So how exactly do you develop these relationships? Most times it involves hiring a PR agency but if that's not an option, here are a few basic tips that will help you get started:

Know the media outlet
Read, listen to or watch your targeted media outlets to really understand the sort of content they cover and get a good fix on the stories they are interested in

Have a newsworthy story
Contacting journalists without a newsworthy story will be a waste of your and their time. For example, make sure you have an interesting case study to share with them, you are launching a new product or service or you have helpful tips for their readers. Remember again that your story must be relevant to their specific media outlet

Prepare a media release
There is no simple rule to developing an effective media release. Although templates and examples can be found on the internet, it is still a professional skill developed through both courses and experience. The general rule however is to include the main elements (who, what, when, where and how) at the beginning of the media release

Contact the journalist
Most journalists are best contacted in the morning. Be straightforward and explain how your story is relevant and interesting for their media outlets. It may even be appropriate to organise a coffee catch up with them to share details of your organisation and their editorial requirements

Be persistent
Although you may be tempted to scream victory after the first media coverage about your organisation, it is highly likely that one article will not have a tremendous impact on your bottom line. Your potential customers need to read or hear about your organisation many times to really start becoming aware of it and taking action. So keep exploring different story angles and approaching different media outlets to create that repetition factor.

For more information on undertaking media relations, please contact us.

By Kim Larochelle | @KimLarochelle