A Personal Approach to Publicity Campaigns

By Natalie Farinacci | Posted May 26, 2010 | 0 Comment(s) | Filed in: Public Relations, Social Media

According to the 2010 PRWeek/ PR Newswire Media Survey, 43 percent of journalists report having being pitched through social networks in 2010, compared to 31 percent in 2009. There was not only a significant increase in the method of how PR people pitch the media, but also a higher success rate of journalists covering a story. In the U.S. and Canada, journalists covered pitches 70 percent of the time if they came from social networks.

Historically, publicity efforts for a client involved searching for reporters in media books, sorting through long lists of names, beats and titles, and blindly pitching journalists through direct mail, phone calls and fax. Then, the Internet presented online media databases that made collecting media contacts quicker — but also faux-personalizing and spamming easier, too.

Today, social media offers a new venue to connect with journalists in more meaningful ways: We can easily read previous articles and blog posts they’ve written, and follow their activity on social networks. In short, we can get to know the people behind our media lists, and establish relationships that can help us provide valuable information for them and their readers.

Here is a four-step process for using new online technologies to improve your media relations efforts, and the pitching process.

Know Where Your Audiences Get Their News

Considering that your ultimate goal is to engage with buyers and other key audiences, it’s essential to understand where those people get their news — both online and off — so you know which outlets to target.

To begin researching the media your target audiences follow, start with your knowledge of the industry, and the online media databases we’ve used for years, such as MyMediaInfo and Bacon’s Media Directories. Be sure to check out the social media information now available on these databases, such as journalists’ blogs, LinkedIn profiles and Twitter handles. In addition, look into external resources, such as Twitter journalist databases like Muck Rack, journalisttweets and MediaOnTwitter.

Also keep an eye on new developments and advances in the journalism field to stay abreast of current trends. For example, the Society of Professional Journalists released part one of its Digital Media Handbook in March, with the intent to instruct journalists on how to use digital and social media to their fullest potential — including as a means to find and share stories.

To answer one of the most common questions that journalists receive, features reporter for the Chicago Tribune, Chris Borrelli, shares how he finds stories as a reporter. Borrelli suggests simplifying the pitching process by just observing normal, everyday conversations on topics that are relatable or thought provoking and including those topics in your pitch.

Use the Social Web to Further Research

Once you’ve narrowed down your list of contacts, simply take the time to read their stories and learn more about them. New York Times technology columnist, David Pogue, said in a recent interview that the best way to know what reporters write about is to read it, and expressing your knowledge of their writing goes a long way. His ideal pitches are brief, express knowledge of his previous coverage and ask if he's interested, with reference to a related press release below if appropriate.

Along with news stories, explore what your target contacts have covered in their blog (if they have one), topics they tweet about, articles they post on Facebook and LinkedIn, and other relevant online communication that will help you identify who this person is and what they care about. Use these outlets to engage with target journalists, and share their interesting stories.

Develop Targeted Pitches

Now that you understand who this person is and what they’re interested in, create a pitch customized to their specific needs and passions, and more importantly, their readers.

For example: Is there a previous story that you can provide more information for, or relate your client’s story to? Do you have a story that fulfills a journalist’s request in a tweet or Facebook message? Whatever the reason for contacting the reporter may be, make sure that your pitch is written with only that journalist and outlet in mind.

In addition to tailoring your message for the person, pitch each type of media outlet with a distinct approach. For example, understand that traditional news rooms are likely short-staffed and stretched thin, and keep your pitch to them as brief and targeted as possible. When pitching bloggers, consider their personal voice, and offer more multimedia elements based on what they tend to post with their articles.

Follow Up (If Appropriate)

Just like your initial contact, put yourself in the journalist’s shoes if making follow up calls. Do you have relevant, worthwhile information, such as a new development to your story, or a related event? If not, don’t waste their time (or yours).

In a survey on Journalistics blog, Jeremy Porter found that 76 percent of journalists are fine with follow-up calls, but only if your pitch pertains to their coverage area and is time-sensitive.

Pogue’s take? If he’s interested, he will call you. However, a respectful follow-up call that shows genuine enthusiasm and passion may convince him to consider a story.

It’s All About Relationships

At the end of the day, this approach really isn’t very different than quality publicity efforts of the past — social media simply offers a new venue that helps us do our jobs better by being more targeted, forging relationships with media in new ways, and getting to know more about the people we pitch than just their beat.

The result is reaching real people, with the information and sources that can help educate their audiences.

Natalie Farinacci is an associate consultant at PR 20/20, a Cleveland-based inbound marketing agency and PR firm. Follow Natalie on Twitter @natalie_f.

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