By: Joyce Yu
Despite the ever-changing landscape, the importance of media relations among PR practitioners has never been more relevant than it is today.
Pre-pandemic, media relations has worked the way it had always worked. Immerse yourself with the brand, identify opportunities for media coverage, and pitch stories–these may seem simple and straightforward but what the majority don’t realize is that what used to be the “drafting and sending of news releases” has evolved into another practice that can make or break your campaign.
How has media relations shifted and how can you keep up? Keep reading for more insights and tips.
Practitioners have to work harder to create personal engagement
In-person interactions took a backset during the pandemic. From the usual media “wine & dine,” and press rounds where we can meet the media on a more casual level, we had to make do with virtual communication. As PR practitioners, we leveraged social media, creative seeding, among others to maintain our rapport with our media friends.
Now, while the barriers are less restrictive, we are facing another challenge again as majority of the media have adapted to a work-from-home setup. Aside from that, movements within industry also changed the landscape. Some of our close contacts may have moved to other companies or changed industries. As such, we must be more creative in our approach to maintaining our relationship. One way to bridge this gap is through constantly communicating with the media. Have the initiative to really build genuine connections. Like how you would nurture a budding friendship, take time to know the person. What are their interests? Do you share the same hobbies? When you finally have the chance to meet them during on-ground events, don’t be afraid to strike conversations.
It may be overwhelming especially to young practitioners, but the next time that you have an event, challenge yourself to talk to at least three people and slowly build from there. Sustain your connection by engaging with them like on social media. Simple ways like engaging on their posts on social media will go a long way. Likewise, do not lose sight of the ones that you already have a connection with. Still check up on them, even if you don’t have a press release to send out.
Identify opportunities to support media
Various media outlets have to make the difficult decision to lay off people or cut their budget as they recover from the pandemic’s aftermath. These not only impacted their livelihoods, but at the same time made pitching of stories challenging as there’s a tendency for them to prioritize advertisements given the space constraints.
One way to show your support is through mutually beneficial executions through advertisements or special placement executions. These can provide revenue streams for these organizations while allowing brands to strengthen their credibility and contribute to relationship building with the media.
Explore various creative executions too, as media titles nowadays offer more than the traditional ad placements.
Acknowledging the media’s efforts still goes a long way
Sending a text message was the standard practice to show how much we appreciate the support of the media. But now, with the number of available digital tools and platforms, we can now go the extra mile in acknowledging the media’s efforts.
As majority of publications have their own social media pages, we can easily access and share their articles within our own network, allowing them to reach more eyeballs and engagement. With a few clicks or mention on social media, we can contribute towards driving more traffic to their pages, paving the way for better collaboration and mutual respect. This simple act can help strengthen our relationship with them.
As we navigate this evolving landscape, recognizing the importance of fostering genuine connections and collaboration with the media is crucial.
