By Eva Enriquez
As a PR professional, it is important to gather and maintain a large selection of carefully-curated press lists, keeping them up to date with quality contacts to help you successfully pitch your clients. Although it is always a dream to have your pitch featured in the biggest and most far-reaching outlets, that is not always best for your client.
To get the largest media response, compile a press list of niche outlets and journalists for each unique industry you’re pitching. For instance, video game enthusiast will check the new content on their favorite trade daily, but may never look at larger media outlets. Trade outlet audiences will spend time reading your pieces because they are already interested in the topic of the post. Journalists are also busy. Don’t flood a beauty and lifestyle writer with pitches about the newest immersive VR experience. It is much more successful to write a personalized pitch to a few media contacts eager to hear about your subject than blast out a mass email that will probably be looked over for less than 10 seconds.
Each list may have fewer names, but establishing a diverse variety of press lists will help your firm develop closer relationships with members of the media. Journalists will appreciate that you have taken the time to do your homework and send them something they can easily place. You may more likely be added to their list of favored PR contacts.
It is important to consider whether the journalist you are contacting has a special focus within the outlet. Pitching to the writer with the most knowledge on your client’s industry will create better press in the end. A news piece written by someone who is unfamiliar with your client’s industry could lead to press that is uninformed, with possible errors.
Lastly, updating your media contact lists frequently is crucial. Journalists may shift from one outlet to another, and you do not want to be the PR professional emailing journalists at the wrong outlet for years before they finally correct you. Save your own time by adding an additional journalist to the list if the first contact did not respond to you.
Put in some extra time when compiling and reaching out to media outlets. Target niche outlets–don’t stop your search at the big-name news sites. Trade magazine readers will appreciate your content. Show the same care with notes to media contacts, as a journalist will often give your pitch an extra read if it’s personalized to them and their specialities. These small touchpoints can offer big impact for you and your clients.