How can you manage media relations in a global context?

1 Define your objectives

Before you engage with the media, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve, who you want to reach, and how you want to measure your success. Your objectives should be SMART: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. For example, you might want to increase awareness of your brand among a certain demographic, generate leads for your new service, or improve your trust and credibility in a specific market.

2 Research your target media

Once you have your objectives, you need to identify the most relevant and influential media outlets and journalists for your story. You can use tools like Cision, Muck Rack, or Google News to find media contacts, analyze their coverage, and understand their preferences and expectations. You should also consider the cultural and linguistic differences, the media landscape, and the legal and ethical norms of each country or region you are targeting. For example, you might need to adjust your tone, style, and format depending on whether you are pitching to a newspaper, a magazine, or a podcast.

4 Prepare your media materials

Your media materials are the tools you use to communicate your key messages and support your media relations strategy. They include press releases, media kits, fact sheets, case studies, testimonials, infographics, videos, and more. Your media materials should be well-written, well-designed, and well-distributed. You should also make sure they are relevant, accurate, and up-to-date. For example, you might want to include different statistics, quotes, or visuals depending on the topic, angle, or audience of your story.

5 Build your media relationships

Your media relationships are the foundation of your media relations strategy. They are the connections you establish and maintain with the media outlets and journalists that matter to your audience and your goals. Your media relationships should be based on trust, respect, and value. You should also make sure they are mutually beneficial, proactive, and long-term. For example, you might want to offer exclusive access, expert insights, or newsworthy stories to your media contacts, and follow up with them regularly.

6 Monitor and evaluate your media results

Your media results are the outcomes of your media relations strategy. They are the indicators that show how well you have achieved your objectives, reached your audience, and delivered your key messages. Your media results should be tracked, measured, and reported. You should also use them to improve your media relations strategy and optimize your performance. For example, you might want to use tools like Google Analytics, Meltwater, or Mention to monitor your media coverage, analyze your media impact, and evaluate your media ROI.