When I started my internship back in 2007 with Pineapple PR, I remember watching my more senior co-workers pick up the phone to call media to discuss stories and various pitches with them and thinking that was the most terrifying part of PR. I wondered if I would ever be able to conquer my fear and do that! I heard horror stories from my friends who worked in other agencies of certain reporters from newsrooms hanging up on them or yelling at them and just imagined what my first call to media was going to be like. After months of dreading the inevitable, the time had come… I was going to be that person following up with a media contact on a pitch that I had sent them. I knew it was a perfect fit for the publication, I had done my research and it checked all the boxes. It was relevant to the audience. It was in the realm of what the media contact covered. It was in the timeframe of what they were working on and it was new and interesting. I made my script, picked up the phone and shakily dialed the numbers. The reporter picked up and I started with my spiel. The reporter kindly asked that I resend her my pitch and let me know that she would get back to me and ended the call with a “thanks for following up, my emails get buried!” I had done it! Better yet, the journalist responded to my pitch and ran the story stating that it was “a great fit.” I could not believe it- I was scared for nothing!

What I learned from this experience is that writers are just people doing their jobs. They are slammed, now more than ever before, but are appreciative if PR professionals reach out with content that is helpful to them. So, the big question… how to build these relationships with media? DO. YOUR. RESEARCH! Learn what they are interested in covering, learn the publication they write for, get to know their audiences and their interests, research editorial calendars and see what topics are coming up that might be a fit for clients that you have and target your pitch to them. Make sure that their competitors are not already running or have already run the story. They do not want to look like they are late to the game and want to be the first to report on the news. Once you provide them with information that is relevant and they can see you took the time to position it specifically to them, they will trust you moving forward and hopefully read those emails that have your name on them- even if sometimes it requires a little push.

To maintain those relationships, keep in touch! Set up a time to speak to the media and see what is going on in their worlds. Find out what trends they are looking at for the coming year and what their publication’s plans are for the future- things change constantly, so it is good to remain in the know. This will make it so you are well-prepared with story angles that might help them throughout the year.

When and is it ok to follow up? I think this varies from each contact, but I have found that most of the contacts I work with are ok with a follow-up email. As I mentioned before, media are bogged down with hundreds of emails a day, so the chance of yours getting buried is high. If you have done your research and the pitch is a great fit for the writer, they may thank you in the end for reaching out to make sure they received it!