How Media Relations Can Help Your Organization Create Greater Impact
Media Relations is one part of the Public Relations or Communications puzzle. This is the work done to build relationships with media outlets so an organization or individual can share or communicate its mission and purpose with a targeted audience. Telling your story to the audience or community you want to serve is a fantastic way to spread your message.
Media Relations is about relationship building and networking. Working with journalists, producers, managing editors and editors, freelancers, bloggers and podcasters is also vital.
Media Relations is about building trust, credibility and loyalty with the media and those you want to collaborate with. It’s the job of a public relations professional to build trust and awareness for your organization. It is important to share why you are valuable to the media and what expertise you can provide to them.
The value of media relations for your organization or for an individual is increased reach, authority, awareness, visibility and credibility. Becoming the “go-to” expert or being a thought leader helps organizations create greater impact.
News articles or television segments highlighting your organization will bring increased traffic to your website and can increase business for you overall. This is called earned media. This is NOT advertising. You are not paying the media outlet for the mention or inclusion in that specific news outlet. (This includes newspapers, magazines, tv, radio, blog, podcast, etc. Due to digital media there are websites for most of these outlets that produce daily content as well. This increases your visibility even more.)
Visibility in a crisis and beyond is about an organization being trusted by their customers. You need to be seen and heard consistently. Silence does not generate more sales or business. Being visible does. This protects your reputation.
Media Relations Tips
- It’s appropriate to connect with journalists on social media outlets such as #Twitter and #LinkedIn too. Be sure to follow them on these social media platforms to understand more about them as humans and not just journalists. Their personality shines through on social media. Also, be sure to read their latest articles. This is very important when pitching to them. You need to know what topics they cover, their interests and past stories so you are relevant in what you can offer as their next expert, story or idea.
- You need to provide information and content that is of value to the media outlet and THEIR audience, thereby gaining credibility for your organization.
- Media Relations is just one part of the PR puzzle. The more visible you are, the more you are spreading your reach and building a community and relationships and soon to be customers or clients.
- Media Relations is also cost-effective. Be sure to amplify your media placements all over your social media platforms and your website. Tell everyone about your interview in a gracious way. Tag your contacts and connections when appropriate. Share in your email messaging.
- Clear, consistent content and communications builds a community.
- If you do NOT have time or the know how to do this yourself, consider hiring a public relations professional to handle everything for you. So you can focus on what you do best.
Jennifer McGinley, CEO of JLM Strategic Communications, based in the Baltimore area, helps CEOs and leaders in health care and education organizations increase their visibility and credibility through strategic and effective public relations programs. Jennifer offers Clear Communications in a Crisis Strategy sessions, messaging and media relations programs to elevate your business. Reach out to schedule a call: Jennifer@JLMStrategicCommunications.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-mcginley/ https://jlmstrategiccommunications.com/