As we enter the celebratory time of shamrocks, leprechauns, pots of gold, and Irish traditions, the idea of luck is on the minds of many. I can’t help but wonder what it truly means to be lucky. As public relations practitioners, what is our relationship to luck?
Throughout your public relations career, media relations becomes a key tactic to PR success. It is your job to effectively connect the story of your client to reporters who will share the message with your target publics.
Oftentimes, when a practitioner is first growing their media relations skill, it can feel as if the success of their story is reliant on luck. Will the reporter be interested in my story? While it may feel like luck controls your media relations practices, here are some ways PR skills can guarantee success!
Referencing this article from the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), the key to media relations is to maintain a consistent relationship between yourself and news reporters. PRSA teaches us these helpful tips:
When pitching to the media, you need to know your story. Use your knowledge of your client to translate their mission into a newsworthy story angle that is engaging and important - reporters will notice!
With your newsworthy ideas, it is crucial to research reporters. To best optimize your time, you want to interact with the reporters who are most likely to pick up your story based on their reporting history. Research is key!
Once you have a pitch for the right reporters, you must make a connection. This is the easy part - be you! Putting in the time to build a relationship with reporters will encourage them to utilize your stories in the future.
If these steps are followed like a rainbow, PR practitioners can successfully pitch to reporters to gain media coverage (or a pot of gold!). Happy St. Patrick's Day, Bluestone!
Comments