The Public Relations Blog

Use these strategies to slice, dice, and personalize your company’s media segments.

Pitching journalists can seem chance-oriented, like throwing spaghetti against a wall to see what sticks. To boost your opportunity for success, you need an organized system for keeping track of media contacts and targeting pitches. The key is to segment your lists into smaller groups with shared interests. Here are smart ways to slice and dice your lists for better pitching results.

Here are the key takeaways, tips, and trends from analyzing media pitches to improve your company’s outreach.

An extensive analysis of over 14 million pitches sent to journalists over the past year reveals several noteworthy trends and best practices that PR professionals should know. By understanding when and how reporters prefer to be pitched, you can refine your own media outreach strategy for greater success. 

Consider these best practices and industry examples to weave newsjacking into your PR strategy.

If you caught our blog post about newsjacking and how it can increase your visibility and boost sales, you might have been left wondering exactly how to get started putting this tactic into practice. We’re back with more on how you can find the right stories for newsjacking and examples of how to execute this in the media.

Here are a few angles to begin identifying newsjacking opportunities. 

Secure media attention amid mass journalist layoffs, a saturated pitching environment, and the rise of new media.

The journalism industry is in a constant state of evolution, and the current media climate is harder to navigate than ever. Even after you’ve crafted the perfect story that is novel, timely, and relevant to a publication’s target audience, you might still be left scratching your head waiting for a reply. 

A Propel media barometer report details what pitches reporters are responding to, what gets left unread, the best days to pitch, and more supported with industry data.

Let’s see what works and what doesn’t in today’s newsroom.

The right connections will open doors for your company, but the substance remains most crucial in earning media coverage.

It's common for public relations firms to emphasize their close connections with journalists as a top selling point. The idea is that leveraging personal rapport can make it easier to pitch stories and gain coverage for clients. 

However, many experts argue that while relationships matter, their actual influence is limited. Bottomline, reporters decide what to cover based on newsworthiness, which poses an important question: Are strong media relationships vital for earning coverage, or are their power overstated?

Classify media tiers, identify interest, select quality options, and stay informed about competitors to prioritize media outlets.

Earning media coverage is essential to a successful PR campaign, and it’s important to remember not all media outlets are created equal when earning coverage. For example, an outlet you may be excited to earn coverage with may not be exciting to the client.

Knowing how to categorize and prioritize media outlets as you build relationships to earn media coverage is essential in maximizing your efforts and securing coverage that matters to your executives.

Editor’s note: This article was produced using automated technology and then edited and verified for accuracy by a member of Axia Public Relations’ editorial team. 

News releases are an important tool for businesses to communicate their news to the public while increasing visibility and credibility and driving traffic and leads. However, one of the challenges of news release distribution is getting the release in front of the right audience. 

This is where commercial newswires come in. Commercial newswires are third-party platforms that distribute news releases to a network of journalists, bloggers, and media outlets. However, consider the pros and cons of using a commercial newswire for news release distribution.

Make sure your spokesperson is armed with these media training tips before they take on the mic.

Going on the record with a reporter can be intimidating. Are there any “gotcha” questions, and how should you answer them? Can you ask for interview questions ahead of time? How do you discuss something you don’t want to appear in print? 

Even the most seasoned spokesperson is constantly learning how to approach the media landscape to avoid saying the wrong thing and going viral.

Writing an effective headline for your news release is a critical skill for professional communicators. Journalists could receive hundreds of news releases in a day, so standing out in their busy inboxes is no easy feat. A compelling headline, however, is the secret sauce to pique interest and entice a reader to click and read.

If you want your press release to stand out in a crowded media landscape, follow these seven elements of captivating headlines:

Hook readers with magnetic headlines and increase engagement online.

The press release headline is the first touchpoint readers have with your content. In an era of information overload, a weak headline means lost opportunities. Strong headlines draw attention amid the noise and condense your key message into a bite-sized preview. 

Use these proven tips to craft magnetic headlines that hook journalists and other readers.