Identifying the right media targets and uncovering compelling angles that suit each media outlet and journalist is critical to PR success. In fact, talk to some journalists and you’ll find that a good portion of PR professionals have given themselves a bad name by getting these steps wrong, and talk to some PR professionals or business owners and you’ll find that they have little or no media coverage because they give these steps little thought.
Part One of this series showed you some ways to develop compelling story angles worthy of the media’s interest. In this post we’ll give you a head start on selecting the right media outlets to target with those angles.
Matching media source to your business
Relevancy to audience and publication is often an area where you can strike out, even with the best story pitch.
That’s why it’s so important to ensure that the news sources and media outlets you reach out to are indeed the ones that would be interested in your content.
Some good places to start are:
– Local papers: If your organisation is locally based and focuses only on one community, then local newspapers are an obvious media target. However, if your organisation reaches to a greater area or is focused on issues rather than communities, you do not need to discount local papers. While they may not cover wider issues like unemployment or campaigning news, local papers are often interested in what members of their readership are doing, and may be interested in how their community is impacted by these issues.
– Community radio: Many local community radio stations have segments where guests can talk about specific issues. Consider the target audiences that your organisation needs to reach, and identify the community radio programmes that are likely to be listened to by them. Don’t be afraid to go to ethnic stations or niche programmes if their audience contains someone that should hear your message. Most community radio stations will have demographic information on their website and give a rundown on the style of programming. Take note of this information as it will help inform what station and which of their programs is right for you.
– Metropolitan newspapers (major state newspapers such as Daily Telegraph or Sydney Morning Herald as well as major national newspapers such as The Australian): journalists with these papers are often covering larger issues, so if you have a big issue story, this may be the target for you.
Target the niche via niche media
Even the smallest publication can bring in great results as long as the audience trusts the source and the article is relevant. Approaching niche media can greatly assist in demonstrating you have a level of authority that would appeal to the publications audience and help grow value for the readers.
Other outlets to consider are:
- Industry verticals – trade media such as Plumbing Connection, Inside Retail or Bite Magazine (for dentists!)
- Magazines, such as business magazines, in-flight magazines, lifestyle magazines, women’s interest or men’s interest, home and garden magazines, children’s interest, health and fitness magazines etc.
- Metropolitan radio, including their specific programs such as Life Matters on ABC Radio or Money News on 2GB
- Television programs such as breakfast and morning television, news programs, business review segments and current affairs programs
- Online news
- Blogs on specific topics
- Newsletters
- Industry journals
- Online magazines and apps
Once again, it’s a process of showing you care about these kinds of publications and their audience by staying on topic.
“Think about how your business story improves the quality of the media outlet you’re pitching to.”
The final word on PR wooing
No matter if you are pitching a story for the first time or you wish to build an ongoing relationship with a news source, relevancy is the key to strong relationships in PR. And relevancy only comes from doing your research and giving your target something that intrigues or interests them.
The more you think about how your business story improves the quality of the news source you’re pitching to, the better your result.
It requires more effort and discipline, but making the experience thoughtful, relevant and all about your target is the best way to woo in PR.
