A five-step guide to media relations
You don’t become an award winning B2B PR agency without knowing that media relations involves careful planning and realistic expectations. Our five-step methodology provides a good framework for this.
1. Plan
Most people want to jump straight into tactics, rather than spend time on the required steps beforehand. When it comes to media relations, it’s particularly important to plan what you want to say and who you’re going to say it to, so that you don’t burn bridges. Your story needs to be compelling for the journalists and publications that you’re looking to target and planning accordingly will achieve this.
2. Create
Some think that B2B PR agencies don’t get as many opportunities to be creative as their consumer PR siblings, but they’re wrong. Creating B2B campaigns can range from data-led research ideas to video production. The creative process is key to any successful media relations strategy that wants to cut through the noise and catch the journalist’s eye.
3. Be consistent
A short project that relies on one media relations campaign is probably not going to make a dent or show any tangible results to take back to the board. Any agency worth their salt should provide a full strategy that covers multiple touchpoints over a sustained period of time.
4. Amplify
Getting quality coverage is just the first step – the next is shouting about it. It’s just as important for you to take responsibility for amplifying your coverage, as it is for the journalist and publication that they write for. Publishers rely on social sharing to increase their traffic, so it’s only fair for this to be a reciprocal process. And you have the added benefit of being able to get this coverage right in front of your customers and prospects through your own marketing efforts.
5. Integrate
In order to get marketing-led results from PR activity, your media relations agency should be fully integrated into your marketing plans and strategies. If PR and marketing messages can work together, the results from both efforts are more likely to be mutually beneficial.
Results
As well as getting the coverage you crave, the results of a solid media relations strategy should include a higher profile, more website traffic, leads (if you have integrated properly, as outlined earlier), followed links (which boost SEO rankings) and positive staff vibes.
