At PReturn, we have a core belief that each time we reach out to the media with client news, we’re actually servicing two clients: our paying client and the reporter we’re pitching. It’s easy to get wrapped up with a client’s agenda (after all, they’re paying!), but forgetting about the reporters’ needs puts you in a bad position. By taking care of the reporters, your paying clients come out on top far more often.
The reality is, both the client (get covered) and the reporter (write a great story) have needs; working hard to align those needs results in great coverage and, more importantly, great relationships. When you can establish a great client-reporter relationship, you’re actually establishing three great relationships:
Between you and your client
Between you and the reporter
Between the client and the reporter
The best way to establish these relationships and cater to everyone’s needs is to be honest with yourself and your client about whether their news is actually best suited to go to a particular reporter. Work to make the client understand this approach will further their best interests. This honesty helps reduce the number of off-topic pitches reporters receive (which reporters greatly appreciate as you’re not the only person pitching them) and helps increase the likelihood that the reporter will open emails from you since they trust they’re on topic.
Consider these tips to help ensure you’re getting the right client news to the right reporters:
Research: do some digging; read a reporter’s articles to understand the topics they cover and what types of news may interest them
Slice and dice: segment your media lists by topic as finely as possible; it helps ensure a match
Monitor and respond: If a reporter mentions something is off topic, move them to a more appropriate list so they don’t get more off-topic news from you
Go the extra mile: reporters often contact PR teams looking for sources; even if your current client list doesn’t contain a great match, try to find a source that is (reporters love this)
Ed cals are your friend: most trade or industry publications publish an editorial calendar which outlines topics throughout the year for articles they’ll be writing; cross-check these against client expertise and proactively offer to put the two in touch
If you’re diligent in your efforts to match the needs of clients with the needs of reporters, you’ll start to see a big payoff in the amount of coverage and the number of incoming requests from reporters. Clients will also trust your judgment when you tell them a news item they’re excited about might not be the best fit for a particular reporter. Ultimately, it’s a win-win.