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When your business has some interesting news, you probably want to share it with the media so you can get the story out in front of the public. But if you’ve never worked with reporters, figuring out how to get news coverage can be a challenge. Press outreach addresses who you call and what you say to capture their interest. Knowing who to contact and what to say matters because newsrooms today are understaffed and overworked.

Understanding press outreach is key to capturing a reporter’s interest and getting coverage. Getting professional help to get your business noticed can be a smart way to get your news in the news.

Crisis communications and public relations experts like those at Red Banyan have decades of experience working with reporters and know that sometimes having a good story is not enough to land the news coverage you seek. Red Banyan’s media relations and communications experts how important it is to pitch the right angle of a story to the right reporter for the right result. What’s more, Red Banyan’s PR professionals already have established media contacts across the United States making them more likely to consider a news tip from a reliable source.

Definition of Press Outreach

Press outreach is the process of increasing your company’s public exposure by connecting with journalists, editors, bloggers or social media influencers and partnering with them to promote your business on their platform. This can involve everything from providing a reporter with a story tip from your client, to working with a writer on a blog, or convincing a social media influencer to talk about your unique product on a social media platform like Instagram.

PR professionals like those at Red Banyan take a targeted approach to getting a client’s news into print. These PR experts will help you narrow your search and selectively target publications that serve your target audience and are most likely to be interested in your business’s news. Successfully pitching stories to the media takes practice and a thorough understanding of what a particular publication covers. Press outreach strategies include creating a specialized press outreach plan that will establish lines of communication between your business and the media. Creating a media outreach plan will help your business garner media coverage and achieve the kind of news coverage and recognition that you seek. Red Banyan’s team of media relations experts include several former journalists who have a firsthand understanding of the news business and can relate to reporters because they worked in the industry.

How Media Outreach Equals News Coverage

If you have a good story to tell, you probably want to share it with the media, but capturing their attention can be tricky business. Media relations and media outreach requires some understanding of how reporters work and what is needed to get them interested. Do you know how to write a pitch and then figure out who media outlet is the best one to send it to? The PR professionals at Red Banyan are experts at writing pitches that are tailored to specific news outlets. They also know how to create targeted press lists so when you send your pitch out, the recipient is more likely to bite because the editorial content is compatible with their publication.

Knowing how to write an effective pitch also takes time and experience. A pitch that lacks interesting details that make it newsy or unusual will probably never see the light of day. Additionally, you must be aware of what topics a news outlet covers. For example, if you send a story about a food bank to a sports magazine, your pitch is sure to be ignored.  Red Banyan’s team of media outreach experts will create tailored press lists that reach appropriate news outlets and then pitch your stories with an attention-grabbing subject line so the editors click “open” instead of “delete.”

Why Reporter Relationships Matter

Pitches are a dime a dozen so it can be challenging to make yours stand out. That’s why having established relationships with reporters can mean your pitch will get that important second look that results in a story. Red Banyan’s team of media outreach experts know what kind of stories stir media interest and what elements the stories need to result in coverage. Because Red Banyan’s media outreach professionals are trusted sources, the pitches they send to the media are more likely to yield news coverage. 

In fact, Red Banyan’s media credibility is so high that reporters jump at the chance to claim Red Banyan story pitches because we have a proven track record. Red Banyan’s media outreach experts understand the value of good storytelling and know that a pitch is doomed unless it is credible, newsworthy and relevant. We also know how important it is to time our pitches right because news is fickle and can change by the day or by the hour.

Our team of media outreach professionals works directly with reporters and editors, so your story is pitched to key players for the best result possible. Because Red Banyan’s team includes several former journalists, we have an inside perspective of what kind of story and what kind of details will resonate with the news media.

How to Improve Media Outreach

Businesses that are struggling to get media coverage should consider the advantage of working with experienced media outreach professionals like those at Red Banyan. With so many businesses and organizations vying for press coverage, it is essential to find a way to stand out from the crowd. Knowing who to contact in the media and how to write a pitch that will turn heads are two big hurdles that Red Banyan can help you overcome.

Our team of media outreach experts can identify specific writers who may be interested in your niche and show you how to contact them in a way that is likely to return results. We can teach you how to write interesting emails that editors will open so your story idea gets in front of the right people at the right time. Getting a positive response from reporters is directly linked to the quality and content of your pitch. Red Banyan’s services and training opportunities will ensure that your company gets the press coverage and recognition it seeks so your organization is noticed in a favorable light.

Frequently Asked Questions:

1. What is media outreach?

Media outreach means putting your story in front of journalists, reporters, and editors who have a platform to tell it to a wider audience. 

2. What is a media outreach plan?

 A media outreach plan is a detailed plan that outlines the goal and action plan of a PR campaign. 

The purpose of an outreach plan is to help you stay focused on your objectives, better execute and measure the success of your outreach campaigns.

3. Why is media outreach important?

Media outreach is one of the best ways to brand yourself. In fact, many of the news stories you read today have been the results of carefully planned and executed media outreach campaigns. The goal of media outreach is to earn press coverage which in turn can help your company’s influence grow over time.