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 In a world of shrinking media outlets, coverage is harder than ever to achieve. While some publications are folding completely, others are merely reducing their staff, or bringing on freelancers more than ever to cover additional stories. When reaching out in this environment, which is more beneficial for PR professionals in gaining media attention for their clients, a press release or a media pitch?

In most cases, it depends on the specific goal of the company. Here’s a look at the characteristics of each and when it makes sense to employ both to gain the widest reach possible:

Gaining Momentum Through Pitches

Simply put, a pitch is an attempt to get the attention of a reporter or editor at a media publication interested in your news so that they cover it. A pitch can be tailored or customized to each reporter and outlet, and  is designed to propose a larger, more in depth story. 

The benefits of pitches include:

• They provide the reporter or editor a unique...

It’s something every PR professional faces at one time or another -- gaps in the marketing cycle where it seems that absolutely nothing is going on. There are no new product releases, no customer announcements or events, no trade shows. There is seemingly nothing to reach out to the media with. It’s almost as if you have to create your own news to get coverage. And, actually, that is a pretty good idea.

When your company is in a slow news cycle, or you are just looking for new reasons to stay in touch and relevant with your colleagues in the media, data storytelling can help get you over the hump -- and potentially create an ongoing channel of news for your company. 

Why is Getting Media Coverage So Difficult?

It can be hard to catch the attention of reporters even when you DO have news. In fact, 47% of reporters and editors say they receive more than 10 pitches a day, and nearly 10% receive more than 50! How do we know that? Because a company did a survey of...

As sometimes solo practitioners, it’s not always easy for remote PR and Communications professionals to stay on top of the latest public relations tools, tips and tricks. If you’re lucky, you’re keeping your clients busy with new product launches, executive thought leadership blogs and articles, industry events, and interviews with media and analysts. 

But it’s important to keep up to date with what’s going on in the industry, and that means frequently brushing up on PR fundamentals. Something you read will inevitably spark some ideas about how you could be serving your client even better than you are today. Staying fresh ensures you and your clients are always putting your best foot forward when it comes to media exposure.

The 3 Key Ways to Drive PR Success

As shown in some of our more popular blog posts over the past several months, great public relations can be boiled down to three key themes:

1. Great Positioning and Messaging
2. Great Pitching...

Earlier this year, we published a piece about how to be a successful remote worker, when nearly everyone was working from home. Now, as you, your colleagues, and clients head back to the office, either in a full-time or hybrid environment, what will work look like for you as a permanent remote worker?

One word: different. According to a USA Today article, nearly 40% of employees would prefer to stay working from home. So it goes without saying that an adjustment back to the office will have a very different look and feel—for everyone. As a remote worker, one can expect some hiccups interacting with clients that would rather be working elsewhere. And, you may even feel envious at the thought of a separate workspace, a commute to decompress, and office banter. 

There are certainly pros and cons to each situation and there will need to be flexibility and grace as the world readjusts. Here are some things to keep in mind as everyone shifts to a new work environment and...

Despite investing significant time and energy to prepare for a smooth media interview, many subject matter experts (SME) have stammered and stumbled through a reporter’s questions. Even the most seasoned spokesperson can get tripped up when put on the spot. When preparing for an interview with a reporter, it’s impossible to predict every question you may be asked. But, knowing that there are always key “go-to” questions a reporter will likely ask is a great place to start.

The Types of Media Interviews

There are a few different types of interviews reporters conduct and knowing what they are most interested in is critical to understanding the types of questions that could be asked. Interviews typically fall under the categories: 

• General briefing/background interview
• Major company news or announcement
• Product or service launch 

When it comes to preparing a client and spokesperson for a media interview, it’s important to consider the type...

As a PR professional, you’re well-versed in writing guest posts/contributed content (same thing) on behalf of your executives, spokespeople, or even yourself. You’ve determined the outlets your audience is reading or watching, you’ve created a refined media target list, and you have a great topic in mind for your client or subject matter expert (SME).

More often than not however, the first step to getting your content published is pitching the reporter an abstract of what it is about. An abstract is an effective description of what you are proposing to write and a lot of reporters will ask for this FIRST to be sure the final content you deliver is aligned with their media outlet’s own objectives. There are some exceptions where an editor won’t want or need an abstract, but it’s always important to ask and tailor your process to what best fits theirs. 

You May Also Like: Pro Tips to Creating a Media List

What is an abstract?

Think of your...

When trying to secure media coverage and craft pitches that make reporters jump at the opportunity to talk to your team or publish your news, there are several factors that come into play. Relevancy, timeliness, and usually an interesting hook are all givens when it comes to landing coverage. But, there are other helpful ways to help determine when your news might make the most impact—and most likely to be published. 

However, determining the best angle to pitch and when to pitch it may feel impossible. How could anyone possibly know what a reporter is tasked with covering? 

The perception that securing editorial coverage is elusive is often actually an illusion. In fact, here are helpful tips to understanding better, faster, and easier ways to help get your news published.

Find the Right Beat

Pitching your news or story to reporters or writers that create content for the audience you sell to is not only critical to landing media coverage, but also to reaching your...

A contributed article is a great way to gain exposure for your brand and ensure your client’s name or company is considered a trusted authority. They are meant to serve as a vendor-neutral perspective by someone with concrete knowledge about a particular topic. Contributed articles (also called bylines) are one of the most used tools in a PR professionals toolbelt when it comes to serving their clients. 

However, before securing media coverage, there is a lot of groundwork that needs to be done before seeing your (or your client’s) name published. Placing a contributed article starts long before the content is written and even before the pitch is crafted. In fact, there is a bit of reverse engineering that must take place. Here are some of the most critical steps PR professionals should take when trying to place their content. 

Begin with the End in Mind When it Comes to Targeting Media

Creating a target media list for your PR goals isn’t necessarily...

A lot of people think that the only time you need a PR team is when things go awry. 

FALSE.

A crisis can happen at any moment and hopefully you have a PR team already in place that knows your business and its stories well enough to recover swiftly and effectively. 

If you don’t have one in place, or if you’re curious on what sticky situations may arise, here are easy ways to help prevent a disaster from happening in the first place. 

Preventable Things You Can Do To Avoid Getting Into a Crisis

Understand Your Competitive Landscape

You are always better prepared if you know what's going on around you. By being in-tune with your competition and what’s happening in the newscycle and world, you have the opportunity to create messaging and a narrative that best serves you in a positive light. Your messaging and narrative is the backbone of every piece of communication for your company, internally and externally. 

For example, years ago I worked with...

When you start to seek press coverage for your business, your media list—the repository that contains your research about outlets that your target audience reads—is your lifeline.

But getting to the point of being able to turn to your media list and pitch with confidence, there are several steps you’ll want to take to be sure that you’re targeting the right contacts. After all, a media list with the wrong contacts is just as bad as no media list at all (not to mention frustrating for those reporters on the receiving end of your pitch).

Getting Started with Creating a Media List

Know Your Audience

To start honing your media list, you’ll want to make sure that you’re targeting appropriate outlets for the articles you want to get published. For example, you probably wouldn’t want to pitch a story about off-roading vehicles to an online parenting magazine. If you’ve created a customer persona or multiple personas, then you not only have a...