How do you create and maintain a positive relationship with the media?

3 Pitch your story

Now that you have your message, you need to pitch your story. A pitch is a brief and personalized email or phone call that introduces your story and explains why it is relevant and valuable to the media and their audience. A good pitch should have a catchy subject line or headline, a clear and concise introduction, a summary of your message and key points, a call to action, and your contact details. Follow the best practices and etiquette of each media outlet and channel, such as timing, frequency, and follow-up. Be respectful, polite, and professional.

4 Build your relationship

Getting your story covered is not the end of your media relations. It is the beginning of a long-term relationship. You need to maintain and nurture your relationship with the media by providing them with useful and timely information, feedback, and support. Thank them for their coverage, share their content on your platforms, and engage with them on social media. Offer them exclusive access, insights, or opportunities that can help them with their work. Be responsive, reliable, and respectful. Show them that you value their time, trust, and cooperation.

5 Monitor and evaluate

Finally, you need to monitor and evaluate your media relations. You need to track and measure the results of your media coverage, such as reach, impressions, engagement, sentiment, and conversions. You need to analyze the impact of your media coverage on your goals, objectives, and reputation. You need to report and share your findings and insights with your stakeholders and team members. You need to learn from your successes and failures, and identify the strengths and weaknesses of your media relations strategy. You need to adjust and improve your strategy accordingly.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?