Who is your PR Haro, and how to get article leads to your inbox

How is your company going to take the initiative to address the challenges that COVID is presenting? Specifically, how will these actions structure the way we work after lockdown? And if there is a covert strategy in place, how will the media know? We define an EastWest PR mindset as being compassionate, optimistic, values-based, informative, and digital. We have created a SPEAK|pr methodology that you can use to apply this framework.

One of the tools that we can use to reach out to the media are platforms like HARO, or "Help a Reporter Out," which was originally started by Kaunas and later bought. Luke O'Connor, the helpful Relationship Manager, explained that approximately 800,000 people around the world are using HARO. Once subscribed, you are provided with a list of all the stories that the journalists are working on where they are seeking experts to provide their valuable input. While providing a direct channel into the media, HARO also boasts a report titled the "State of the Media 2020". It was just in 2019 an updated list of questions was set out around the world where journalists from America, France, Canada, Finland, Germany, Brazil, China, Korea, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore responded. This comprehensive report is available online, for free, and will be available on our website as well. Clearly, the strapped-for-time journalists are receiving a considerable volume of stories, and 50% of them said they are receiving over fifty stories a week.

Here are some tips, available in the aforementioned report, that I would like to share with you. One tip is to send journalists an email with a pitch because email is the most reliable way to manage an influx of content. Another, due to the popularity of video content, is to make experts available for video interviews. Right now, local news angles are incredibly important, especially since the media tends to be on a globular level. Because the readership is still, from a technological point of view, local, journalists are interested in hearing about how local businesses are managing a global crisis. These stories should be positive, and framed in an optimistic point of view, especially due to the overwhelming amount of negativity seen in the news today. The last tip would be to remain patient; with the number of stories journalists are managing, one must consider that each report must be researched, and that takes time. 

It is important to remember that not all media is the same. Many clients may prefer to distribute their press releases as far and as wide with the same information, with input from anyone available. However, by the time it returns, it has lost all of its edge. A recent press release we covered with a management team in Malaysia and the UK had us reaching for the heart of the matter - in this case, it was how 3D digital printing could enable companies to prototype medical devices within seventy-two hours to help COVID response. As a result, we had over ninety pieces of coverage. As previously mentioned, due to the high quantity of stories journalists are receiving every week, they are only able to cover approximately 20% of those stories. If each story was 500 to 100 words, two stories alone could keep one journalist busy the entire day. If 36% of journalists prefer press releases, and 11% likes speaking with an agency, and 2.4% visits the company blog, that means that the most trustworthy source of company news is the spokesperson. Therefore, receiving a release to their email accounts is the easiest for journalists to process, and by placing the key point in the first five words of your email, you can skip all the unnecessary blandishments. 

One journalist stated that Monday is the best day for over 37% of journalists to receive a pitch so they can plan for the rest of the week, and 45% of journalists said press releases could be more effective if they had information relevant to their target audience. We are often asked to send press releases that are generic on the basis that they believe clients will think that the press release is standard; however, each media outlet has its own readership, which allows them to differentiate themselves. Like we say at SPEAK|pr, the "P" is for "Personalized."

Think of journalists as filters and finders of good stories, and how those stories need to be tailored for each individual media. It is crucial to find a common ground between not tailoring every unique press release, but at the same time, making it accessible and relevant to that media outlet. Due to time constraints, the media is only able to take about 20% of the best press releases. These press releases become a story; therefore, the optimal strategy appears to be sending in a well-crafted press release on a Monday, with the first five words being specifically directed at the journalists and that publication. 

The journalist can be seen as an intermediary; a salesman, for example, may have a media interview, and try to convince the journalist to buy a certain product. In the end, they become a sale, or technical presentation, to the journalist. While people may say is this easily understood, they do not modify the language used to reflect the understanding of the journalist. Some journalists in trade press certainly have domain expertise, but that number has dwindled. In other markets, journalists will have different levels of preparation other than researching, however, it tends to be the spokesperson with the technical and business-speak, which loses the journalist. It is necessary to be as targeted as possible with the information we are providing journalists in their press releases by explaining why we are writing to them, and why their readers would find the topic interesting. 

A group in Asia called Telum Media, led by Matthew Law and his team, have done a brilliant job in creating a database in Australia and Asia. Some of these databases are accessible free of cost, and some with a subscription, or a freemium model, that can provide an idea of what the media is looking for. It has already been stated that journalists are seeking stories of how COVID has impacted our lives, and our companies; thus, it is imperative that you reflect on your own company, and pay attention to the stories as you go back to work. As it is said at SPEAK|pr, how can we have Personalization, Engagement, Amplification, and apply this to create a narrative around what your business is doing?

As seen with Apple, customization is crucial as it ensures that products are still relevant in the post-COVID era. How will your company manage to not only continue, but to thrive? It is necessary to communicate with your audience through journalists by sending accurate and tailored messages that provide reassurance, information, and optimism. How is your company creating a new iteration? And once you have that defined, how will you use press releases to spread your message to your target audience? Leadership now requires spreading a sense of hope, because we are all going to get through this together, even if in different ways. 

This is a transcript from our podcast which you can find on EastWest PR. If you're interested in learning more about what we do, you can sign up for our newsletter here.