What is Media Relations?

What is media relations and why is it important? In a world where news can spiral out of control on social media it’s important to have a relationship with journalists before you need their help to correct a message that has gone awry. The PR outreach professionals at Red Banyan will create a personalized media outreach plan for your organization that will help establish credibility and get you the positive attention you seek.

Our marketing strategy will help you identify specific journalists who write about your niche and who might be interested in learning more about your company’s story. We will give you tips on how to pitch your news and content to bloggers and writers so you can create a communications strategy and plan that will benefit your organization and grab the kind of attention you want.

Our PR experts know what interests journalists because many of them are former reporters: they understand what elements you need to capture the interest of the news media and can guide you through the process. Social media is also essential to media outreach. Our media relations consultants will teach you to think like a journalist and decide what the angle is that you want to pursue. We will teach you how to pitch a story to the media that will hook readers and make them want to stop.

What is a Media Outreach Campaign?

Creating a plan of how you are going to pitch news and content to the media is essential if you want to get word of your business out to the public. But what does it involve? Red Banyan’s PR strategists can create an outreach campaign that will reach the right audiences at the right time in the right way. But creating a successful media outreach campaign takes some planning ahead.

First, you must determine who your target audience is and what is the best way to reach them. Is it social media, email, or possibly a news article in a local newspaper? It’s important to understand your goals. Will your outreach campaign use social media? Social media is a powerful tool but to use it successfully, you have to have a plan, a clear message and post regularly.

Media relations campaigns often use press releases which news editors can turn into articles with little effort. Our PR experts will also make sure you have a complete list of major media outlets in your city and surrounding areas as well as contact information so you can reach out to media sources directly. We will teach you how to monitor the news cycle and time your releases appropriately so you get noticed before the information you have is old news. Most importantly, our PR consultants will walk you through the process of gaining direct sources at local news outlets so you can become a trusted resource instead of a forgettable annoyance who is just an unfamiliar name on paper.

Developing a Media Relations Strategy

Our media relations experts will help you figure out a message and help you distribute it to the right sources so you can reach your target audience. Today’s media includes everything from traditional journalists to bloggers, social media influencers and anyone or anything with an audience. A media outreach strategy is important because news coverage gets people talking about your brand, and that brings your company business.

We will teach you how to use content, videos and social media to drum up conversations about your brand and get people interested! For example, blogging for influence and traffic may generate many comments that spur readers to check your organization out. Our PR professionals will help your company find the right publications and the right audiences for you to target and help you engage the right people so you get the desired result. We will also help you find the right content to share and help determine if you should use visuals, infographics and videos to add value.

Here’s a few tips to help with your media relations strategy:

  • Know the current news surrounding the topic you are pitching and choose one angle that connects to your pitch.
  • Does your announcement buck any trends? Or does your pitch announce a new trend?
  • Is there a significant upcoming event that can be tied into your announcement?

Establish Your Story using PR

If you want the media to pick up your story, you have to think like a reporter. The good news is that many of Red Banyan’s PR professionals are former reporters so they know what the media wants and can teach you how to craft newsworthy pitches. Our experts will teach you how to communicate the newsworthy elements of your content in a way that will set your message apart and capture their interest. We will teach you how to choose and angle and then shape that angle so it fits the news cycle.

If you don’t tailor your news to the writer’s audience, your message may be ignored. The best pitches have relevance and meaning to the writer’s target audience. We will show you how to personalize your pitches, develop your story in a unique way and write attention-grabbing copy that will spur a writer to take a second look.

Good pitches prove the value of your content. Will your content entertain or inspire readers? If so, explain how in your pitch. We will also teach you how to tell your story in a press release, and then share that press release with the media. Red Banyan’s PR consultants know how important it is to establish personal relationships with the media, and we will teach you how to do it so you can effectively pitch your news.

Having personal connections is sometimes the only reason a media outlet picks one story over because competition is so fierce. We will teach you how to distinguish yourself from the crowd so your message stands out and gets noticed.