In the world of public relations, patience is rare. Given the fast-paced nature of the industry, we PR pros have grown accustomed to responding to almost instant turn-around requests. However, this might not be the best mindset when it comes to media relations – which is one of the most important practice areas of PR.
When it comes to building relationships, there’s one rule that remains the same, regardless of the type of person: it takes time, and therefore, patience. You wouldn’t consider someone a close, trustworthy friend after only speaking with them once, right? Well, building a relationship with a journalist is no exception to this rule. As much as we’d like reporters to consider us their go-to source from the moment we first pitch them, that can’t be achieved from a single introduction or dialogue.
So, what steps can PR pros take to establish a quality and valuable relationship with the media? Here are some tips:
- Do your research. Before pitching a reporter or editor, make sure his/her beat is a good fit for your client or company. Pitching them irrelevant topics not only wastes your media contacts’ time and yours, but it tells them that you aren’t invested in their work. Putting effort into a relationship is a two-way street.
- Schedule an introductory interview with the reporter and your client. My colleagues and I have set up several introductory interviews with our clients and reporters to help them get to know each other and share ideas. While it may not result in a media win right away, these meetings can spark new story ideas and set the stage for your client to be a valuable resource for their future stories.
- Get to know them as a person. While a lot of your conversations with reporters may be through email or social media, remember that they are people, too. Go the extra mile when getting to know them with gestures like inviting them to get coffee, learning about their personal interests, and commenting on some of their stories, even if it doesn’t parlay into an actual pitch. They’ll be more likely to remember you as a trusted source if you form a personal connection with them.
[inlinetweet prefix=”” tweeter=”@buchananpr” suffix=””]Building a connection with a reporter takes patience. [/inlinetweet]While it may take a lot of time and effort, the investment that you put into forming that relationship will pay off in the long run.
What other tips do you have for building relationships with the media?