives.
To build and maintain strong, authentic relationships with journalists during these interactions, PR professionals should strive to get to know who journalists are as people. For instance, PR professionals can find out what journalists like doing in their spare time, whether they have pets, etc. These conversations shouldn’t be transactional; they should be natural, similar to how you would talk to someone you’d like to become friendly with. The more PR professionals learn about journalists’ interests outside of work, the more meaningful conversations they can hold. But, it’s vital to note that all parties should maintain professional boundaries and that getting to know another person takes time.
Plus, by knowing journalists on a more personal level, PR professionals will be able to reach out to them to catch up for the sake of catching up, and not just reach out when they need something.
PR professionals should regularly keep up with journalists’ work and read what they’re writing. Staying updated can help PR professionals maintain relationships by sending a quick “Great story!” compliment to journalists, as well as getting ideas on potential stories they could pitch based on that recent coverage.
Relationship-Building Tip 3: Offer Unique Angles
Journalists are gifted storytellers who know how to uncover and pinpoint stories that many people can’t. Journalists are on a quest for story ideas that none of their peers have, and PR professionals who can offer unique angles will be able to maximize their chances of earning coverage for their clients.
For instance, a PR professional representing a new action camera company might turn to traditional photography trade magazines, publications that cover startups and the local newspaper and business publication in the city where the company is based. But by thinking outside the box, that PR professional can land even more news coverage. One unique story angle? How action cameras are changing the way people capture their vacations. The PR professional could pitch this story idea to a travel publication.
Thinking about how trending events and topics is an effective way to generate unique story ideas. Another method I recommend is conducting competitive research to see what kind of coverage similar companies have received in the past and then trying to mirror it where appropriate. For instance, if a competitor landed a piece in a particular trade magazine, a PR professional can brainstorm ways their client can get coverage in that magazine, too.
Remember: Good Working Relationships Beat Adversarial Ones
The tension between the PR and journalism worlds is a well-known one. Both sides have legitimate grievances, which is natural. But when interacting with journalists, PR professionals should remember: Good working relationships beat adversarial ones.
A journalist may not respond to a pitch or cover a topic at one point in time, but that doesn’t mean they never will. Whether or not their pitches are accepted, PR professionals should move forward positively and continue to build and maintain good working relationships with journalists—for the next story is just around the corner.
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