One of the most challenging things that I have experienced while trying to do PR for the organization that I am involved with is trying to get someone to pick up our stories. This year we have been shown lots of love from our primary publication on campus, The Red & Black, but it is always difficult to convince someone that your story outshines others. I have already spoken on some of the difficulties of trying to advertise on a low budget, and for this reason it is even more important that our stories are picked up to help call attention to everything that we’re doing on campus.
In class we have been learning about what makes a story newsworthy and how to approach reporters with your story. The most important thing that I have learned about building a relationship with the media is to not waste their time. It is important to research which avenues not only reach your target audience, but also if that avenue’s audience would be interested in your story. Reporters want to know that you are knowledgeable on their publication and familiar with their past stories. This shows that you have done your research and are not just calling around desperate for anyone to pick up your story. Doing your research can save their time, and your own as well. It’s much easier to contact one or two outlets that you know will meet your target audience, than contacting several outlets that may or may not reach the people who actually care about your story.
As PR practitioners we live our lives and build our profession around meaningful relationships. Researching, establishing and developing these relationships is the best way to serve your client and their consumers.
Having a small budget can definitely be a problem, but maybe that’s where social media can come into play. While social media can’t completely replace old forms of advertisement, I do think it can really help boost an organization’s presence in the media. However you address the situation, I hope it goes well for you!
Relationships are everything in PR! Someone told me, it is called public RELATIONS for a reason! Ha. Breaking through the media is a tough egg to crack, but I definitely think you are on to something with relationship with the media jazz. Media people have such potential to help us, so we need to figure out how to show them that we can help them as well.