You're armed with great ideas for stories about your company and products. Where do you begin? You don't know any journalists, other than what you read in the local newspaper. It's time for you to meet some journalists and build relationships with them just like you would with a potential lead or customer.
Building media lists is similar to building a database of key customers, or a list new leads. You must be intimately familiar with your market and your audience. First, consider the geographical regions that you wish to target based on your potential customers and customers. Next, consider the publications that are most relevant to those customers. You could choose a local newspaper, a magazine or trade publication. Which TV stations are available in these areas and what is their affiliation? Is there a local newsletter? Make a master list and then contact the appropriate outlet for your product or business story. The circular file will not be affected by a press release about a new piece or software sent to the Boston Globe travel editor. You can make your story heard by finding the name of the technology editor for the business section, and how she prefers to receive newsworthy information (phone fax, email, and snail mail only). Contact information There are many paid and free resources that can help you build your media library. For a list of regional publications, or for free online sources such as political parties (sometimes they have listings), visit your local library. You can also use search engines to locate specific magazines or TV stations. You can search the internet for the media outlet. Many media outlets have places on their websites where your release can be submitted directly to them. Paid services such as Vocus and PR Newswire can help you build your lists and handle distribution. These services have huge databases that contain every publication, from The Town Tattler to The New York Times. You should gather as much information as possible, including the name of the journalist, the specific title or department, phone number, fax, email and postal address. Determine how the journalist prefers to be informed. Some prefer to email, while others prefer fax. Ed Email Database Others still prefer "write only", which means that if they don't receive a press release in #10 envelopes stamped by the United States Post Office it's likely that you won't hear from them again. Respect these people's time. It is not only rude to call a reporter to "chat over an idea" when he's trying to file a report on deadline, but it will also ruin your chances of getting a story placed in the publication. Lead Times You don't need to call the newspaper two days before an event to get free publicity. Newspapers typically work within three to four weeks; magazines take six to twelve months. Television can sometimes be completed in under an hour. You should send your press release to media outlets by May middle if your event is June 12. Send information to magazines in spring/summer 2008 if your product launch is for fall 2009. Understanding how journalists work is key to building a media list that's rich with contacts and leads who are looking for the right story. Remember, building your media list is the same as developing your customer database. Find out what the media wants and when they want it, then deliver it. A large mass media list may cover more territory but your story pitch might not be applicable to everyone on the list. This can reduce your chances of editorial success. If you have a well-planned, targeted list with up-to-date contacts, you can have some amazing relationships that will eventually lead to some great free publicity.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
|