Great PR involves more than a spreadsheet, wide distribution of a press release, or a clever story pitch. Good media relations are essential.
Make an investment in a relationship with key media contacts. Here are tips for making the most of media contacts:
Know your people. Know the main story interests of every contact on your media list. Nothing sours a media relationship faster than receiving an irrelevant media pitch where the PR person hasn’t even read your content.
Include a personal touch. Personalize communications with names. Pick a conversation starter with every contact. Ask about family or vacations if they’ve come up in conversation before. Nobody in the media wants to feel like they are only one of a hundred people on a mailing list.
Use CRM. Customer relationship management software does more than save time. It can help you nurture relationships. The right tools help you manage media relations by keeping track of personal details, your last conversation with people, etc. for key contacts on your media lists.